If you are serious about hiking and expect to put some hard, off-road miles on your body, you need to be super serious about the socks you put on your feet.
Sure, the boots you choose (and the rest of your clothes, for that matter) will have a huge impact on how comfortable you are while hiking. But your socks play a critical – and often criminally overlooked – role in protecting your feet and keeping you comfortable, too.
Below we dig a little bit deeper into (almost) everything you need to know about how and why to wear compression socks while hiking, how to choose the best hiking compression socks on the market today, and more.
By the time you’re done with the inside info in this detailed guide you’ll know the difference between synthetic sock options, wool and hybrid sock options, picking between low cut and knee high socks, and so much more.
You’ll be able to reach for the perfect pair of socks to protect your feet and your tired legs every time you get ready for an off road adventure on foot.
Let’s get right into it!
Choosing the right compression socks is the difference between a fun, adventurous, and comfortable hike ahead of you and an absolute uncomfortable nightmare that you want to cut short as quickly as humanly possible.
But unless you know why it’s so important to wear compression socks when you are going to be hiking, you’ll never know how to find the perfect socks for your needs in the first place.
For starters, the best compression sleeves and hiking socks are going to help improve your circulation far more than traditional socks ever could.
Compression socks (the best compression socks, anyway) are specifically designed to gently apply pressure to your feet and your legs – not so much that it becomes uncomfortable, but certainly enough to improve your blood flow and circulation, especially in your lower extremities.
That’s critical!
By preventing blood from pulling up in your feet and your legs you not only avoid issues like deep vein thrombosis but you also avoid blood clots, cramping, leg pain and leg fatigue, and so much more.
Quality compression socks designed with hiking in mind significantly reduce feelings of fatigue, muscle soreness, prevent blisters from building up, and generally just boost your athletic performance, too.
You’ll enjoy improved oxygenation, helping you more efficiently pump blood to your lower extremities, won’t have to worry about your legs and feet swelling up, and shouldn’t have to worry about things like calf cramps or shin splints, either.
On top of all of that, quality hiking socks (made from natural or synthetic materials) will provide you great protection from the elements, add a little bit of extra support to your feet and your ankles, and will cushion your footfalls off-road – all while keeping your feet dry and warm, too.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the benefits most socks designed for hiking with even a mild compression level built-in offer!
Before we get into the nuts and bolts of what specifically to look for in hiking compression socks (and then get into our favorite hiking compression socks on the market today), it’s important to share with you how these socks work in the first place.
By understanding how these compression socks work you’ll have a much better idea of why you want to wear them every time you go out for a hike.
A lot of people are under the impression that compression socks are designed with materials that sort of squeeze your feet, delivering the benefits that we highlighted above.
And while that’s definitely a piece of the puzzle (compression socks will definitely squeeze your feet), the way these socks work is a little more complex than that.
You see, these socks aren’t going to squeeze your feet universally and they aren’t going to apply the same amount of pressure across the entirety of your feet and your legs.
Instead, compression socks work to apply graduated pressure across your feet and into your legs to better encourage blood flow, circulation, and to push back against fatigue and protect against injury.
The amount of compression you feel is going to be concentrated in the ankle of just the socks. More moderate compression will be delivered outward from the ankle position, until you get to the tip of your toes and higher up your leg where the compression is going to be almost 0.
All of this helps to improve blood flow and blood circulation. The improved circulation boosts your athletic performance, your endurance, and fights significantly against fatigue.
You’ll be able to hike further and for longer stretches of time between rest stops than you would have been able to without a lightweight sock delivering real compression (and hiking boots designed for this kind of off-road activity, for course).
These socks (especially compared to other socks that do not have compression capabilities) are all about working to improve blood circulation so that you get the performance-enhancing benefits greater blood flow delivers – especially when you’re working your lower body as hard as you will be while hiking.
Now that we have all of that out-of-the-way, let’s dig a little bit deeper into what specifically you should be looking for when getting ready to buy compression socks for hiking.
Though there are a lot of different qualities that the best hiking compression socks have in common, these key features really helped to separate top-tier compression socks from the rest of the pack:
Keep these things in mind when hunting for moisture wicking, comfortable, and extra cushioning compression socks and you’ll be good to go!
In just a moment we will share with you our favorite compression socks on the market today, but before we do let’s touch on what you should avoid when shopping for these kinds of socks.
The Physix Gear Sport Compression Socks are a great choice for hikers looking for a high-quality, durable and comfortable compression sock.
The socks are made from a blend of nylon and spandex, which gives them a real stretchy and a snug sort of fit. These socks are also able to deliver moisture wicking and odor-resistant properties, which helps keep your feet dry and fresh on day long or multi-day hikes.
A big part of why hikers love these socks so much is their graduated compression design. Like we talked about earlier, graduated compression helps to improve blood flow and reduce fatigue in your lower extremities.
You can say goodbye once and for all to pain, discomfort, and swelling.
On top of all of that, these socks come with a fantastic reputation for build quality and durability. They have a reinforced toe box, a reinforced heel, and are available in a wide variety of sizes and compression levels so that you can find the perfect fit.
For starters, the inclusion of copper infused into these compression socks is not done to generate marketing hype or anything like that.
