Darn Tough Men's Mountaineering Over-the-Calf Heavyweight
When your boots have room for full cushioning
Cuff over-the-calf · 43.2 cm (17 in) on averagePadding full cushion · heavyweightBlend 73% merino wool, 25% nylonList £40 at Darn Tough
Thick walking socks for cold days and winter boots
35 socks from the makers’ UK shops have full padding through the foot and a cuff above a boot’s collar: the most fabric in the range. Try them in the boots you will wear; no maker gives a temperature rating.
35 socks to choose from
Chosen by the makers’ published facts, one sock per brand first.
Icebreaker Men's Merino Hike+ Heavy Crew
When your boots have room for full cushioning
Cuff crewPadding extra cushion · heavyBlend 49% merino wool, 49% nylon, 2% elastaneType Left and right fitList £28.99 at Icebreaker
Norfolk Nasuh 2.0 Fully Cushioned Reinforced Climayarn Heavy Walking Socks
When you want Norfolk’s warmest sock, for winter treks and standing still in the cold
Cuff crew lengthPadding full cushion · heavy weightBlend 45% wool, 38% acrylicList £25.99 at Norfolk
Smartwool Hike Classic Edition Crew Extra Cushion, SW013100
When your footwear has space for extra cushioning
Cuff crewPadding extra cushion · heavy thicknessBlend 70% merino wool, 29% nylonList £24.99 at Smartwool
Bridgedale Men's Midweight Merino Performance Boot
When your boots have room for full cushioning
Cuff bootPadding cushioning rating 4 of 5 · midweightBlend 38% nylon, 26% wool, 18% merino wool, 17% polypropylene, 1% elastaneList £24 at Bridgedale
When your boots have room for full cushioning
Cuff calfPadding extra strong paddingBlend 34% acrylic, 29% polypropyleneType Left and right fitList £36 at Falke
Show all 35 socks
Icebreaker Women's Merino Hike+ Heavy Crew
When your boots have room for full cushioning
Cuff crewPadding extra cushion · heavyBlend 62% merino wool, 36% nylon, 2% elastaneType Left and right fitList £28.99 at Icebreaker
Norfolk Nasuh Fully Cushioned Thermal Expedition Socks with Climayarn
When you want a thick thermal sock for cold-weather walks in boots
Cuff crew lengthPadding full cushion · heavy weightBlend 50% wool, 22% polypropyleneList £22.99 at Norfolk
Norfolk Nordique Merino Wool Fully Cushioned Thermal Outdoor Socks
When you want a thick, fully cushioned thermal sock for cold days in boots
Cuff crew lengthPadding full cushion · heavy weightBlend 45% wool, 45% acrylic, 9% polyamide, 1% elastaneList £24.99 at Norfolk
Norfolk Voyager 2.0 Fully Cushioned Reinforced Thermal Merino Wool Hiking Socks
When you want a thick, warm sock for winter walking and long days in heavy boots
Cuff crew lengthPadding full cushion · heavy weightBlend 50% merino wool, 33% polypropylene, 10% polyamide, 5% acrylic, 2% elastaneList £27.99 at Norfolk
Darn Tough Men's Coolmax Hiker Boot Midweight
When you want a hiking sock without wool
Cuff boot · 27.9 cm (11 in) on averagePadding full cushion · midweightBlend 39% polyester, 30% nylonList £32 at Darn Tough
Darn Tough Men's Hiker Boot Full Cushion Midweight
When your boots have room for full cushioning
Cuff boot · 27.9 cm (11 in) on averagePadding full cushion · midweightBlend 66% merino wool, 32% nylonList £34 at Darn Tough
Darn Tough Women's Gatewood Boot Midweight
When your boots have room for full cushioning
Cuff boot · 26.7 cm (10.5 in) on averagePadding full cushion · midweightBlend 67% merino wool, 30% nylonList £34 at Darn Tough
Darn Tough Women's Hiker Boot Full Cushion Midweight
When your boots have room for full cushioning
Cuff boot · 26.7 cm (10.5 in) on averagePadding full cushion · midweightBlend 69% merino wool, 27% nylonList £34 at Darn Tough
Bridgedale Women's Midweight Merino Performance Boot
When your boots have room for full cushioning
Cuff bootPadding cushioning rating 4 of 5 · midweightBlend 38% nylon, 26% wool, 18% merino wool, 17% polypropylene, 1% elastaneList £24 at Bridgedale
Smartwool Hike Classic Edition Crew Full Cushion, SW013000
When you want full cushioning in a crew
Cuff crewPadding full cushion · medium thicknessBlend 66% merino wool, 33% nylonList £22.99 at Smartwool
When your boots have room for full cushioning
Cuff calfPadding extra strong paddingBlend 42% polypropylene, 25% acrylicType Left and right fitList £28 at Falke
Falke Men's TK1 Adventure Cool
When you want a hiking sock without wool
Cuff calfPadding extra strong paddingBlend 45% polypropylene, 30% lyocellType Left and right fitList £28 at Falke
Falke Men's TK1 Adventure Wool
