[pct-l] socks

[Steel-Eye]

Good evening, Just Jeff,

My experience has been similar to yours.  I don't much care what the socks
are, provided they are poly or wool blend.  They all seem to work for me if
they are the correct weight and fit.  Socks that bunch-up because they are
too large or too small are a particular problem for me since I'm
flat-footed, and I wear loose shoes.  Both contribute to feet sliding around
in the shoe.  That is the prime reason I long ago abandoned trying to wear
the traditional two pairs --- socks plus liners.  One pair is it for me,
except I do sometimes wear a liner inside the tall, water-resistant socks to
help control moisture.

A few years ago I hiked PCT-Oregon wearing medium-heavy wool-blend socks,
but I didn't like them for several reasons:  Heavier socks take much longer
to dry after they have been rinsed so subsequently I carried more pairs;
they weigh more than the thinner options; and since my feet expanded
in-route I found the shoes were becoming too tight.

>From the heavy socks, I went as far as I could go the other direction.  I
hiked the first 300 miles of Washington without any socks at all --- just
the shoes on my feet.  That worked fine for me, but I always carried a thin
pair of socks just in case.  Eventually I started wearing the socks again,
only because when my feet were really sweaty they seemed to stick to the
insoles and increase stress and friction.

One of my favorite types is the men's, ankle-height, poly dress sock.  I 
wore the
tall ones professionally, and once I caught myself thinking, "Gee, I wish I
had some hiking socks that fit as well as these, and lasted as long."  Duh!

Steel-Eye

^^^^^^^^^^  Serious hikers gather at:  http://www.aldhawest.org/  ^^^^^^^^^^

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jeffrey Olson" <jolson at olc.edu>
To: <pct-l at backcountry.net>
Sent: Wednesday, March 05, 2008 8:02 AM
Subject: [pct-l] socks


> As I puttered this morning I was thinking why it was I haven't had
> blisters in a number of years.  The obvious one is that I have shoes
> that are large enough for my feet to expand.  The other one that dawned
> on me as I continued to avoid sitting down and working, is that socks
> need to be tight.  Not so tight the heel cup slides toward the toes, but
> tight enough that it is hard to get the sock on.
>
>
> There was a thread in the last week that talked about socks, and kinds
> of socks.  But not about sizing of socks.  I'm testing my thought with
> you.  It doesn't matter what kind of polyblend sock a person uses.  What
> matters is that when used it remains tight so that any movement of the
> foot in the shoe has the sock and shoe rub, not sock and foot.  Does
> this jibe with others' experience?
>
>
> Loose shoes and tight socks makes a happy hiker...
>
>
> Jeff, just Jeff...
>
> _______________________________________________
> Pct-l mailing list
> Pct-l at backcountry.net
> http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l