Difference Between Ski Socks and Hiking Socks

There is a wide variety of outdoor socks. Do you know the difference between ski socks and hiking socks? Do you have your own custom socks? Knowing the difference between ski socks and hiking socks helps ensure that our feet are comfortable and is the most important factor for skiing and hiking.

The importance of wearing socks for outdoor activities

Both skiing and hiking require long periods of foot use, which means comfort is an essential part of enjoying the pleasure of the activity. Socks can help prevent blisters, help protect the feet, and cushion foot injuries. Wearing the wrong socks at the wrong time can make us feel uncomfortable and lose the fun.

Ski socks

Ski socks are usually thinner than hiking socks. Ski boots design and overall coordination mainly around the use of appropriate ski socks to achieve the appropriate boots and socks fit.

Most hiking socks are too thick to fit properly in ski boots, not to mention they add extra heat to the warm layer that ski boots already create, which means that feet can sweat and feel uncomfortable. In addition, thick hiking socks tend to pile up inside ski boots, which leads to failure of the boot locking structure and discomfort. Custom ski socks are usually made of wool. It's light and thin and it keeps you warm.

Hiking socks

Hiking socks are designed for comfort and moisture absorption and sweating. Summer foot sweat can cause blisters, and winter sweat makes feet moist.

There are two types of walking socks sold in general: thick socks and walking socks used in cold weather. Thin socks, moisture absorption, and sweat-draining hiking socks. The latter is generally suitable for hiking in warm weather, and hikers in cold weather often wear thin hiking socks that absorb moisture and sweat to keep their feet warm and dry.

Sweat-absorbent socks can be used for skiing, but most of them are used for hiking socks. The main difference between ski socks and hiking socks is that ski socks are designed to fit ski boots. Ski socks are usually knee-high socks or mid-calf socks while hiking socks are usually mid-calf or crew socks.

Hiking socks are usually made of cotton, nylon, polyester, and other materials.

Ski socks generally made of 50% wool, 40% nylon, 8% spandex, and 2% stretch yarn.

Frequently used materials for custom outdoor socks:

1.Cotton

Cotton is a traditional natural fiber, as well as a comfortable textile material, which is still widely used today. However, for sports, especially the requirements of outdoor sports, the performance of cotton has great limitations.

The moisture absorption of cotton fiber is very good, the rate of moisture absorption is very fast, but the discharge of moisture is not good, cotton fiber wet, dry will be very slow. Therefore, if you do not have good logistics, try not to wear cotton socks in outdoor activities, especially in the rainy summer for many days of activities, cotton socks in the wet will be very dangerous.

2.Wool

WOOL is also a kind of traditional natural fiber, which is famous for its good heat preservation. Under a microscope, the wool fibers have many scales arranged in a sort of bamboo leaf, and at the top of each scale is a keratinized tip, which tends to cause adhesion between the wool fibers.

At the same time, the keratinized point and wool in close-fitting will have an itchy feeling, so, if you choose wool material to do socks and other close-fitting clothes, the keratinized point must be removed, the cost of this treatment is relatively high, is one of the main reasons for expensive products.

Wool is the property of warmth, and its moisture absorption and drainage is poor, in other fibers mixed or woven, can be made into good winter warm socks.

3.Lycra & spandex

Lycra is also a kind of spandex in fact, so it is also called Lycra spandex, but it is easier to deal with than ordinary spandex, its extension and resilience are quite good, and not easy to age, now, a lot of outdoor brand socks choose Lycra to do elastic material.

4.Nylon

Nylon is also called polyamide on the component label, in outdoor sports socks inside are specially strengthened firmness, nylon added can prolong the service life of socks, not easy to tatter.

Nylon is also a common material used in custom socks because the socks made of it are very durable and nylon yarn is cheap. Nylon is often mixed with other yarns to increase the wear resistance of socks.

Finally but importance

Comfort is one of the most important elements of enjoying skiing or hiking. Comfortable socks can turn a hobby into a pleasant experience, while the wrong footwear can make a person miserable.

When your foot hurts, self-enjoyment is often impossible, not to mention exercise. No matter which hobby you have the rarest in, choosing the right socks in advance will ensure a comfortable play, which is the most important thing.

Therefore, it is wise to learn to choose different sports socks for different sports. Customize the right and good quality socks is also a good choice.