When your boots have room for full cushioning
Cuff calfPadding extra strong paddingBlend 70% virgin merino wool, 30% polyamideType Left and right fitList £31 at Falke
When your boots have room for full cushioning
Cuff calfPadding extra strong paddingBlend 34% acrylic, 29% polypropyleneType Left and right fitList £36 at Falke
When your boots have room for full cushioning
Cuff calfPadding extra strong paddingBlend 42% polypropylene, 25% acrylicType Left and right fitList £28 at Falke
Falke Women's TK1 Adventure Wool
When your boots have room for full cushioning
Cuff calfPadding extra strong paddingBlend 70% virgin merino wool, 30% polyamideType Left and right fitList £31 at Falke
Icebreaker Men's Merino Hike+ Mountaineer Mid Calf
When your boots have room for full cushioning
Cuff mid calfPadding full cushionBlend 80% merino wool, 19% nylon, 1% elastaneList £29.99 at Icebreaker
Icebreaker Women's Merino Hike+ Mountaineer Mid Calf
When your boots have room for full cushioning
Cuff mid calfPadding full cushionBlend 59% merino wool, 38% nylon, 3% elastaneList £29.99 at Icebreaker
Norfolk Gabby Merino Wool and Bamboo Fully Cushioned Thermal Outdoor Socks
When you want a soft, fully cushioned sock for cold walks in boots
Cuff crew lengthPadding full cushionBlend 37% merino wool, 33% bamboo, 28% polyamide, 2% lycraList £26.99 at Norfolk
Smartwool Hike Classic Edition Second Cut Crew Extra Cushion
When your boots have room for full cushioning
Cuff crewPadding extra cushionBlend 38% merino wool, 38% fibre the maker doesn’t nameList £25.99 at Smartwool
Smartwool Hike Classic Edition Second Cut Crew Full Cushion
When your boots have room for full cushioning
Cuff crewPadding full cushionBlend 39% merino wool, 32% fibre the maker doesn’t nameList £23.99 at Smartwool
Smartwool Hike Full Cushion Crew
When your boots have room for full cushioning
Cuff crewPadding full cushionBlend 64% merino wool, 34% recycled nylonList £27 at Smartwool
Smartwool Hike Lolo Trail Crew
When your boots have room for full cushioning
Cuff crewPadding full cushionBlend 63% merino wool, 35% nylonList £25.99 at Smartwool
Smartwool Mountaineer Classic Edition Crew
When your boots have room for full cushioning
Cuff crewPadding max cushionBlend 74% merino wool, 25% nylonList £26.99 at Smartwool
Smartwool Mountaineer Classic Edition Second Cut Crew
When your boots have room for full cushioning
Cuff crewPadding max cushionBlend 41% merino wool, 41% fibre the maker doesn’t nameList £27.99 at Smartwool
Smartwool Mountaineer Tall Crew
When your boots have room for full cushioning
Cuff tall crewPadding max cushionBlend 72% merino wool, 27% nylonList £29.99 at Smartwool
Smartwool Women's Hike Classic Edition Crew Full Cushion
When your boots have room for full cushioning
Cuff crewPadding full cushionBlend 65% merino wool, 34% nylonList £22.99 at Smartwool
Smartwool Women's Hike Saturnsphere Crew
When your boots have room for full cushioning
Cuff crewPadding full cushionBlend 62% merino wool, 36% nylonList £25.99 at Smartwool
Smartwool Women's Mountaineer Classic Edition Crew
When your boots have room for full cushioning
Cuff crewPadding max cushionBlend 74% merino wool, 25% nylonList £26.99 at Smartwool
What each maker calls thick
Smartwool grades its padding full, extra and max (its Mountaineer socks); Darn Tough calls its thickest Mountaineering socks heavyweight, with full cushion; Falke’s TK1 Adventure and TK-X Expedition carry its “extra strong padding”; Bridgedale rates its Midweight Merino Performance boot socks 4 on its 5-point cushioning scale; and Icebreaker labels its Hike+ Heavy Crew heavy, with extra cushion. These are each brand’s own words, not one shared scale.
Leave room in the boot
A thick sock fills the space the boot was fitted with. Try it with your boots and insoles: if your toes press on the end or you have to loosen the laces to get the boot on, go back to a medium sock rather than squeezing a thick one in.
Tall enough for the boot
Darn Tough’s men’s boot socks average 27.9 cm (11 in) from heel to cuff, its women’s 26.7 cm (10.5 in), and its Mountaineering over-the-calf sock 43.2 cm (17 in). Most other makers name a crew, boot or calf height without a measurement, so check on the first wear that the cuff stands above the collar.
Keep a dry pair
On a cold walk of several days, a dry pair for the evening matters more than an extra-thick one. The trip planner shows the morning you would run short of dry socks.
