The Bottom Line
Smartwool socks are what's for travel. They last until loss do you part. They don't itch, like those shapeless, scratchy blobs you normally associate with wool sock world, and they'll never show you a stinky side. They're warm, cool, cushy, comfy. Every traveler should have Smartwool socks coddling cobblestone-sore and trail-battered tootsies -- hot and sore or cold and wet feet can derail a trip fast.
Get 'em. Love 'em. Never lose 'em.
Pros
- Comfortable forever
- Last forever
- Never stink
- Never shrink
Cons
- Nada
Description
- Flat top toe seam doesn't rub
- Ribbing provides stretch
- Terry loop pad cushions soles sweetly
- Flat, lightweight knit maximizes breathability
- Elastic sole brace brings ahhh to arches
- Contoured cups cushion heels
- Elastic ankle brace minimizes socks-falling-down syndrome
Guide Review - Smartwool Socks: Best Travel Socks
I found Smartwool socks while they were still undersung unknowns; a small company in my hometown of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, was mixing up the itchless, no stink, no shrink wool sock medicine in a basement just down the road from me -- today, the Smartwool name covers tops, tights, and continents with New Zealand merino wool magic combined with Yankee ingenuity.
No Itch
How it comes to pass that Smartwool doesn't itch has to do with very teeny increments of wool measurement; a given wool fiber's diameter of less than 20 microns with less than five percent of a wool batch's fibers exceeding 30 microns means, according to wool growers, that "the fabric made from the fiber will have 'reduced prickle intensity to a level which will not be perceived as skin discomfort by most people under normal conditions.'"No Shrink
How it comes to pass that Smartwool stuff doesn't shrink is a mystery. Smartwool has this to say on the shrinking issue: "Smartwool's technology eliminates shrinkage." Yeah, huh. Works, whatever the smartie technique may be. I've washed and dried countless times without shrinkage peril.No Stink
Smartwool construction wicks off potentially smelly sweat and the fabric is 90% keratin, which repels peeyew-producing bacteria. Less washing means more wearing, less pairs packed and less sock soaking in the lone hostel dorm sink. Dry fast, too.Best Smartwool Socks for Travel
My fave Smartwool socks for for travel:
- Adrenaline Micro Mini Crew
- Hiking Medium Crew
Compare prices on all the Smartwool socks:
