To help beat the stress of wearing military combat boots, it’s vital that you consider wearing a pair of military boot socks that provide ample protection for your feet.
These socks offer an array of features to help support you when you’re trekking through rough terrains or facing rough weather conditions.
Our review below provides a comprehensive list of the 8 best military boot socks to help you stay comfortable for extended hours in your boots.
After completing our in-depth research, these are the best military boot socks in 2020:
Picking the right military boot socks is a relatively easy task when you know exactly what to look for. The following pointers will help:
Materials
You can find military boot socks in various materials based on the season of usage and general utility. The following options are the best in their class:
Wool
When you’re considering using military boots in extreme conditions, you can’t go wrong with picking socks made out of wool or a woolen blend. This material offers insulation, has moisture-wicking properties, is mostly fire-resistant, and has antimicrobial and odor resistant properties as well.
Apart from all these reasons, the right type of woolen socks can be quite soft and comfortable to wear. You can pick these to beat extreme heat or extreme cold, although you should consider the thickness of the socks for each of these conditions.
Thick woolen socks are ideal for winter conditions, while the thinner variants are just what you need for the summer months.
Cotton
This is the ideal material to seek out when you’re considering socks for moderate temperatures. Cotton socks are always lightweight and easy to carry. They also help keep the friction within your shoes to a minimum and help you avoid blisters that are common while wearing boots.
It’s an all-natural choice that allows your skin to breathe with ease and also comes with moisture-wicking properties.
Spandex
Another excellent material to consider for your boots is spandex. This is a highly stretchable alternative and is known to enhance the overall quality of your socks.
The stretchiness of the fabric helps maintain its durability in the long run, while also offering a mild compression to eliminate some pressure from your feet.
Elasticity
Elasticity is one of the most important factors as it plays a major role in determining the durability of the product in the long run.
Make sure to keep an eye out for the mechanism used to maintain the elasticity of your socks. If the socks utilize sewn-in elastic bands, you should skip these socks as they’re likely to cut off circulation and make you feel uncomfortable over time.
The ideal set of socks would be able to maintain the elasticity with either a material band or the stitching in the design.
Breathability
This is yet another vital factor to consider, especially because military boots are notorious for their lack of breathability.
You can experience great relief by picking out socks that offer airflow and can help you maintain your comfort and freshness level over extended periods. This often comes with the use of the right materials mentioned above.
Arch Support
As military boots tend to be quite stiff and tedious to wear, picking out socks with arch support can be a great boon for your feet in the long run. Socks that are reinforced by nylon tend to offer this feature and are usually quite durable as well.
Odor Resistance
If you plan to spend a lot of time wearing the same set of socks throughout the day, make sure to look for brands or pairs that offer odor resistance. A good marker for this would be to purchase woolen socks that are usually resistant naturally.
Reviews of the 8 Best Military Boot Socks
We dig into the “best of” sock drawer to list out the 8 best military boot socks of 2020 for your consideration.
Meriwool is a brand that’s synonymous with producing warm, comfortable hiking socks for men and women. Their quality is truly world class and they deserve to be our top pick in this category.
This set of three pairs is ideal for winter conditions and consists of a 75 percent merino wool blend that keeps your feet warm without any itching. Nylon makes up 15 percent of the socks to increase durability, while the remaining 10 percent consists of a stretchable elastic to prevent the socks from loosening over time.
The design of these socks features a crew cut that offers arch support, compression, and even reinforces the toe and heel region to maximize your comfort levels and protection.
Thanks to a rib knit design, these socks shouldn’t bunch up over extended usage, nor should the elastic lose its effectiveness.
As these socks are specially designed for the winter season, you can be assured that their thermal insulation is good enough to keep you warm in cold conditions. At the same time, they’re also designed to prevent overheating, while the lightweight blend will also not weigh you down during hikes.
The only issue highlighted by customers is that despite the brand’s best efforts, the fact that these socks are made of a wool blend means that some users will find the material to be itchy against their sensitive skin. This is where the 90-day return period comes in handy.
Pros:
Natural wicking and odor-resistant properties.
Offers a breathable insulation.
Soft, warm, and comfortable.
90-day return period.
Excellent blend of warm and utilitarian materials.
This pair of FoxRiver socks ranks very highly on our list thanks to the impressive use of three materials—70 percent polypropylene, 2 percent spandex, and 28 percent nylon. This blend makes these socks elastic, durable, mid-weight, and odorless.
The precise use of these materials also makes this a quick-dry model, all the while ensuring that the socks can retain their fit after extended use. This means no blistering or bunching.
These are widely considered one of the best military socks on the market because they offer excellent cushioning under your feet to soften out any unwanted blows.
Even the odor-control capacity is top of the line, thanks to the use of silver and copper fibers that help to slow wear and eliminate smells over time.
The design also features the use of the URfit system that offers a personalized response to individual foot shape and dimensions. The memory knit compression, spandex compression zones, and a contoured rib top also help with this purpose.
Users have noted that the blister protection of these socks could be improved.
Pros:
Quick dry materials.
Customized response fitting.
Use of silver and copper fibers reduces odor retention.
These high-quality socks are made for extended usage and have a silver lining in the heel and toe region to help prevent the formation of foot fungus and other infections. The use of an absorbent acrylic material also plays a major role in helping your feet remain dry round the clock.
