# Socks--What fabric absorb sweat most?is the best for foot which sweat a lot?



## trolperft (Feb 7, 2007)

Cotton, linen or wool?
Tokyo is very muggy in summer.


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## medwards (Feb 6, 2005)

Wool. That said, individuals do differ over their own personal preference between wool and cotton. I am one who favors wool year round. Part of this is a result of its look and feel. But more of it rests with the properties of wool socks. Merino wool hosiery will feel warm in the winter and cool in the summer. The nature and shape of wool fibers results in them holding a good amount of air, creating a heat insulating barrier. Yet wool breathes exceptionally well. Moreover, because wool absorbs moisture in the inside of the fiber itself (rather than like cotton where the whole fiber absorbs moisture), the surface of a wool sock stays relatively dry. In fact, its moisture absorbing power is almost twice (1.8) times that of cotton.


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## timw (Dec 5, 2007)

Another fan of wool socks year round.

Good lightweight 100% merino wool socks can be found in backpacking stores where they are usually sold as "liner" socks. Polyester liner socks made of Coolmax may be an alternative for people sensitive to wool.


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## fitzwright (May 2, 2008)

+1 for wool all the time!

I'm an avid outdoors person and when I was young I disliked wool because it was always itchy on the feet. After college I began doing more adventure sports and worked for a while at an outdoor store where I discovered SmartWool merino wool socks and I've been wearing (and wearing out) wool socks since.

I recently purchased both cotton (el cheapos) and wool (BB) dress socks. The cotton ones feel great when putting them on in the morning, but by the end of the day my feet are uncomfortable and often cold due to the moisture held against my feet. 
By contrast I wore the wool dress socks to a reception this past weekend and spent the night dancing and my feet were comfortable the whole night.

Not all merino wool is equal either so if you find a brand that itches, try another one.


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## Kav (Jun 19, 2005)

Cotton will retain mositure and heat. This can lead to blistering of the skin. You can help your wool socks by using either polypropylene or silk wicking liners sold through backpacking type companies.


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## fitzwright (May 2, 2008)

timw said:


> Good lightweight 100% merino wool socks can be found in backpacking stores where they are usually sold as "liner" socks. Polyester liner socks made of Coolmax may be an alternative for people sensitive to wool.


Just add to timw's post:
Liner socks are more commonly polyester or coolmax (at least in the US) and are made specifically to move moisture away from your foot and into the sock. That's why they work well under wool socks because the wool will absorb the moisture and keep it away from your foot. The thin wool liners are relatively new on the market.

SmartWool and Wigwam both make great hiking socks in a variety of weights and casual and dress-casual socks. Most of your backpacking store brands (EMS, REI, Hudson Trail Outfitters, MEC, etc.) also are making merino wool socks in several weights.

Just FYI - SmartWool was recently purchased by Timberland. You might want to stock up now.


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## playdohh22 (Dec 4, 2007)

I think cotton absorbs sweat most.


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

Prefer wool socks for daily wear, year-round. I used to wear cotton socks for excercise activities but, have migrated to synthetic socks, offered by Thorlo, for those activities.


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## cvac (Aug 6, 2006)

I wear coolmax socks to the gym. They're very good for wicking away sweat and keep my feet dry.

If I could find a decently made pair of dress socks in coolmax or maybe a wool / coolmax blend I'd buy nothing else.


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## D2008 (Apr 3, 2008)

If your feet sweat a lot, cotton isn't the best choice. It's so embarrasing wearing cotton socks and then taking off your shoes (to enter a home or at a Japanese restaurant, for example) at which time everyone sees your sweat-discolored socks. I'm speaking from experience...

I've recently started using the Smartwool brand of socks and they seem to work really well, plus they are not itchy or scratchy. Another great point is that these wool socks are thicker than my old cotton socks, and that alone fixed a squeaking problem I was having with some new shoes (Smartwool does have different amounts of cushion in their socks depending on the line, but for their dress line the amount is more than enough). The extra cushion probably helps protect my feet somewhat from the rigors of walking all day, too. 

There was a discussion about the supposed wicking effects of different types of cloth and how moisture is transported to the outside of the cloth instead of kept next to the skin. Since the outside part of a sock is the inside part of the shoe, I wonder if my shoes will get more damp from wearing wicking socks? I'd rather have my shoes get a little more damp than have my feet marinating in sweat (since that can't be good for one's feet), and I'll just have to adjust my shoe rotation accordingly. That'll be my excuse why I have to buy so many shoes, if anyone asks!


