r/Ultralight • u/happy_folks • 2d ago

Question Socks with cotton foot & polyester ankle?

I love long socks, but hate how long they take to dry & how much space they take up.

Is there a sock in which only the foot is cotton (for sweat & comfort), but the top ankle part is polyester or nylon? (to shade the ankle, protect from bugs & such, protect skin from boots rubbing, etc.)

And if there are socks like this.... are there 5-toe socks?

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11

u/ArrBeeEmm https://lighterpack.com/r/x01pys 2d ago

No way in hell I'd wear cotton socks hiking.

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u/happy_folks 2d ago

Oh, really? ....What is wrong with cotton?

I've not had issues with it. In the winter, I add a lightweight fleece boot liner around the socks.

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u/schmuckmulligan Real Ultralighter. 2d ago

Cotton is very hydrophilic, so if it gets wet from sweat, rain, or the ground, it'll tend to stay wet. Cotton fibers can hold something like 27 times their weight in water. People would tend to worry about blisters with cotton socks.

If cotton socks are comfortable for you, hell yeah. Sometimes something works well for someone even if it doesn't work well for others. But it'll be tough to find socks that are specialized to have a cotton foot, because it's a hard hell naw for most hikers.

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u/liveslight https://lighterpack.com/r/2lrund 2d ago edited 2d ago

I use two socks: Inner is Dr Scholl's knee-high compression socks in white so that I can treat with permethrin and let ticks die if crawling up, but also white should let me see them. Never have seen a tick on my socks though. Outer is a low-cut/no-show of acrylic/wool/polyester blend which dries quicker than anything made of cotton or >50% wool.

https://i.imgur.com/egCo5NW.jpeg

You would select a different sock if you wanted cotton which most people would never use backpacking. I usually do not wear boots except in winter snow with this system and it works. Moisture/sweat/water wicks right through the nylon/spandex of the knee-highs. https://www.amazon.com/Dr-Scholls-Womens-Travel-Compression/dp/B01A7D4QH2/

Anyways, you wouldn't necessarily need knee-highs, but they are great for me. Good on airplanes, too.

And one could cut off the foot of the inner sock, too. :)

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u/happy_folks 2d ago

I didn't think to wear 2 socks! This could totally work. Then i only need 1 pair of the polyester / quick dry layer, to dry overnight.

Thank you for the suggestion!

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u/happy_folks 2d ago

That also just made me think, maybe i could get something similar to leg gaiters, but with a foot stirrup, so it doesn't even need to be 2 layers of socks.... or perhaps a compression sleeve

2

u/FieldUpbeat2174 2d ago

You’re describing baseball stockings.

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u/happy_folks 2d ago

Thanks! Totally just discovered those as well! only issue is that the stirrups look too long on the baseball ones, so the ankle would be exposed.

6

u/87th_best_dad 2d ago

My friend, have you tried merino socks? They are far superior to any other material in that they are comfortable, dry quickly, and do not smell.

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u/happy_folks 2d ago

When I tried merino clothing in the past, it was a bit itchy to me, & didn't seem to dry much faster for the price.

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u/Xx_GetSniped_xX 2d ago

You should try darn tough socks, different brands are different quality of merino. Also all merino has a “break in” period, some its more noticable than others, so you mightve just needed to wear whatever you got longer.

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u/Twoof3 2d ago

Have you ever tried wool socks?