No, the copper infused into these compression socks is there intentionally. Copper has fantastic anti-inflammatory properties, great insulative properties, and even works to fight against foot odor.
Those are all things you’re going to be looking for from socks you’re going to wear on a long hike.
On top of that, though, these socks feature graduated compression, have a reputation for durability and longevity (even if you wear them exclusively on long hikes), and are going to keep your feet comfortable in all different kinds of weather conditions.
As if that wasn’t reason enough to get your hands on these compression socks the money back guarantee offered by this company should tip the scales. You can return these for any reason whatsoever – or no reason at all – and get every penny of your money back if you are unsatisfied.
Not bad, right?
These socks are beloved by people that spend a lot of time outdoors, including hikers, campers, hunters, and anglers – the kinds of people that are going to really stress test the socks in real world conditions that are less than ideal.
Made from high-quality synthetic materials with extra padding to protect and cushion your feet, the compression that these socks offer is in that Goldilocks zone – “just right” to do a great job at reducing fatigue without feeling too tight or too restrictive.
Something that people who’ve owned these socks right in their personal reviews time and time again is how easy it is to find a pair of these socks in just the right size.
We have mentioned how important it is to be wearing socks that are going to start off comfortable and remain comfortable by the time you’re hike is over, and a big piece of that puzzle is finding socks that are just the right fit.
It doesn’t hurt that these socks are frequently recommended by medical professionals for those that have lower leg circulation issues and want to reduce swelling and the buildup of lactic acid, either.
These are really something special!
Those on the hunt for lighter weight socks they can use while mountain biking, trail running, or hiking in rough and rocky terrain are going to love everything that these compression socks offer.
Made out of a synthetic blend of nylon and spandex materials, you’ll have a difficult time finding lighter weight compression socks that can still keep your feet warm and offer plenty of arch support the way that these ones can.
Not quite as good at keeping your feet warm when soaking wet the way that socks made from merino wool might, this synthetic blend offers a more consistent level of graduated compression that a lot of you’ll find really comfortable.
Because of the synthetic blend the socks won’t lose their compressive capabilitiesafter a few wash cycles or long hikes, either.
Add in a great reputation for durability, a seamless toe, and moisture wicking properties that really work to keep your feet dry and it’s not hard to see why so many people have fallen in love with these graduated compression socks already.
The odds are pretty good you’ll fall in love with them, too!
Regarded by a lot of hikers as the gold standard as far as knee-high compression socks are concerned, these socks – just like the other copper infused socks we mentioned a moment ago – have a whole range of health boosting benefits that go beyond just pure compression.
Folks with medical conditions that have to do with lower levels of circulation (especially in the lower extremities) are frequently recommended Tommie Copper compression socks by the medical experts they are being seen by.
Some of that has to do with the wide availability of these socks to be sure. You can find them at any local department store. And some of that has to do with the fact that the brand has been around for so long now that it’s about as tried and true as a sock brand can get.
At the end of the day, though, the reason that these socks are so well-regarded is because they flat out work.
Infused with copper, these mostly nylon and spandex socks offer fantastic levels of compression that builds out from the ankle. Comfortable and supportive, these socks are about as durable and as long-lasting as a pair of hiking socks can get.
Mix in the fact that they are going to fit any shoe size imaginable and you’ve got a real winning formula here.
The last pair of hiking socks we recommend here should not be considered as the “worst of the bunch” – not by a long stretch.
Some of the best reviewed socks in the outdoor community available for sale today, anyone that spends time off the beaten path and away from the pavement almost always ends up grabbing a couple of pairs of these socks because of their reputation.
The progressive compression they deliver is fantastic for reinvigorating your lower body, protecting your feet from injury, and making sure that your blood keeps flowing and pumping even when you’ve been on your feet for hours and hours.
A seamless toe box enclosure makes these socks super comfortable, as does the moisture working capabilities, the fit and finish of these socks, and the synthetic blend materials used.
On top of all of that, you’ll get a lot of extra support from these socks that you might not find in a lot of other compression options.
We’re not just talking about supportfor your feet or ankles, either. Longer length socks are going to protect your calf muscles and tendons, reducing your risk of injury and significantly reducing levels of soreness, too.
At the end of the day, you’re not going to have a tough time finding these socks with compression capabilities built right in on the market today.
Almost every sock company on the planet offers some kind of compression option.
In fact, one of the hardest challenges you’ll have to overcome is whittling down your choices, sifting through the “not so hot” options until you can settle on winners like the ones we highlighted above.
Stick to the tips and tricks we shared above, though, and you’ll have a much easier time finding the right socks for your next hiking and outdoor excursion.
Focus on fit and material choices. Choose a pair from a brand with a reputation for durability and longevity. And – above all else – make sure that you are getting socks that offer graduated/progressive compression instead of universal compression.
Zero in on those key criteria (and start your search without cheat sheet of top options highlighted above) and you’ll have no trouble whatsoever filling up your sock drawer with quality options you can reach for every time you want to do a little bit of backwards exploring.
If you really want to make sure that all your bases are covered grab a couple of pairs of socks from all the options we reviewed earlier. Find two or three brands that you really like and then stock up!
