Merino wool socks recomendations
 

Hi,
I'm searching for a merino wool socks.
I want a heavy and worm one.
It should work in cycling with sandals in freezing weather.
Also, Is there a 100% merino socks?
Thanks,
Kfir

Smartwool. i have a pair on as a I type. Love'em, won't wear any other socks.

Same here, only I'll wear something else for work. Slightly spendy but very well worth it!!

Smartwool here also. I wear a pair of heavy weight hikers with my sandals when it is cool out.

I have used Smartwool merino wool socks for the last five years with good results.

An alternative is by DeFeet designed for biking. I have used two pairs for the last year and like them very much. The thickest one is called the Woolie Boolie and is 64% merino wool, 34% Nylon, 1% Lycra. The thinner one is called the Wooleator. It is 63% merino wool, 26% Nylon, 10% Cordura, 1% Lycra.

Just yesterday for Christmas I received a pair of bike socks from Icebreaker. Mostly merino wool with a nice fit.

Merino is usually fairly thin. If you want a thick pair of wool socks, look at Kodiak.

Depends on how cold:
For colder weather, I am wearing thin hiking socks that are longer and a bit thicker than ankle socks. I currently have a pair of Teko and Smartwool. I like both fine enough.

For winter ankle socks, I like DeFeet Wollie Boolies too. They fit well and keep their shape. Smartwool is ok; I find that the fibers that provide the cushion on the bottom of the foot aren't 'stable', in that over time these fibers fall out and the socks develop holes, while Woolie Boolie's of the same age are still going strong.

I am very excited about a new company, Teko. I wore thin Teko's in the summer, a pair of EcoMerino and another pair (don't remember thickness--sorry) of the IgneoPLA fiber made from corn: http://www.tekosocks.com/perf.fibers.ingeo.html . Both worked well for me. I loved the color they has this summer, a wonderful dark yellow. I hope the company keeps this color. [edit] The color is called 'saffron' and is in their Ecomerino thin quarter. [edit2] And, this color is also in their ecopoly, of which I have at least 2 pairs in saffron. I like these socks!

Wigwam Ingenius Boot Socks.

many good choices of heavy heavy merino sock out there.

www.smartwool.com

you could experiment and buy them a size larger than normal and boiling them, like Daschtein mittens to "felt" them to improve weather resistance? Wait, maybe Daschtein makes socks....? can't remember, seem to think they don't...

I love presents which talking to my gearhead ;)
What is the % of merino wool in the Icebreaker socks?

Maybe you shoul also check http://www.groundeffect.co.nz/products-MER.htm

I can't remember the brand, but I just got two pairs of Merino wool socks from the hunting department of Walmart. I think they were only 5 or 10 dollars a pair,

Pashmina
 

Cashmere...

http://www.castelli-us.com/pm-903-4-...mere-sock.aspx

Should be plenty of wool up in the North of the U.K. to keep you warm?

The Bike/Run Mini Icebreaker socks I received does not have a composition breakdown on their website. Too bad that I lost the packaging in the post Christmas cleanup. Sorry.

I just picked up a 4 pack of merino woolies from Portland Costco for $10. They look and feel great, but act fast, you know how Costco has them today, but not tomorrow.

This won't work with most of the products we are talking about in this thread. Merino wool in manufactured clothing today is often either combined with synthetics or otherwise treated to prevent shrinking. Some go as far as needing a good drying in the clothes dryer to give back shape. In contrast, drying usually shrinks the heck out of wool (as does hot water). Smartwool socks fit in this category. The general rule is, if the washing instructions say you can wash and dry them, they won't shrink/felt.

Not all wool, however, is like this. For example, I have some old red Wigwam 100% wool socks that only get a cold water wash and are line-dried. I also have an old ragwool sweater that I can wash but not dry--even though it's 85% wool, 15% nylon.

+1 for the Kirkland Outdoor Trail Sock from Costco. Four pairs for $10 or so. 71% Merino wool, 21% Nylon, 7% Polyester 1% Lycra Spandex. I bought them in Seattle this week where a local told me he buys them every year at Christmas so they do re-stock. They are extremely comfortable and have now become my preferred sock. I bought some Medium a few weeks ago and washed them. They seemed to shrink in the dryer so I went back to buy two packs of Large (8 pairs). I gave the shrunk mediums to my wife, now the only problem will be to tell them apart.

DeFeet Wooly Boolies are great! Just about all that I wear in winter.

These are really nice socks
http://www.boure.com/8402.html

www.foxsox.com I have been using them for years. They make socks in all different styles and thicknesses.

Aaron:)

Love de feet woolie boolies -- I wear them constantly, on and off the bike.

Wait -- I am wearing them now! ;)

Do you want a sock with a 3-year guarantee? I wear Tilley's. They are mostly Merino, and they also wick moisture.

While you are at their site, check out their underwear. Everything Tilley is expensive but they are Canadian made and the very best quality

Pretty much any Australian or New Zealand wool will be merino wool. The only other sheep I've seen here have beed specialty breeds for milk production.

Commonest local brand - Holeproof Explorers. I like them. Good socks, but nothing really special. Warm and work well in boots; you'd need a rain/wind cover of some type for sandals. After a while they wear out in the heel but they last longer than most socks.

If you're in the US, Target has some nice wool socks for about $7 per pair. They only carry them in the winter, though, so don't delay. SmartWool is nice but pricey. Will have to try the others - thanks for the tips! Will have to pass on Costco as I've found that polyester in my socks makes for stinky feet:rolleyes:

You need sone kind of wind protection in freezing weather otherwise you might as well ride barefoot.