My footwear has evolved to the point that I am re-evaluating this. I used to wear socks to help mitigate blisters, as I never had shoes that fit well and did not rub my feet. Now I am wearing relatively minimal shoes, specifically the NB Minimus. I find that they are snug and comfortable, and without socks they feel like an extension of my feet - no movement.

Now I am left wondering why others wear socks, what are the pros/cons?

I only wear socks because my trail gloves terrorize my feet otherwise. I *much* prefer sockless, as I've been wearing VFF's for 2 years and got so used to it. With the trail gloves socks do help a bit because of the mesh exterior - the socks help mitigate rubbing when little bits and pieces of dirt and rock make it into the shoe.

Another plus, at least for me with my smelly feet, is stink temperance. I usually wear smartwool liners and they do wonders for keeping my shoes from knocking out anyone who ventures too close.

I prefer 2 pair of thin socks on each foot.
In my trail runners this puts the friction layer between the layers of sock and not next to my skin.
If the outer sock is a little taller than the inner sock, debris is also kept away from the skin without needing gaiters.
My socks are dual use items as i wear my spare pair on my hands and cover them with Frito's corn chip bags held with a rubber band for cold/wind/rain gloves.
Therefore socks are dual use: Feet and hands
Fritos are Triple use: Eat, firestarter, and the bag makes a great UL water/wind proof covering.
I suppose if your shoes really fit you that well so that there is no friction, even when wet, then you might be able to ditch socks all together. It does not work that way for me. Everytime i switch back to a single sock i have problems.
.
This is how my feet looked after thousands of miles. Must be doin' something right for a change.

Edited by Ice-axe on 09/04/2011 09:58:22 MDT.

How much duff and dirt do you get down into the minimalist shoes? Wearing the shoes in an urban setting will kick a lot less in that on a very dusty dry trail or one with dry pine needles.

Edit:
Also how much do your feet sweat? I might add that I don't wear heavy socks at anytime - I have worn thin Injini's for years, to wick sweat and that I hate toe rubbing in any shoe (it is well like if you are a woman wearing heels it is more comfy having nylons on than going barefoot!)

Edited by sarbar on 09/04/2011 17:08:58 MDT.

To to provide a layer of cushioning to keep seams in the shoes from making sore spots and hot spots on my skin, to absorb sweat and oils, keep my feet warm, and protect my ankles and lower legs from brush and rock scrapes.

I can't remember the last time I had a blister. I usually wear Smart Wool medium hiker socks.

With sandals, I wear socks;
to stop sunburn, and smelly feet.
for warmth when its cold.
to start a fashion trend.

Haven't found any cons.

Dan,

I totally agree!

Socks are smelly, uncomfortable when wet or its really hot out, extra weight to carry, more
laundry to do in town, ect

On my next trip Im going to try my Salomons without socks and see how it goes, but I really want a pair of the NB minimus for sockless use. I'm just afraid they won't hold up on long hikes and wont support my feet enough. What say you about your experience with the minimus

Your shoes and feet will stink when going without socks and quickly.I have gone without socks and even tried crystal spray deoderant in my shoes and on my feet before each use after showering and it didn't help.I have never had a foot or shoe smell issue before I started going sockless.It is easier to wash a pair of socks after a days use than my shoes.My shoes and feet don't smell after wearing socks,and my socks don't stink either.I have gone sockless in NB minimus,Merrell pace glove,NB wt100,salomon speedcoss,several inov-8's same results for all of them.

Edited by annapurna on 09/05/2011 11:40:11 MDT.

My experience is the same as Anna's. 20 minutes sockless will give my shoes a permanent stench. No thanks.

I wear Permethrined toe-sock liners during the tick season so that I have something to tuck my pants into. Those danged ticks will latch onto any exposed area of skin. Lyme disease will ruin your whole day.

During the colder months, I wear "Arctic Tundra" wool toe socks to keep my toes warm. This is not a trivial matter for older folks. Since my youth, I've always had a problem with circulation to my toes and fingers. As I've aged, that problem has gotten worse. Without socks, I'd probably get a serious case of frostbite in my toes -- or worse.

Stargazer

Interesting to hear a few different methods and opinions.

I think wearing gaters eliminates a lot of the issues with going sockless, which is probably why I didn't consider many of them.

