Three simple rules for buying hiking socks

A good-fitting sock is as important as a good-quality boot on a hike. 

Even if you have the best hiking boot for your foot, a lousy pair of socks will ruin the walk.

When purchasing a pair of socks for a hike, follow these three simple guidelines:
g Select a material that best fits your foot’s needs for the trail – This requires gauging how the sock’s thickness and fabric will hold up against the hiking conditions. The colder the weather, the rougher the terrain, and the longer the hike, the thicker the sock should be. Wool always is the best option for a fabric, but short walks on smooth trails in hot weather lends itself to simply wearing a liner.
g Ensure there’s enough cushioning – Give your socks a shakedown cruise by wearing them with your favorite hiking boot in a walk around the block or through a city park. If spots on your foot rub against the boot, you may not have enough cushioning there. The solution is to either go with a thicker sock or to find another brand with extra cushioning in the troubled spots.
g Get the right size – Socks are sold to fit a range of shoe sizes, so know the latter number. The right-sized sock will fit snug against your foot. Buy too large or too small of a sock, and it will bunch up, leading to abrasion and blisters.

Learn about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.

Know your fabrics to select best hiking sock

A variety of fabrics are used to make hiking socks. Photo courtesy of Photoree.

When purchasing hiking socks, you’ll likely face a number of fabric options. Knowing a little about each of the materials can help you decide which sock is the best for you.

Generally, hiking socks are made of four types of fabrics:
g Wool – This is the most popular fabric because it’s warm, offers maximum cushioning, and nicely wicks moisture away from the foot. These characteristics are enhanced in modern wool by synthetic materials weaved into the natural fabric. In addition, opt for merino wool over ragg wool, as the latter can be itchy.
g Synthetics – Several brand names such as Hollofil, Thermax and Thermastat have been designed to be as warm as wool yet to dry more quickly and to be more abrasion-resistant. Other synthetics, such as polypropylene and CoolMax, typically are woven into wool socks or used in liners, primarily because of their superior wicking ability. Stretch nylon and spandex also often is blended into natural fabrics to help the sock retain its shape; without it, the sock would bunch up or wrinkle, resulting in abrasion.
g Silk – While comfortable and lightweight, silk isn’t so great at preventing rubbing. Because of this, it typically is only used in sock liners, mainly for its wicking power.
g Cotton – Though extremely comfortable, cotton absorbs moisture and dries slowly, making your feet vulnerable to blisters on the trail. If blended with other materials, however, cotton can be worn for short, easy walks on days with moderate temperatures.

Learn about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.

Tips to avoid sore feet, legs, back on hike

When hitting the trail, wear well-fitting hiking boots to avoid foot pain and
falls. Photo courtesy of George Hodan.

Given the largely sedentary nature of our schools and workplaces, sometimes we can set up our feet and bodies for a painful walk before we even hit the trail. Our bodies simply aren’t used to walking long distances, even though humans are optimally designed for it.

Indeed, being on one’s feet all day after a week of sitting at our desks or in our cars can result in sore soles, strained leg muscles, and lower back pain. That often means a difficult hike or a miserable couple of days after one.

Should you spend a lot of your time during the week sitting, do the following to ensure your feet and body are able to handle a hike:
g Don right kind of footwear – Put on well-fitting hiking boots and wool socks that give you traction, cushion your footfalls to prevent blisters, and better support your muscles, especially the ankle. Like a handicap score in golf, well-fitted footwear gives you the advantage, but in avoiding strain and sprains.
g Stretch before a hike – Stretching out your leg muscles will help warm them so that they don’t snap or turn sore during the walk.
g Maintain good posture – Your mother was right. Standing tall rather than slumping helps you to avoid neck, shoulder and back pain.
g Stay hydrated – Muscle cramps are more likely to occur when you don’t replace the water lost in your body from sweat. The hotter the weather, the more water you’ll need in your canteen.
g Sit during breaks – Getting the weight off your feet is vital. While sitting, elevate your feet for a few minutes.
g Treat blisters right away – If you feel one forming, take a rest break and address the issue. Letting it go can lead to a larger blister and a more uncomfortable hike.

Learn about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.

Prepare your feet to avoid injuries on hike

Most hikers will agree that the most important piece of gear and equipment they have for the trail is their own feet. There’s good reason for such an attitude: If your feet are sore, the hike will become a death march rather than a pleasurable activity. This is even truer for children, who lack an adult’s ability to resist physical pain to achieve a goal.

Fortunately, you can take some simple steps with your feet and those of your children to ensure the hike remains enjoyable.

Before the hike:
g Trim toenails – Long toenails will place pressure on the toe as they push against the boot. Toenails shouldn’t catch on socks, either, or they’ll wear a hole in them, which can lead to blisters. Trim straight across the nail rather than round the corners.
g Smooth calluses with a file – Blisters can form under large calluses, resulting in an infection. Calluses usually occur because of ill-fitting shoes.
g Rid inside of hiking boots of lint and small stones – This debris only will rub against your feet as they eliminate the spacing between your sock and hiking boot.
g Replace frayed shoelaces – Ripped laces won’t tie properly, creating pressure points on the top of your feet and preventing the boot from fitting snugly, which can lead to twists and falls.
g Replace the insole – Use a thinner pad if the boot fits too tightly or a thicker pad if the boot fits too loosely.
g Apply baby powder to inside of boot – This helps absorb moisture and keep the foot dry. Excessive moisture from sweat can lead to cold, wet feet.

