Looking for the best hiking socks to prevent blisters, cruise comfortably and crush miles? Read on to find the best hiking socks for your shoe type and hiking style!

Why this blog? My name is Maddy and I’ve worked as an outdoor guide and writer since 2018 and have been extremely lucky to spend thousands of hours on trail for work! I’ve backpacked across islands, through the Upper Peninsula woods, and hiked for water every day while on a 70-day sea kayaking trip. I’m happy to help you find the best hiking sock for you!

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Best Hiking Socks: prevent blisters & comfortable hiking

Choosing the right hiking sock on longer hikes can make a huge difference! Here are the best hiking socks on the market:

• Darn Tough Micro Crew Cushion
• Injinji Run Lightweight Mini-Crew Socks
• Smartwool Performance Hike Targeted Cushion Ankle Socks
• Darn Tough Light Hiker Quarter Lightweight Hiking Socks
• REI Merino Wool Lightweight Hiking Quarter Socks
• Darn Tough Bear Town Micro Crew Socks
• Bombas Ankle Socks

1) Darn Tough Micro Crew Cushion: Best general hiking sock

The Darn Tough Hiker Micro Crew Cushion is a great all around hiking sock for colder hikes on long trails. My only note would be that if your feet sweat a lot these might be too warm for you — I’ve found that if it’s super hot or humid out, I tend to get blisters a little more easily with these socks.

Aside from this, the Darn Tough Micro Crew Cushion are some of the best hiking socks on the market. They’re cushioned, don’t easily wear through, and provide a lot warmth.

These socks are about 60% merino wool, which is a good choice in that it stays warm when wet. I’ve used these socks for summer backpacking on the Porcupine Mountains, around Lake Superior, winter hiking and camping, and on literally hundreds of sea kayaking trips (I work as an overnight guide!).

READ: Best Midwest Backpacking Destinations

2) Injinji Run Lightweight Mini-Crew Socks: Best hiking sock for blisters

I’ve already sort of mentioned that I blister easily, and there are a few key things I can do to mitigate this while hiking and backpacking. One thing I do is opt for Oboz Bridger mid hiking boots with a wider toebox. The second and single biggest thing I’ve done to help minimize blisters is wear toe socks.

The Injinji Run Lightweight Mini-Crew Socks are made of recycled synthetic fibers, nylon and spandex and are designed for runners but work very well for sweaty-footed blister-prone hikers.

Easily the best feature of the toe socks of course is the toe separation itself. The key benefit of the toe socks is it can prevent in between the toe blisters and can pair well with a pair of hiking sandals like Bedrocks, which are lightweight and sturdy, and make for the ideal camp shoe (they’re comfortable to hike in). I’ve pretty much committed to hiking any distance longer than about 8 miles in these.

Anyhow, the Injinji Run Lightweight Mini-Crew Socks literally saved my feet the last two days on the Trans Catalina Trail.

3) Smartwool Performance Hike Targeted Cushion Ankle Socks: Best hiking sock for warmer temperatures

For a great hiking sock that pairs well with trail runners and hot and humid hikes, check out the Smartwool Performance Hike Targeted Cushion Ankle Socks. These socks have targeted cushioning and are a merino wool blend.

The pro of ankle socks is they are lightweight and simple. The con would be that longer socks can provide a little more protection from brush as you hike, are compatible with hiking boots, and are less warm than thicker counterparts.

READ: Best Hiking Boots (for women!)

4) Darn Tough Light Hiker Quarter Lightweight Hiking Socks: Best hiking sock to pair with trail runners

Similar to the Smartwool pair above, the Darn Tough Light Hiker Quarter Lightweight Hiking Socks check a lot of the same boxes but sit just a touch higher on the calf. These have a slightly lower merino wool content than their Smartwool counterpart, but to be honest I’ve worn both pairs backpacking and can’t report a notable difference. I would say the Darn Tough pair perhaps has slightly more cushion, and I find myself reaching for this pair more but mostly because I like the color.

5) REI Merino Wool Lightweight Hiking Quarter Socks: Best budget hiking socks

For simple, budget hiking socks, you’re looking for REI Merino Wool Lightweight Hiking Quarter Socks. These are basically the cheapest that you’ll find on the market and still get good value from. These are 80% merino wool, which is more wool than any of the other socks listed.

Wool is warm and has so many great properties, but I think it’s probably for this reason (plus sometimes cheaper things are cheaper for a reason) that I’ve worn through two pairs of these. And listen, I’ve also worn through Darn Tough Socks, but usually after like, over a hundred miles of use. I’ve had two of these pairs get burned through in just a few backpacking trips.

READ: Best Sports Bras

6) Darn Tough Bear Town Micro Crew Socks: Best fun and functional hiking sock

Darn Tough, the hiking sock fan favorite, makes a lot of really fun and functional hiking socks as well like the Darn Tough Bear Town Micro Crew Socks! I also have a sun and a moon pair of socks 🙂

The designs on the socks are super fun, the only think I would note is that they can be a little tight on the ankle and less comfortable to wear than the socks without multiple colors.

7) Bombas Ankle Socks: best hiking sock you probably already have

The truth about hiking is that you probably have everything you need in your closet for most of the day hikes you’re angling for and you do NOT need to buy an all new wardrobe for your hiking trip. You can find a pair of running shoes, your favorite socks, a pair of lose-fitting pants, and a t-shirt and be okay on most day hikes. Sure, gear gets more technical than this and this isn’t how you would dress for an alpine or cold-weather hike, but if you’re headed out on a hike for just a few miles on a heavily trafficked local trail, don’t buy a full new hiking outfit if you don’t need to.

READ: What to Wear Hiking