Choose hiking socks by the thickness label and the wool percentage. No. 1 is the Caravan RL Merino Retro Trekking: 60% merino wool, mid-weight, ¥3,080, knitted left/right-specific. If you'll spend on a pair to wear for years, I put the Darn Tough, 61% wool with a lifetime guarantee, at No. 2.
The Gear Nerd's Pick
What to look at on a sock's price tag is not the price per pair but how much you pay per 1% of wool. Wool holds far more moisture inside the fiber than synthetics do, and as the percentage drops, that much is replaced by synthetics. So I sort by wool percentage first, then divide price by percentage and put the ones I'm not overpaying for on top.
Key points
- Wool content among the 5 pairs ranked is 40–61%. The highest is the Darn Tough at 61% and the lowest is The North Face at 40%, a 21-point spread
- Price per 1% wool is ¥35.4–¥99.0. The lowest is the 2-pair Caravan Merino Wool_neo at ¥35.4, while the No. 1 Caravan RL Merino is ¥51.3
- Of the 5 pairs, only 3 have an official weight. The Caravan's number is measured in size M, so the conditions don't match
Choosing hiking socks: look at the thickness label and the wool percentage
To match hiking boots outside snow season, I pick mid-weight or heavy, with a high wool percentage. No. 1 is the Caravan, mid-weight with 60% merino wool, at ¥3,080.
A product name with merino or wool in it doesn't mean the contents are the same. Lining up the materials field of the official pages for the 5 pairs, wool ranged from 40% to 61%, a 21-point spread. Price ran from ¥1,485 to ¥4,180 per pair, a 2.8x difference.
How I chose
I looked at these three things, in this order.
- Wool percentage. I look at the materials field first.
- Price per 1% wool. The official price divided by the percentage.
- Thickness label and size range. For pairs with a similar percentage, this is where I split them.
Last, I raised one thing the other four don't have, like a left/right-specific build or a guarantee.
This ranking is made from what you can buy on Rakuten. mont-bell, sold only through its official shop, is shown as out of ranking, with its numbers listed.
Quick table of the 5 hiking socks: wool percentage, thickness, price
Scroll the table sideways →
| Model | Wool percentage | Thickness · weight | Official price (per pair) | Per 1% wool |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 1 Caravan RL Merino Retro Trekking | 60% | Mid-weight · about 130g (M) | ¥3,080 | ¥51.3 |
| No. 2 Darn Tough #1466 Hiker Micro Crew | 61% | Midweight | ¥4,180 | ¥68.5 |
| No. 3 finetrack Merino Spin Socks Alpine Regular | 55% | Heavy · 80g | ¥3,168 | ¥57.6 |
| No. 4 Caravan Merino Wool_neo 2P Socks | 42% | About 90g (M) | ¥1,485 | ¥35.4 |
| No. 5 The North Face Trekkers Crew | 40% | Mid-weight | ¥3,960 | ¥99.0 |
| Out of ranking: mont-bell Merino Wool Trekking Socks Men's | 58% | Heavy · 101g (average) | ¥2,090 | ¥36.0 |
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
Caravan RL Merino Retro Trekking
Lowest price on Rakuten: ¥2,420 (as of 10/14). Prices vary by shop, up to ¥4,010, and change daily. For clothing, check the maker's size chart (height, chest, waist) against your own measurements. If unsure, check the shop's return and exchange terms.
RecommendedSee it at L-BreathSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on Yahoo! Shopping JapanWhy this order
| Rank | Model | Why it's ranked here |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Caravan RL Merino Retro Trekking | 60% merino, built left/right-specific. At ¥51.3 per 1% wool, it's the lowest among the 3 pairs with 55% wool or more |
| 2 | Darn Tough #1466 | 61% wool is the highest of the 5 pairs, but at ¥4,180 it's also the highest price |
| 3 | finetrack Alpine Regular | Heavy and light at 80g, but the wool is 5–6 points lower than the two above |
| 4 | Caravan Merino Wool_neo 2P | The lowest price at ¥1,485 for 1 pairs, but 42% wool sits beside 41% acrylic |
| 5 | The North Face Trekkers Crew | 40% wool at ¥3,960, and ¥99.0 per 1% wool is the highest of the 5 pairs |
No. 1 Caravan RL Merino Retro Trekking | 60% merino
I'll say this with some heat. It's mid-weight with 60% merino wool, and a left/right-specific design that knits the right and left foot in different shapes. Multiply weight by wool percentage and you get about 78g of wool in it (130 × 0.60). The price is ¥1,100 lower than the Darn Tough, which has just 1 point more wool.
What to watch is that 17% of the remaining 40% is acrylic. It suits people who put weight on a fit that follows the shape of the foot.
No. 2 Darn Tough #1466 Hiker Micro Crew | 61% wool
61% wool is the highest of the five, and the Japanese official page says "with a lifetime guarantee." The height from heel to cuff, about 22cm, is given as a number for this pair only.