When putting on boots:
g Wear wool socks – Cotton socks don’t absorb moisture as well. Wool socks also tend to be thicker, providing more cushion.
g Smooth socks around feet – Socks that are bunched up lead to friction and blisters. They also may expose part of the bare foot or leg to the boot, which definitely will be uncomfortable and lead to skin burns.
g Tie laces properly – The laces should ensure that the boot is snug but not tight. If laces dig into the foot, they will be uncomfortable.

Also be sure you know how to treat blisters and have the materials for doing so in your first-aid kit. While the above tips should prevent any problems, being able to address any foot issues during the hike will help tremendously.

Read more about day hiking with children in my Hikes with Tykes guidebooks.

Get children right kind of footwear for hikes

Courtesy of Michal Marcol /FreeDigitalPhotos.net

If a child’s feet hurt, the hike is over, so getting the right footwear is worth the time.

Make sure the footwear you have fits before hitting the trail. If you’ve gone a few weeks without hiking, that’s plenty of time for your children to grow, and they may have just outgrown their hiking boots. Check out their footwear a few days before heading out on the hike. If it doesn’t fit, replace it.

Avoid injuries
For flat, smooth, dry trails, sneakers and cross-trainers are just fine; but if you really want to head onto less traveled roads or tackle areas that aren’t typically dry (like Southern California is), you’ll need hiking boots.

Once you start doing any rocky or steep trails – and remember that a trail you consider moderately steep needs to be only half that angle for a child to consider it extremely steep – you’ll want hiking boots, which offer rugged tread perfect for handling rough trails.

Also, in some parts of the nation, such as the Pacific Northwest, parts of the trails will be muddy even after a few days of dry weather have passed. Sneakers quickly will become soaked and unable to traverse mud.

Hiking boots don’t just give you traction. If your children don’t have good shoes, they run the risk of blisters or even punctures from sharp rocks.

Afternoon shopping trip
Adults also should wear hiking boots, as they have either a baby carrier or a backpack strapped over their shoulders. If lugging about nothing more than a small daypack, you probably can get away with wearing crosstrainers, trekking shoes or trail-running shoes so long as you stick to fairly level, short footpaths.

Shop for hiking boots in the afternoon when feet are slightly swollen from having been walked on earlier that day. Also wear the socks you plan to don when hiking. If you wear insoles or orthotics, make sure they go into the boot as well.

The smaller the child, aim for lightweight shoes. Five-pound shoes would be cumbersome for most adults, so imagine what they would be for a child with smaller, less muscular legs. Indeed, an old hikers’ axiom is that a pound of shoe weight equals five pounds in the backpack.

Don’t allow children to wear open-toed shoes on a hike. Sandals are fine for the beach and walks on paved surfaces but not for the woods where rocks, roots and bugs all can get at exposed toes. Infants and toddlers confined to the baby carrier don’t need hiking boots. Besides being heavy, their rigidness actually can harm developing feet. Sneakers are sufficient for the few minutes they come out of the carrier and get to run about the trail.

Read more about day hiking with children in my Hikes with Tykes guidebooks.

Prevent, treat children's blisters on hikes

A blister is a small, painful pocket of fluid that builds in the upper layers of the skin.

You can avoid blisters by wearing good-fitting, broken-in boots and socks that provide cushion and wick moisture from the skin. If certain parts of a foot are prone to blistering, pretreat the area by placing mole skin or an adhesive bandage over it. Long and sharp toenails can lead to rubbing against a shoe and boot and thus blisters on the toes. Always remove tiny stones and twig pieces from a shoe. As soon as your foot or that of your kids’ feels any pain, check the foot for a “hot spot,” an area of inflammation that is on the verge of becoming a blister.

Always treat a hot spot as soon as you feel it by placing an adhesive bandage over the affected area. While you generally shouldn’t pop a blister, do so if hiking. Then clean the blister with antiseptic and dry it to help relieve pressure and to prevent the blister from spreading, which will occur if your keep walking. Place a piece of mole skin over it, secured by an adhesive bandage, so it does not continue to rub against the boot.

As a side note, place a little foot or baby powder in your boot before hiking. While this won’t prevent blisters, it’ll help reduce moisture on the foot, making the walk more comfortable.

Read more about day hiking with children in my guidebook Hikes with Tykes.

Right socks mean no blisters for hiking kids

Socks serve two purposes: to wick sweat away from skin and to provide cushioning. Because of this, cotton socks aren’t very good for hiking, except in extremely dry environments, as they trap moisture that can lead to blisters.

Wool socks or liner socks work best, so you’ll want to look for three-season socks, also known as trekking socks. While a little thicker than summer socks, their extra cushioning generally prevents blisters.

Also, make sure kids don’t put on holey socks; that’s just inviting blisters.

Read more about day hiking with children in my guidebook Hikes with Tykes.