Winter Socks – Mom Always Said to Keep Your Feet Warm and Dry
Winter Socks - Mom Always Said to Keep Your Feet Warm and Dry
Olivia Gehl
Choosing the right winter socks is essential to keeping your toes toasty and warm during the frosty season. Whether you're using them for skiing, shoveling snow, ice skating, snowmobiling or just waving away the winter doldrums with a cup of hot cocoa, there are socks for you. Here are some things to look for.
Skiing and Snowboarding - Try to find socks that are sleek and fit closely to your foot. Fabrics that wick away sweat will prevent your feet from freezing or steaming from sweat. If possible, take your ski boot with you when looking for socks so you can find a thickness that fits just snugly, not too loose and not too tight. Cutting off circulation with too-tight socks will cause your feet to become very cold very quickly. Look for socks made of synthetic materials designed for humidity control.
Shoveling snow - Nice warm wool or acetate socks inside your favorite snow boots should keep your feet dry and warm while you push all that snow out of your driveway. If the snow is slushy or wet and heavy, try a water-resistant sock that will prevent wet feet.
Ice Skating - Depending on your skates, you will need specific thicknesses of socks to keep your feet warm and safe. For figure skates, because they fit so closely to the foot, thin standard socks are advised. Make sure they come up to just past the boot of the skate, but not much higher to encourage circulation. Hockey skates demand heavy weaves and durable stitching to keep feet secure in large skate bodies. There are many brands of socks developed specifically for hockey skates. Look for humidity and vapor control to prevent sweat from making your feet too hot or too cold.
Indoor socks - When the weather gets cold and you just want to curl up with some nice warm socks, a blanket and a good book, there are many choices for a great fit and feel. Cotton socks come in a range of thicknesses and patterns; consider hang-drying them to prevent them from shrinking or warping. Wool socks run the gamut between soft and itchy, so be sure to choose carefully. Acrylic, polyester and other synthetic socks have many textures, from fuzzy to sleek and come in many colors and knits. Finally, my favorite, grandmother-knitted socks. They come in colors only a grandchild could love and warm both your toes and your heart.
Exotic socks - There are some very high-tech socks on the market for niche crowds. Battery-powered heated socks, socks that change color in the presence of heat and vibrating massage socks have cropped up in stores everywhere, looking for some feet to call their home. The only caveat I have is to watch out for the laundering instructions and make sure that when it says 'hand-wash only', you're willing to hand wash them.
Undoubtedly, there is a plethora of socks to choose from. When in doubt, try them on and see what feels right to you. Whether they're heavy or light, wool or silk, the most important aspect of your sock choice is going to be comfort.