What are Hybrid-Hiking Socks?

Hybrid-Hiking socks are a blend of fabrics and features between a traditional wool hiking sock and a comfortable everyday sock. Wildly Good Socks combined our favorite features from completely different sock types to create this custom sock that could be worn anywhere between the office and the mountains.  We call them "Hybrid-hiking" socks because they can support you while hiking and everywhere else your feet may go. To understand what makes Hybrid-hiking socks the perfect socks, it helps to understand the qualities and features we used when designing this special breed of socks. 

Traditional Hiking socks are made to support you while trekking outdoors. They have qualities that help your feet stay dry from sweat and moisture, prevent blisters, and will not easily wear down. After many hours on your feet hiking, jumping rocks, and stomping through puddles, your footwear makes all the difference in your comfort and ability. 

So what makes Hiking socks perfect for hiking?

Most hiking socks are made primarily of wool. Specifically Merino Wool. Merino wool is wildly considered to be the best fabric for your feet. Merino wool is a natural fabric (from merino sheep) that repels bacteria, dries quickly, is tough, and is also very comfortable. Hiking socks also contain a blend of synthetic fibers to help connect and strengthen the sock. It needs to be as tough as the terrain you plan to embark on.

That sounds great, so why don't we wear hiking socks all the time?

Traditional hiking socks are typically pretty thick. They are designed to be tough, and tough needs a lot of material to support multiple layers. They also include plenty of padding and support for your soles and arches. Thick socks are not ideal in everyday wear.

Traditional hiking socks can also be very expensive, up to $20-30 per pair. So filling your drawer with hiking socks can get pretty pricey.

What about everyday socks?

Everyday socks are typically made primarily of cotton. Do you ever notice that your feet can easily get cold or wet when wearing cotton socks? While cotton can be comfortable, it retains moisture. When your feet sweat, the moisture remains in the sock leaving bacteria and a terrible odor. Cotton socks are fine for people who don't move often enough to break a sweat. Well, then why are so many socks made of cotton? Cotton is inexpensive and readily available so you find it everywhere. Cotton socks are also a profitable item for most clothing brands.

But not everything about everyday cotton socks is bad, right?

Many everyday socks are lightweight and form to fit your feet giving you a supportive comfortable feel. When socks form to your feet there is less of a chance they will cause painful blisters. Blisters are caused by rubbing - so less rubbing, fewer blisters. Many everyday socks also provide compression to your feet and legs. Compression is when the fabric puts a gentle squeeze on your skin to allow your blood to flow more efficiently through your legs and feet. This also helps to keep your feet naturally warm as the blood flows.

It sounds like blending the best features of a hiking sock and comfortable cotton sock would be PERFECT!

That's what we thought, so we designed the Wildly Good Lightweight Merino Wool Sock. This special sock blends the best features of hiking socks and everyday sock types to create a Hybrid-Hiking Sock.

Here's what we did.

We blended merino wool and synthetic fibers to strengthen and stretch the sock to better form to your feet. The high percentage of merino wool fabric makes the sock breathable, moisture-wicking, and deters bacteria so no stink. Hybrid-hiking socks are also lightweight when compared to traditional hiking socks and made to form better to your feet. While they won't fill up your boot with fabric, they are perfect for hiking shoes or sneakers to prevent blisters. Hybrid-hiking socks are the perfect sock for nearly all situations between your office desk to the top of the nearest mountain.

Try a pair for yourself. We have 100's of 5-Star reviews that love their hybrid-hiking socks.