The most important pieces of equipment for anyone who goes on long walks or hikes are the shoes. However wearing a good pair of shoes of the correct size does not eliminate all the friction between the foot and the shoes. Therefore after hours of hiking, this friction could easily lead to blisters in the feet. Apart from the blisters, one can also feel pain in the feet or joints, in particular the knee joint, especially when walking on uneven terrain.
For the above reasons, it is essential to wear appropriate padded socks when hiking. Such socks are usually called hiking socks or walking socks. Unlike any normal pair of socks, a pair of hiking socks will contain padding in certain key areas, like the toes, the bottom of the feet and the heels. The padding of the socks when combined with the padding of the shoes should diminish the production of blisters and reduce the impact of the terrain on the feet.
Having said this, no pair of hiking socks can do miracles, irrespective of the amount of padding it possesses. As already mentioned, it is the shoes which are the most important, so if you wear poor quality or worn out hiking shoes, you can still get foot and joint pain irrespective of the quality of the hiking socks being worn.
One popular brand of hiking socks on Amazon.co.uk is Bridgedale. Bridgedale produces several different hiking sock models but the most popular ones on Amazon.co.uk are perhaps the following:
Bridgedale Woolfusion Trekker Men’s Sock – http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bridgedale-Woolfusion-Trekker-Mens-Sock/dp/B006HY44Y6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1410700703&sr=8-2&keywords=trekking+socks
Bridgedale Merinofusion Trekker Men’s Sock – http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bridgedale-Merinofusion-Trekker-Mens-Sock/dp/B006HY4J7S/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1410700703&sr=8-7&keywords=trekking+socks
Bridgedale Woolfusion Trekker Women’s Sock – http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bridgedale-Woolfusion-Trekker-Womens-Sock/dp/B006HY46GW/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1410700703&sr=8-9&keywords=trekking+socks
Bridgedale Merinofusion Trekker Women’s Sock – http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bridgedale-Merinofusion-Trekker-Womens-Sock/dp/B006HY4L2G/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1410700703&sr=8-10&keywords=trekking+socks
Anyone who finds the Bridgedale socks to be a bit expensive may consider the following socks:
2 Pairs of Wool Coolmax Walking socks – http://www.amazon.co.uk/Coolmax-Walking-Socks-Hiking-Trekking/dp/B00GH0HVIQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1410700703&sr=8-1&keywords=trekking+socks
Amazon.com contains a somewhat larger variety of hiking socks, with the most popular ones being the following:
Thorlo Men’s Wool/Silk Lt Hiker Crew Sock – http://www.amazon.com/Thorlo-Mens-Hiker-Heather-Large/dp/B0009MZXT2/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1410701147&sr=8-13&keywords=hiking+socks
Darn Tough Vermont Men’s Merino Wool Micro Crew Cushion Hiking Socks: http://www.amazon.com/Darn-Tough-Vermont-Cushion-Oatmeal/dp/B008J1ADPO/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1410701147&sr=8-4&keywords=hiking+socks
Fox River Steel-Toe Mid-Calf Boot Work Sock,Set of 2 pairs – http://www.amazon.com/Fox-River-Steel-Toe-Mid-Calf-X-Large/dp/B00465G978/ref=sr_1_13?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1410713970&sr=1-13
Thorlo Men’s Coolmax Lt Hiker Crew Sock – http://www.amazon.com/Thorlo-Coolmax-Hiker-Walnut-Heather/dp/B0009MZVU8/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1410701147&sr=8-3&keywords=hiking+socks
Wigwam Unisex Men’s/Women’s Merino Wool Comfort Hiker Crew Length Sock –http://www.amazon.com/Wigwam-Merino-Comfort-Charcoal-Medium/dp/B0044BVTU6/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1410701147&sr=8-14&keywords=hiking+socks
Darn Tough Vermont Women’s Merino Wool Micro Crew Cushion Socks – http://www.amazon.com/Darn-Tough-Vermont-Womens-Cushion/dp/B00B7XW7F0/ref=pd_sim_sg_17?ie=UTF8&refRID=0RGGYZBVP52NMJASK5KB
Fox River Women’s Strive Socks – http://www.amazon.com/Fox-River-Womens-Strive-Medium/dp/B007179M4U/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1410701147&sr=8-12&keywords=hiking+socks
Thorlo Women’s Thick Cushion Hiking Sock – http://www.amazon.com/Thorlo-Womens-Cushion-Thorlon-Hiking/dp/B0009MZV94/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1410701147&sr=8-7&keywords=hiking+socks
The following pairs of socks are also pretty good while at the same time being less expensive alternatives:
Kirkland Signature Outdoor Trail Sock Merino Wool Blend (Large – Pack of 4) http://www.amazon.com/Kirkland-Signature-Outdoor-Trail-Merino/dp/B009LB8CX6/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1410701147&sr=8-11&keywords=hiking+socks
HEAD Men’s Power Cushion Crew Sock / Size 9-12 (6 Pair) – http://www.amazon.com/HEAD-Mens-Power-Cushion-Crew/dp/B005P9M9DC/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1410713761&sr=1-1-fkmr1&keywords=costco+hiking+socks