The best military socks to keep you on your feet

Darn Tough is one of the most reputable brands in outdoor socks. When I first joined the Marine Corps, nearly everyone recommended Darn Tough over Bates socks. While the Vermont-based company leads in quality and popularity, it also promotes socks made in America with American materials.

The Darn Tough T3005 — or Mid-Calf Lightweight Tactical Sock with Cushion — blends a soft feel and a lightly cushioned sole with mild compression, all of which set it up to be your best friend in the field. These socks are made with Merino wool, which is known for being less itchy and more moisture-wicking than standard wool, in addition to being more breathable. The result is an incredibly comfortable sock that does an excellent job of keeping your feet dry and blister-free in the field. Darn Tough also has a great military discount program, further lowering the cost of the socks, and its warranty is essentially no-questions-asked, meaning that when you inevitably burn a hole in your socks, you can simply turn them in for new ones.

These are midweight socks, which means they’re designed to be a happy medium. For where I live in Virginia, that’s perfect, but when I went to Integrated Training Exercise in Twentynine Palms, California, the Mojave made me wish for a nuclear winter since these socks practically cooked my feet. If you’re in an extremely hot environment, look for dedicated hot-weather socks, and vice versa for extreme cold. Finally, these do have a tendency to roll down after prolonged use, which can be uncomfortable on your lower legs.

When preparing to attend Exercise Rolling Thunder in Fort Bragg in 2021, I was told to bring a new pair of socks for each day I was there because I wouldn’t be able to do laundry. Since 14 pairs of Darn Tough or Covert Threads would cost almost $300, I had to go with a cheaper option. That’s when I found Fox River socks. Despite costing much less than the top-tier brands, it’s a competent military sock deserving of a place in anyone’s utility wardrobe.

The Fox River Wick Dry Military Boot Socks have a lot going for them. They’re constructed from mid-weight materials, so they’re most comfortable in temperate climates. They’re also available at most PXs. But what really makes them stand out is the price. You can typically find them priced below $15 for a single pair.

The biggest issue with Fox River socks is that they’re not the most durable, and my socks have developed holes, which is the issue that many other users have had. Another issue is that they’re all-synthetic, which makes them less breathable and slightly more sweaty than others. All of these issues largely stem from lower quality control, and that combined with the non-Berry Amendment compliant imported materials and production explains the lower cost.

Silk blend socks are the standard for long-distance hikers due to their ability to all but eliminate the risk of blistering, while also remaining warm enough to use in cooler weather. Legendary brand Wigwam takes advantage of the smoothness and durability of silk to make these socks shine in ways that wool, cotton, and synthetic socks cannot. Gone are the days of people wearing silk stockings underneath their boot socks as the only way to fight blisters; these blend silk and breathable fabrics like Merino wool to make these a fantastic boot sock for the long haul.

The Wigwam Merino Silk Hiker socks lead the pack in long-term comfort and blister reduction, and that’s due to the addition of the one material that no other sock on this list has: silk. The smoothness of silk mitigates the friction between your foot and the boot, ensuring that blisters are almost no factor. The softness and full cushion of these socks, combined with the blister mitigation, mean that your feet won’t get pounded to death over hard terrain, either. Finally, in spite of the thickness, Wigwam has placed ventilation panels at key points in the sock’s construction to keep moisture wicking and breathability up.

These socks are still thick, however, so if you’re in extremely hot weather, they may become uncomfortable, and may not fit if your boots are snug. They’re also not cold-weather socks, despite their thickness, so don’t expect them to behave like thermal socks. Finally, they’re crew-length socks, which I don’t prefer, since they barely come over the tops of my boots, and sometimes slide down, leaving the leather around the tops of my boots to create hot spots on my calves.

As a company, Covert Threads says its goal is making “comfortable yet rugged socks that stand up to the rigors of harsh climates and conditions.” And as far as I can tell, it’s true. The Desert Military Boot Socks are equipped with features that afford comfort in hot desert areas.

The Covert Threads desert socks use materials that prioritize breathability, such as cotton and Coolmax technology, to make sure that heat buildup in your feet is as little of a factor as possible. These socks also allow for the movement of air and small amounts of water, such as with sweat, owing to the ventilation panels all over the socks that are designed to drain sweat as it forms. Finally, they’re over-the-calf socks, meaning that they won’t slide down easily or bunch up, and are tall enough to prevent sand from getting in your footbed, which is a very real threat in the desert.

The use of cotton is great for breathability, but terrible for any kind of moisture shedding, meaning these aren’t socks that have crossover potential in the jungle or temperate environments, given that cotton will retain water if it’s introduced in large quantities and damage the skin of your feet. They’re also still relatively thick, in spite of their breathability, meaning they’re great for heavier-duty use, but not necessarily the most breathable for garrison wear. Finally, in my experience, Covert Threads socks have worn out faster than other socks from other brands of similar thicknesses.

When we say cold weather, we mean arctic, and so does Ukrainian brand 281Z. These are more over-socks than actual socks. They’re designed to add a layer of extreme warmth in environments that plunge below zero. Think of these as Polartec “brown bear” fleeces for your feet, designed for your next excursion to Bridgeport, Fort Drum, or Norway.

Polartec over-socks for extreme cold weather sound like just what the doctor ordered on extremely cold days. Thinking back to even the coldest day I’ve experienced, which was minus 14 degrees Fahrenheit, I was desperately trying to double up on socks, and these would have helped. These aren’t just practical for warmth reasons though, since doubling up on socks like this will also all but eliminate blisters, due to adding a layer against friction. The Polartec material is also great cushioning, meaning that these are very comfortable, especially for standing for long periods of time.

Adding all that thickness is inevitably going to negatively affect the fit of your boots, and if you anticipate working in extreme cold, you may want to go up a half size in your boots. Another issue is that doubling up on socks can reduce the stability of your footing, since your foot now has much more fabric between it and the insole, so these are best for people who stand still. Complicating this further, these are too much for people who are extremely active, even in extreme cold, since you will warm up and sweat. Finally, they’re not Berry Amendment compliant, owing to being made in Ukraine, and other 281Z products I’ve owned have had issues with the stitching staying in place.