I recently made the switch from cotton socks to wool socks, and I have been very impressed with the difference.

I’m an active person and spend alot of time outside, and I usually wear boots. Normally I would wear normal store brand cotton socks, but by the end of the day they would always be damp and squishy. I hate the feeling of having wet feet. Plus over time I found that even the most expensive brand of cotton socks eventually wore out and became paper thin. After just a few washes I could tell that all of the padding had worn out for the most part.

In the colder months I used to try the “double sock” method. Even that didn’t do the trick for me, because after a few steps out in the snow my feet would just be twice as damp and my shoes would be twice as soggy.

I always passed on the more expensive wool socks because I thought that a sock was a sock, and I thought there was no point in spending more as long as I had a good pair of shoes. I can see that I was completely wrong.

Even though the cost more, they last much longer. Also wearing expensive shoes with bad socks nullifies any comfort that you might be hoping to get from your shoe.

What are the advantages of wool socks

1. Wool does not absorb moisture.

Instead it ‘wicks’ away sweat and water away from your skin. Also since wool does not absorb the water they will dry faster than cotton and be more resistant to bacteria and bad smells.

If your feet sweat alot, then you may think about switching to wool socks.

2. Wool socks provide more padding.

Having a good layer of padding on your feet is not just important for the bottom of your feet where you are stepping, its also just as important around your ankle’s and base of your foot.

One of the most important factors to keeping your feet warm in the winter is blood circulation. So if you tie your boots very tight it can sometimes cut off circulation to your feet and cause them to be much colder than your core body temperature.

Cotton socks provide almost no thickness and provide little buffer between your skin and your boot. However wool socks are much thicker and give more space. So even if you tie you shoes tight there is more room for blood circulation.

3. Wool lasts longer and is more durable

At my most active times I found myself going through store brand cotton socks as if they were made from paper towels, It felt like I was melting them right off my feet. Even though I was spending less money for a pack of 12 cheap cotton socks I had to buy new ones every other month.

Finally after switching to wool socks, I can tell the that the extra money spent goes into making a quality product. The material feels better, is more comfortable, and feels much more durable. Spending a little more money up front may actually save me money over the long term because I won’t be constantly replacing them.

How to wash wool socks?

Warning: do not toss your wool socks in the dryer, they will shrink.

Wool can easily lose its shape and become less defined if washed without care, and worst of all, it can shrink.

• Make sure your woolen item really needs to be washed. Unlike cotton and man-made materials, wool does not need to be washed frequently – even wool socks can be worn many times between washing if allowed to air out between wearings.
• Soak woolen items in cold water for a few hours before washing. Do this until all the woolen fibers are saturated. This method will help to stop the woolen item from shrinking.
• Use the right product. There are products specially made for washing wool. Dissolve the cleaner in the water first, to prevent agitating the wet wool. Alternately, you can try using baby shampoo or light detergent. Do not just assume you can machine wash with “woolite” or other detergent with “wool” in its name. Whatever soap you use, use very little as soap increases felting.

• Wash in sink by soaking and squishing being careful not to rub the wool against itself or it will felt. Heat, agitation, and detergent are the enemies of wool, aim to soak and rinse the dirt out. Wool is extremely easy to clean with just water.
• Dry flat in desired size/shape. A folding clothes rack can help here. Remove excess water with a towel by laying the item on a towel and rolling it up, squeezing and pressing gently. Unroll then leave in fresh air to dry.

Tips for washing wool:
If a wool item shrinks, wet thoroughly with cool water and stretch to former size. It helps to add hair relaxant to water, and rinse. Lay flat to dry.

Warning:
Hot water or a hot dryer will shrink wool. Even warm is too hot.

Friction will felt wool. (Meaning it will shrink and turn from a soft, woven, textured quality to a smoother,
harder material: felt.) Heat and soap will increase the amount of felting.

In addition to ruining your wool garment, running wool items through the wash cycle of your machine can also damage the machine as wool fuzz can detach and felt up forming hard clumps inside the pump.