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## D2008 (Apr 3, 2008)

cvac said:


> I wear coolmax socks to the gym. They're very good for wicking away sweat and keep my feet dry.
> 
> If I could find a decently made pair of dress socks in coolmax or maybe a wool / coolmax blend I'd buy nothing else.


I also like wearing coolmax or other type of "wicking" socks to the gym. There's no need for those of us with sweaty feet to ever have to wear cotton socks, IMO. There are just so many more alternatives available.


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## Mr. Chatterbox (May 1, 2005)

playdohh22 said:


> I think cotton absorbs sweat most.


I am afraid, sir, that you are just plain wrong. Wool is more absorbent than cotton. Of course, one of the wonderful things about the cyberworld is anyone can post anything about anything...regardless of the evidence to the contrary or the veracity of the statement. There are many reasons one might prefer cotton to wool (I imagine), but its absorbent properties are not among them.


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## cdavant (Aug 28, 2005)

I think there are two correct answers here. 1) It's seasonal. 2) It's never cotton. If you have enough shoes to keep in rotation, moisture won't be an issue for the shoes, but soggy socks will be an issue for your feet.


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## Alexander Kabbaz (Jan 9, 2003)

playdohh22 said:


> I think cotton absorbs sweat most.


This is incorrect. Wool wicks perspiration away from the body; cotton just gets wet and stays wet. Wool can wick as much as 30% of its weight in water.

There is more information on this subject .


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## Don'tPanic (Oct 6, 2007)

Here in the Rockies (Colorado) the usual saying is: "Cotton kills." It refers more to hiking and backcountry activities, but the idea is the same. Cotton is hotter in summer and colder in winter than a fabric which wicks moisture away from your body. A wicking fabric (wool, lycra, polypro, coolmax) is less conductive in winter and aids with evaporative cooling in summertime.


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## Kent Wang (Aug 2, 2005)

If wool wicks away sweat, why not wear heavier weight wool in the summer so that the extra amount of wool will wick away even more sweat?


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## Alexander Kabbaz (Jan 9, 2003)

Kent Wang said:


> If wool wicks away sweat, why not wear heavier weight wool in the summer so that the extra amount of wool will wick away even more sweat?


The thicker the wool, the more warmth it will retain. You reach diminishing returns. The idea is to wick away the natural perspiration ... not heat up the foot and create more.


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## Kent Wang (Aug 2, 2005)

Those 85% merino wool / 15% nylon Marcoliani that Mr. Kabbaz sells for $32.50 a pair (mid-calf) seem like a good deal. Are there any other options out there for fun socks in merino? Would 100% merino work better than the merino blend?

For sports (where the appearance doesn't matter), are Coolmax better at wicking away sweat than merino?


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## Father Bear (Mar 8, 2006)

cvac said:


> If I could find a decently made pair of dress socks in coolmax or maybe a wool / coolmax blend I'd buy nothing else.


A few years ago I developed a problem with sweaty irritated feet and switched from wool socks to coolmax-type dress socks made by Thorlo, a company more known for their athletic socks. Their dress socks completely relieved my problem and are appropriately dressy--black and over-the-calf. They also sell brown socks that I wear a lot with my casual pants. These socks solved a challenging problem for me and I buy nothing else.


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## DocD (Jun 2, 2007)

Stay AWAY from cotton. There are studies to support my opinion, in addition to some of the excellent comments above. As I have previously stated in a similar thread, it has been proven that when cotton gets wet/moist, it simply flattens out and then actually becomes abrasive. The cotton no longer maintains it's "loft".

Finer wools, and many of the newer synthetic blends have the ability to wick away the moisture, while at the same time remaining "loft" and cushioning, therefore not becoming flattened out or abrasive.

In one study in particular, marathon runners wore cotton vs. synthetics. The runners that wore cotton had significantly more skin irritation and blistering due to the reasons mentioned above.

CoolMax, Thor-Lo and other brands mentioned are excellent choices that contain synthetic blends. The choice to wear one of these synthetic blends vs. a finer wool is really a personal preference, since I personally believe that either choice is an excellent decision and would be far superior to 100% cotton.


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## Alexander Kabbaz (Jan 9, 2003)

Kent Wang said:


> Those 85% merino wool / 15% nylon Marcoliani that Mr. Kabbaz sells for $32.50 a pair (mid-calf) seem like a good deal. Are there any other options out there for fun socks in merino? Would 100% merino work better than the merino blend?
> 
> For sports (where the appearance doesn't matter), are Coolmax better at wicking away sweat than merino?


Having tried both, they seem about the same. Coolmax, in the Summer, is cooler.

There are many merino fun socks. Here are a few:


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*And of course the plain colors:*

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