Hi All

Just making the jump/lung and moving from big stiff boots to trying lightweight breathable trail shoes (Inov8 315's)

Just unsure what the best sock setup is ??

I'm not after brands of socks or anything like that, just the system you use.
Currently with my boots I wear a thin merino liner sock with another normal merino sock over the top. Never have I got a blister with the setup.

What I'm unsure about is the drying time etc with shoes that will let water in.

Do you still wear two pairs of socks with light trail shoes ??

pair of socks; no liners. They are always 1/4 low socks. I don't generally have an occasion to walk in the water but read that most people who do have their shoes/socks dry in a half hour.

^ agree- just one pair, no liner

I've been using Darn Tough 1/4 cushion sock (100% merino) and I highly doubt that I'll be changing for anything different for some time

I use DeFeet Wolleators in my Inov-8 Terroc 330s - a single pair at a time. Very thin, dry quickly for wool, and don't smell (too much) after 5 days on the trail.

I think you also have to think about where you live. Here in the North West we still havent melted or dryed out yet. If you are dealing with those conditions then you may have to deal with different drying times. Like next July (2012)before your socks and shoes dry out. Not saying you should start wearing Gortex hear, but dry times are quite a bit different than you hear in other posts.

Smartwool running, if I could afford them I would wear them everyday, feet just feel dry, and they are soft and slippery inside shoe.

Edited by ericswab on 07/20/2011 21:32:37 MDT.

the PNW is indeed a wet environ, but even then I'd argue against gore-tex (except very specific conditions) as they will eventually wet out as well in heavy rain, post holing, stream crossing

the wettest environ I ever operated was in New Mexico of all places and it was hot to boot, but in two days we made over well 100 stream fords (we lost count!)- our feet NEVER totally dried out, but w/ good fitting, well draining shoes combined w/ quality socks we never as much as saw a hot spot (feet were throughly dried out at camp and clean, dry socks were donned)

^ speaking of everyday wear- I wear boots everyday for work and I bit the bullet and purchased five pair of darn tough full cushion boot socks so I can rotate them out everyday, I haven't regretted that purchase (their full lifetime warranty doesn't hurt either)

Darn Tough merino mesh for me. Nice and thin and surprisingly durable. If you have good fitting shoes, you can use very thin socks with no blisters and they dry a lot quicker than a cushioned sock.

I'm trying a variety of light weight hiking socks with that same shoe. No liner. Current conditions are wet and includes snow (a lot!). If it ever warms up and dries out here in the PNW I'll try some liner type socks for hot days. No blister issues too date. I'm loving the roclite 315's!

Edited by SoreFeet on 07/21/2011 13:24:34 MDT.

Really thin and light low-cut synthetic socks. Some low-cut Under Armour socks, 93% polyester 7% spandex work very well with light trail runner type of shoes. For me this remains very comfortable all day, even (and sometimes especially) when wet.

Hello,

Making the jump down to trail shoes is mostly psychological, but it does require you to become aware of foot placement to reduce ankle twisting - which is what boots normally help prevent.

For socks, I bounce between the "Darn Tough Vermont Merino Wool 1/4 Mesh Sock" (for hotter days, the mesh on the top of the foot is very awesome) and the "Darn Tough Vermont Merino Wool 1/4 Cushion Sock" which is a bit warmer and offers additional padding.

I now use both the "Inov-8 X-Talon 212" and "Inov-8 X-Talon 190" for footwear.

When I first made the transition from boots to trail runners I used the "Brooks Cascadia 5" and recently picked up the "Brooks Cascadia 6" for those times when I know I will need extra foot protection (miles after miles of hiking on shale or boulders) though I have found it a bit hard to go from a flat shoe to the comfort of the Brooks, so I try not to do this very often.

Hope this helps in some way!

John B. Abela
www.RedwoodOutdoors.Com