I Found the Comfiest Socks for All Types of Boots

The socks I look for first are from Paka. They are made of 40 percent baby-alpaca fiber, 8 percent Tencel, 50 percent polyester, and 2 percent spandex. They are soft and durable and feel nice and fitted on my feet thanks to the ribbed arch support. They have a cushioned sole and toe but never feel too thick or bulky and are still so warm and breathable. I’ve owned a version of the brand’s Essential Crew Socks for 19 months, and they’re still going strong with no visible wearing out at the heel or anywhere else.

I also love my Smartwool socks. I’ve had a pair of the Everyday Margarita for over five years, and they have held up beautifully. Their composition is 52 percent merino wool, 44 percent nylon, and 4 percent elastane, and they have a similar feel, though they are not cushioned. These socks are thinner and not as padded as the Paka and feel less soft, but they are another durable option. In general, alpaca is warmer than merino, so I might choose the Pakas over the Smartwools in very cold temperatures, but I honestly couldn’t tell you the difference in warmth.

My fellow Strategist senior writers Liza Corsillo and Michael Zhao both recommend Darn Tough socks for wearing with their everyday boots. Like the Smartwool, they are made with merino wool, nylon, and elastane. Corsillo likes the basic lifestyle socks — which don’t come with cushioning but have arch support — for being “not bulky” and wears them with her Blundstones and lace-up combat boots from Sézane.

Zhao likes wearing the mid-calf cushioned lightweight socks from Darn Tough with a dressier boot from R.M.Williams or Viberg Navvy. Unlike the basic Lifestyles above, these have cushioning in the sole and below the heel as well as arch support. (Zhao says these socks are “a bit too thick to be real dress socks in dress shoes, but they are perfect for wearing with a dressier boot.”)

When I’m not wearing merino wool or alpaca socks, I usually just go with cotton socks. My favorites to wear with my Blundstones are ones from Aritzia and Le Bon Shoppe. Aritzia’s ankle socks are made with 80 percent cotton, have ribbed cuffs, and are nice and thick. They hug my feet and always stay on. (Aritzia’s TNA crew socks are another Strategist favorite.)

Zhao also recommends these socks from Falke. He loves the ankle-height version for everyday, but for boots, he suggests trying the knee-highs. “They are as richly colored as any cotton sock, but the added merino for moisture management is particularly useful for leather boots,” he says. Zhao calls them “a fancier, more comfortable Uniqlo 50 sock” that also comes in dozens of colors. He says they’re great for non-winter boots, as they are really light and “easy to fit into a dress shoe of any kind, even loafers.” They are made with merino wool on the outside and cotton on the inside.

For dressier boots that fit closer to the foot, like my patent-leather boots from Loq or combat boots from Church’s, I need a thinner sock. These crew socks from Uniqlo are made with polyester, nylon, and spandex and feel more like tights material. They have a thicker cuff that ensures the socks stay on — and prevents the opening of ankle boots from rubbing against your skin. I can wear these with loafers and brogues too.

I wear these longer crew socks from Hue a lot as well. They are made of a polyester, rayon, and spandex blend and feel a little slippier than cotton and wool socks (similar to the Uniqlo socks above) — that helps with boots that are tighter and have less give. Sometimes I’ll wear these over tights as added cushioning and protection with dressier or heeled boots.

Strategist writer Brenley Goertzen, who recently tested a bunch of tall riding boots, prefers wearing Maggie’s Organics crew socks, which are also the Strategist’s Best in Class pick for women’s white socks. “I love them since they are thicker and prevent my feet from getting blisters,” she says. She usually wears these socks over leggings or under jeans, then boots over that. Goertzen recommends getting them in a darker color so the boot doesn’t stain them. They are made with 98 percent organic cotton that has some stretch and are plush with a ribbed cuff that keeps them in place.

I recently tried these boot socks from Hue and was pleased with them when I wore them with my 16-inch Durango Crush western boots. Those boots have a pointed toe and a 2.5-inch heel, so I was worried about wearing socks that were too thick, but both the Bubbled style and the pointelle socks worked well. The bubbled style (made of mostly polyester) feels like a cozy, fuzzy sock — really soft and plush — but not too thick. They stay up surprisingly well and were good for the breaking-in period with the cowboy boots, which are on the stiffer side, and were not noticeably sweaty. I don’t have notes on durability yet, but if my other Hue socks are any indication as to quality, I am not worried about them.

The pointelle socks are thinner and have more breathability thanks to the composition of the material (58 polyester, 26 acrylic, 12 nylon, and 4 wool) and the stitching in the cuff. They also worked well with the Durangos, staying up with no bunching. I would choose these for looks if I were to wear them with lower boots.

I would try these with my riding boots. They are they knee-high version of Corsillo’s crew socks above and come in a couple of netural colors. I liked the ribbed design that makes them look preppy (and could work well with loafers too).

Next on my to-try list are these wool-and-cashmere socks from Calzedonia. I have a couple of pairs of crew socks in this blend that I wear with dressier shoes, and I imagine the knee-high length would be great for tall boots as well.