For most of my skiing career I used the standard white cotton sweat socks. I had never had problems with cold feet or wet feet. Beginning a couple of years ago though, my feet began to get cold. I guess that is just the aging process.
My brother, Heath, had recently received a pair of the socks made with SmartWool. This was a new technology that utilizes a wool blend for it’s warmth to weight ratio and it’s ability to “wick” moisture away from the body.
The company that created SmartWool also treated the fabric with an anti-itching treatment and an odor-reducing, anti-microbial treatment.
The SmartWool Sock comes in a number of styles. After trying a number of different styles, I settled on the over-the-calf, PhD Medium Ski Sock. The light and ultra-light sock did not “fill” my boot cavity properly. The other styles did not have the “cushion” zones placed as strategically as the PhD Medium Ski Sock.
The PhD Medium Ski Sock rises nicely above the boot cuff, so that you don’t have the sock band digging a crease into your shin during the ski day. This sock has a really nice cushion zone along the shin. It also is cushioned nicely around the foot.
The cushioning seems to be the perfect amount to keep me comfortable during the day, but not too thick that it slops around between my inner boot and my foot. I have had a couple of pairs of these socks for two seasons and they look like they will last for many seasons to come.
As for the sizing, they are true to size. If you are a man and have a size 8.5 foot, don’t buy the large, which is size 9-11.5. Be sure to buy the medium, which is sized 6-8.5.
I really like the fact that they make both men’s and women’s socks. This is not just a color distinction. Women’s feet are anatomically different than men’s. Statistically, women have thicker ankles and calves, higher arches, narrower heals, and women’s ankles are about a quarter of an inch closer to the ground than the man’s foot of the same size.
I buy many of my accessories from Backwoods. They usually have a wide variety of styles and sizes. Click on the Backwoods link below and search their selection of SmartWool socks. The men’s sock is currently on sale for $18.17, regularly $25.95.