The company uses a thick wool in this model, especially in the heel pad and toe region to combat high impact motions and add an additional layer of protection for your feet. This special wool also helps to fight friction within your shoes and thereby reduces your chances of developing blisters.
All in all, these socks are made using a special blend to serve various purposes and this includes 28 percent wool, 44 percent wicking acrylic, 19 percent nylon, 5 percent lycra spandex, 2 percent silver lining, and 2 percent polyester.
A built-in arch support system and a quality “Y” heel design ensure that your foot remains comfortable during extended usage. Bunching of the socks is also a thing of the past, thanks to the InStep Flexzone technology.
A downside to consider, however, is that these socks are known to lose their elasticity fairly quickly and can drop from the ideal position.
Wrangler socks are known for their excellent comfort and performance, and this pair stays true to these values. These socks are made using 80 percent polyester, 3 percent spandex, and 17 percent nylon.
The polyester helps in moisture wicking, thereby enabling your feet to stay dry and cool across the day. The nylon and spandex plays a major role in increasing the durability and elasticity of the socks.
You’ll also find excellent arch support in this pair due to the ribbed design and half-cushioning of the feet. A smooth toe seam also helps in reducing the irritation felt by users, all the while reducing the overall bulk of the socks as well.
You can expect these socks to easily stay up and keep from slipping and bunching thanks to the intelligent design used in the leg and top region.
Users have reported that the friction reduction within these socks could be improved.
These are a pair of excellent hiking socks made by the Thorlos brand, featuring the use of 87 percent acrylic, 11 percent nylon, and 2 percent elastic. This means that you can expect these socks to be comfortable, light, and stretchy.
One of the best features is the comfort and protection added into the design that enables you to use this model for hiking and long backpacking journeys. This is largely down to the legendary Thorlos padding placed strategically in the heel and forefoot.
Thanks to this padding, you can expect to minimize the formation of blisters, pain, and pressure on your feet as well.
Customers have noticed an issue with the sizing of these socks, and that’s something to be weary about while picking this model.
Danish Endurance has opted for the heavy use of merino wool in this product to help keep your feet dry and comfortable even after a long day on your feet. The 40 percent blend ensures that you can use these socks for hiking in summer months and to stay warm in winter, too.
These are unisex socks that are recommended for high-endurance activities such as mountain climbing. You can expect the very best in design and production as these socks are expertly designed and developed in Denmark and Portugal.
The use of ventilated mesh lanes helps increase breathability within your shoes and also keeps the moisture at bay. Targeted padding by the designers also helps to reduce blister formation even after heavy usage.
According to customers, however, the durability of this model could be better.
Super-wool is a brand that prides itself on the intelligent use of wool in order to produce quality socks. The model contains 74 percent merino wool, 20 percent nylon, and 6 percent lycra spandex. This allows you to use the socks for both summer and winter conditions with ease.
Even the design of this model contains some excellent features such as impact support zones in order to maximize the durability of the product.
The merino wool used here helps improve the wrinkle resistance, shape recovery, breathability, and colorfastness.
You can also find excellent arch support in this model with the use of double cuff and contoured half cushion in the design to improve the fit and comfort levels.
A recurring problem, however, has to do with the quality of the seams that seem to come undone relatively quickly.
281Z is a brand that’s made a name for itself with the production of high-quality tactical gear, including socks. This model offers a blend featuring the use of 70 percent organic cotton, 25 percent nylon, and 5 percent elastane. This helps these socks remain light, breathable, and elastic.
A comfortable fit is promising, thanks to tight fitting bands around the foot and cuff regions. This also offers a slight compression to the feet and thereby helps increase blood flow during long hikes.
The composition of these socks is also designed to counter odor production, while the specially designed airflow channels help increase the overall breathability of the model.
The only real issue seems to be the pricing of the socks that some users aren’t entirely happy about.
Pros:
Quality materials.
Excellent odor reduction and breathability.
Great fit.
Cons:
Pricing is on the expensive side.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Kind of Socks Do You Wear With Combat Boots?
You can mix and match various sock styles based on the type of combat boots you intend to wear. For example, you can consider wearing a pair of tall athletic socks when you’re wearing lace-up combat boots. You can also consider using thick winter knit socks when you’re using hiking boots in the season.
What Color Socks Does the Army Wear?
Soldiers in the army usually wear black or white socks with their army physical fitness uniform. These socks are required to be entirely plain and must not contain any logos.
Are Boot Socks Still in Style?
As of 2020, boot socks and sock booties aren’t considered to be in style any longer. They’re not entirely out of style either, but they’re not “fashionable” according to the chic community.
Combating Discomfort
Military boots are a lot like their namesake—tough but demanding! You can expect these shoes to protect you from various environmental hazards. But the potential for damage within the shoes itself is substantial, especially if you’re not wearing the right pair of socks.
You can easily counter this by using a quality pair of socks designed for military boots such as the MERIWOOL Merino Wool Hiking Socks for Men and Women. These socks are made using a precise woolen blend to give you the best of comfort and performance.
Take on the terrain and everything else that comes your way with any one of the top military boot socks from our list. Your feet can thank us later!
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