Socks

[Tiam]

When my 4 kids were young and we were very poor it was cheap socks for everybody. But now they are grown and I still don't have much money. I'm still working on paying off debt, though I've paid off 1400 in Credit Card Debt in the last couple of months. But, I've decided, that I would really like to invest in better socks, not the cheap ones. Today I bought one pair of merino wool socks. I paid $14.00. It seems like a scandalous amount of money to spend on one pair of socks. They seem nice. No slouching, they fit, they are soft, warm. I feel like I can afford to dress in a higher quality product, but of course I still want to be frugal. I still have debt! So, suggestions? What would you suggest for a quality sock, something I wear with sneakers for everyday wear in a classroom that will breath, be comfortable, long wearing and a good fit? Ideas anyone? And if you do, what and where?

[kib]

I love love love my smartwool socks, even in summer. But the price you quoted is usually what I expect to pay for them. Sometimes Campmor has them on sale.

I have a pair of LL Bean midweight wool socks that are nice too, but it's funny, they're slightly bigger and that compression area around the arch means that they always wind up bunching up not only at the heel but the toes as well. Prefer the smartwools.

[chrisgermany]

I always buy at least 2 pairs when I buy socks for DH or myself. It gives me 3x the lifetime of just one pair, because I can still use the leftover together with one of the other pair when one sock disappears or is beyond repair.

[leslieann]

I buy good socks. Smartwools, mostly, for all year round. They are incredibly pricey but I can get them at the LLBean Outlet sometimes for less than retail (though not a lot less). They last a long, long time. And I am thinking that I should learn to darn because I noticed yesterday that a couple are threadbare across the ball of my foot but the rest of the sock is intact.

I love the luxury of pulling on my wool socks in the morning. I make a point of really feeling them and enjoying them. For me, that's a good way to get my money's worth!

L.

[mtnlaurel]

www.sierratradingpost.com
sign up for their eBlasts -- note- you will get bombarded with emails though - they do eMailings about twice a week. I occasionally stalk specific things there that I can't find in consignment stores and hold out for a good sale price.

I bought my son 10 pairs of Carhartt Light Hiker socks for less than $3 a pair at sierratradingpost.com . And they are exactly like very nice REI one or Thorlos - I'm expecting them to last 2 school seasons and maybe onto his younger sibling

I have not had to buy hiking type socks for myself in ages b/c I still have tons left from my backpacking days. Here's one thing about top notch socks -- they're like roaches... you can't kill those suckers!

My sock secret - stick with 1 brand and 1 color (brown for son, aqua for daughter) buy a ton up front --- save time with laundry and as the socks die you always have replacements

I'm looking for a dress sock too that I like
I've been getting occasional socks at walmart,target,ross,etc. and haven't found a pair I'm nuts about--- looking forward to what everyone has to say about this topic.

[herbgeek]

Thorlo's have been good for my husband too. He is hard on socks, and a pair of Thorlo's will last years. These are hiking socks, and ok with casual clothing, but not something you could wear with a suit.

I have some Smartwools and love them. I also learned to knit socks, so I have about 15 pairs of funky colored socks that are just plain fun to put on in the morning and they make me smile.

[Nella]

I've bought the expensive Smart Wool socks which I loved, the cheaper REI version which I loved, and the much cheaper Kirkland brand of "smart wool" from Costco - which, yes, I love. Costco sells them for about $3 a pair compared to Smart Wool which are $12-$14 a pair. I've yet to see any difference in their wearability or durability.

[kib]

Well I'll keep my fingers crossed, Nella - on your recommendation I bought a four pack of these at thesocksite. :~) $25 for 4 pairs. More expensive than the Costco price but I'm not a member. This is still 1/2 to 1/3 the price I'd normally pay for good wool socks, and no tax.

[Anita]

Hi are smart wool sock's availeble in Canada? .Sure like to try a pair.

Anita

[loosechickens]

Another big Smartwool fan, here. Yes, they are pricey, but they last a long time, and I usually manage just fine with having only three pairs......if it's too long between visits to the laundromat, I can wash them out by hand in a few minutes, so a total investment of say $45 in socks doesn't seem TOO extravagant, and the ones I have right now, I bought about five years ago and they are just now showing signs of "threadbare" condition at heels and ball of feet.

I never put them in the dryer, just line dry, which may help with longevity (that dryer "lint", after all IS made of fibers from your clothes)

[Square Peg]

I bought everyone in my family wool socks for Christmas. I went to ebay and searched for wool socks. I found a package of 15 for a Buy It Now price of $35, I think. So far, so good.

[redfox]

REI sells Smartwool socks. They are amazing. FWIW, I learned how to knit socks, and now I make winter ones out of wool yarn I find at Goodwill. If you already know how to knit, you can learn to knit socks!

[kib]

Isn't it funny where socks show wear? I don't think I've every gone through the ball or heel of a sock, but I poke through at the big toe, even with my nails very well trimmed. DH rips his around the achilles tendon, another place I've never lost a sock. Does it have to do with how your shoes fit? :confused:

[rosarugosa]

I think I must have some sort of mental disorder, because I just counted, and I have 106 pairs of socks! And the funniest thing is that I am always on the lookout for socks, because I think I need them. I must have some sort of deep-rooted anxiety that they are going to stop making socks or something! I do have some socks that I don't like - I think it might be time to let go of those!

[fidgiegirl]

No! Rosa! You are not mental! Socks were my gazingus pin. As I wrote about in my personal journal, one of my watershed moments when starting out in SL was counting up my socks and having 82 pairs!

:D

[Zzz]

Check places like Tractor Supply and Orscheln's Farm store, or whatever similar stores you have where you are. They often carry merino wool socks. I paid $5 for my winter weight pair recently at Orscheln's. Love them, and I plan on buying another pair at some point. However, most of my socks come from the 45 cent bin at the thrift store. I'm picky about which ones I buy, though. ;)

[bae]

When my first company went public, I went out and bought a dozen pairs of Thorlo socks. Looking back, that was the best "luxury" purchase I ever made, and every few years, I bite the bullet and buy another batch.

[Raziela]

I buy a several pairs (maybe 3-4 pairs) of smartwool socks, wear them to work 3 days a week sometimes on the weekend. They last at least 2 years. My only other socks are white athletic socks that I wear when I'm just at home, and I think they come from Sam's. (they seem to last several years also) IMO smartwool socks are totally worth it.

[katieb12]

If you have a Bass outlet nearby, I LOVE their bamboo socks - soft and they don't make my feet all sweaty. I want to say they are about $4.00 a pair or something, and they last well. Socks are something of a gazingus pin for me too. <blushing>

[katieb12]

Y'all are talking about wool socks. I have not had a lot of luck with them as they seem to be too thick to fit with any regular shoe that I wear. Are there wool socks that are "normal" thickness?

[kib]

Update: I got my Kirkland 4 pairs of wool socks for $25 yesterday. At the moment they appear to be just as nice as my smartwools. Will keep you posted.

KatieB12 - smartwool makes lightweight socks that are about the same thickness as ordinary cotton ones. Some at Campmor. (http://www.campmor.com/smartwool-womens-phd-outdoor-light-crew-socks-10-335.shtml?source=CI&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=19397LAVS") I have a pair of ankle height ones that are four years old and going strong. These are really expensive tho, I'm sure you could find a better bargain on something similar.