It seems to me that stink is the main issue. It is also something I have struggled with. The only way I can keep my socks/shoes from stinking is if I wear thick merino socks. I had drifted away from thick socks, and merino as well. The synthetic socks stink after wearing for an hour, but I have notoriously raunchy feet. I see this is where I'm going to have to experiment.

-"What say you about your experience with the minimus"

They have been great so far. I did about 60 miles on the Superior Hiking Trail with them, and they performed far better than I thought. That trail has a lot of rocks and roots, although the rocks are not obsidian or overly sharp. I thought it was going to end horribly, but the shoes were far more comfortable and enabling than my Sabino Trails that I used last year on the same trail. Last year I ended up with a possible broken foot and developed peroneal tendinitis. Over the last 10 miles of this years trip, I became confident enough that I wasn't even very concerned with foot placement.

There are some downsides. The toebox is not wide enough for my toes to spread out completely. The strap across the mid foot is tighter than the rest of the upper, and was a problem for the first 10 miles until it stretched out (I think), or I just got used to it. The heel cup is huge. There is no way I could wear these without gaters, as there is about an inch gap between the shoes and my ankles on both sides.

1. Abrasion: because I don't get out enough to toughen up my feet so, I need that layer to avoid abrasion.

2. Warmth: Of course this doesn't apply to summer - but wait, my socks stay wet for a while after crossing a stream and that definitely cools my feet.

3. Cleanliness: Socks keep my feet a little cleaner than without.

4. Cushioning: Just because I like cushy stuff :)

I'm sticking with my socks!

Ive done the no socks thing A LOT. I rarely wear socks these days around town. I just find them better for hiking, less chance of blisters. That being said, the no socks thing, even long distance, is very doable. You just need really, really comfortable shoes.

+1 on that. I've been wearing Vibram KSO Treks almost exclusively for a while now, and abrasion is not really an issue with them. The sock liners are really just to keep the ticks at bay, and the wool toe socks are purely for warmth.

Also, stink is not really an issue for me. Your nose gets used to it after a day or so. Stink is part of the UL game as far as I'm concerned. The Vibrams get a nice wash at every stream crossing.

Stargazer

I don't have a problem with blisters or comfort but my socks only weigh 1/2oz for a pair, dry fast and don't stink neither do my shoes,I'll take the socks.

"1. Abrasion: because I don't get out enough to toughen up my feet so, I need that layer to avoid abrasion.

2. Warmth: Of course this doesn't apply to summer - but wait, my socks stay wet for a while after crossing a stream and that definitely cools my feet.

3. Cleanliness: Socks keep my feet a little cleaner than without.

4. Cushioning: Just because I like cushy stuff :)

I'm sticking with my socks!"

+1, but adding the stink reduction. I don't know why feet stink less in shoes with socks, even plain old cotton socks, than without. I've had to scold my kids after going out for a few hours geocaching or what-not because they'd go without socks, against my instructions to wear socks, and take their shoes off in the car on the way home. Omg, thier feet stink! Not only that, I don't know where you hike but where I live, you go out for a while, your shoes get fine grit in them through the mesh, which builds up and feels like sandpaper against your skin. Socks help protect against irritation.

I'll go sockless if I need to run out and take the trash out or get the mail. Anything longer, and I'm wearing socks.

BM

I wear socks, but they are the lightest, thinnest ones you can get (Drymax Hyper Thin @ ~0.5oz/pr). I find these to be useful to reduce blisters/foot trouble and to wear to bed on colder nights. If my feet were comfortable in my shoes (Inov8 Mudroc 290) without socks then I would likely ditch them and just bring one pair of sleep socks on colder trips.

Dan,you must be done traveling for the summer and bought some of the drymax socks,how do you like them?They work great for me.

I'm still travelling for a couple more months, but I did manage to acquire a pair by sending them to a friends house. I've got maybe 5 hiking days on them so far. My initial impressions are that they feel good like a lot of the other thin socks that I've been using (DeFeet ventilator lite), but of course they weigh quite a bit less so they seem to be a winner. My scale is in storage, but at a claimed 19g (2/3 oz) per pair, I can carry 3 pairs of socks instead of two and still wind up lighter.

It's neat when you wash these socks, since they are indeed lighter than water unlike any other socks. If you are washing the stock a foot under water and you let go, it will pop up to the surface of the water like as if you were holding a balloon under.