Here's the weak spot. It comes in S, M and L, with L up to 28.0cm. If your foot is over 28cm, you can't choose it. It suits people who spend on one pair on the assumption they'll wear it for years.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
Darn Tough #1466 Hiker Micro Crew Midweight Cushion
Lowest price on Rakuten: ¥3,971 (as of 10/14). Prices change daily.
RecommendedSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on Yahoo! Shopping JapanNo. 3 finetrack Merino Spin Socks Alpine Regular | heavy, 80g
Labeled heavy at 80g. The sole is full pile, and it's 50g lighter than the No. 1 Caravan. It comes in four sizes from XS to L, and the M is 25–26cm, so the steps are fine.
What to watch is that wool is 55%, a little lower than the two above. It adds 13% polyester and 29% nylon to get its lightness. It suits people who want to lighten both their load and their feet.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
finetrack Merino Spin Socks Alpine Regular
Lowest price on Rakuten: ¥2,750 (as of 10/14). Prices vary by shop, up to ¥4,098, and change daily. For clothing, check the maker's size chart (height, chest, waist) against your own measurements. If unsure, check the shop's return and exchange terms.
RecommendedSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on Yahoo! Shopping JapanNo. 4 Caravan Merino Wool_neo 2P Socks | 1 pairs for ¥1,485
A 2-pair set in 2 colors for ¥2,970, ¥1,485 per 1 pair. It's thick merino yarn knit as pile, not the RL method.
Here's the weak spot. Wool is 42% against 41% acrylic, nearly half and half. It suits people who want to stock spare pairs cheaply.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
Caravan Merino Wool_neo 2P Socks
Lowest price on Rakuten: ¥2,673 (as of 10/14). Prices vary by shop, up to ¥4,070, and change daily. For clothing, check the maker's size chart (height, chest, waist) against your own measurements. If unsure, check the shop's return and exchange terms.
RecommendedSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on Yahoo! Shopping JapanNo. 5 The North Face Trekkers Crew | mid-weight full pile
Mid-weight full pile, with knit zones across the instep for ventilation, built to cover hikes into the late-snow season. Made in Japan.
What to watch is the material: wool 40% and polyester 40%, the same share. It suits people who put quick drying and fine construction above wool percentage.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
The North Face Trekkers Crew
Lowest price on Rakuten: ¥3,366 (as of 10/14). Prices vary by shop, up to ¥3,960, and change daily.
RecommendedSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on Yahoo! Shopping JapanOut of ranking: mont-bell Merino Wool Trekking Socks (bought at the official online shop)
A heavy 58% wool at 101g (average) and ¥2,090, in four sizes from S to XL (22–30cm). It has 2 points less wool than the No. 1 Caravan and is ¥990 cheaper. Price per 1% wool is ¥36.0, ¥15.3 lower than No. 1.
Why I look at merino percentage first: "official moisture regain"
The Consumer Affairs Agency's textile labeling rules list a number called official moisture regain for each fiber: 15.0% for wool, 4.5% for nylon and 0.4% for polyester. It's the share of moisture a fiber holds under ordinary conditions, as set by the state.
Wool is 37.5 times polyester (15.0 ÷ 0.4). The "58% wool" in a materials field is a share by weight, so the lower it is, the fewer fibers hold moisture inside. That's why I start with wool percentage.
Two small items for people worried about blisters: insoles and tape
Once you've decided the socks, check the price of the small items that fill the space between sock and shoe. I compared the boots themselves in hiking boot rankings.
| Product | Details | Official price |
|---|---|---|
| Sidas Outdoor 3D (insole) | 4.0mm thick at the toe · 5 sizes from XS to XL (22.0–29.5cm) | ¥6,600 |
| Newhale Blister Tape | 10 pieces (5 sheets) · 97% cotton and 3% polyurethane | ¥605 |
The Sidas has a soft EVA pad at the heel and ventilation holes in the forefoot. Its price is more than two pairs of the No. 1 Caravan socks.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
Sidas Outdoor 3D
Lowest price on Rakuten: ¥4,599 (as of 10/14). Prices vary by shop, up to ¥7,600, and change daily.
RecommendedSee it at L-BreathSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on Yahoo! Shopping JapanThe Newhale tape is ¥60.5 per 1 piece (¥605 ÷ 10). You stick it on spots that rub, like where blisters form.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
Newhale Blister Tape
Lowest price on Rakuten: ¥550 (as of 10/14). Prices vary by shop, up to ¥2,733, and change daily.
RecommendedSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on Yahoo! Shopping JapanWho is it for?
This suits people who walk in hiking boots outside snow season. All five pairs are thicknesses meant for those boots.
If the pile on the sole of your current wool socks hasn't flattened, they're still usable. For extra-heavy snow-mountain socks, or for walking in everyday shoes, there are other ways to choose.
If your shoes have a wide toe box, the Targhee Apex Mid review may also help.
FAQ
Should I pick mid-weight or heavy hiking socks?
For hiking boots outside snow season, either thickness works. Of the 5 pairs ranked, one is labeled heavy and three are labeled in the mid-weight range.
What percentage of merino wool do hiking socks have?
The 5 pairs ranked run 40–61%. Three are 55% or more, and two are in the 40s.
Are there five-toe hiking socks?
The finetrack Merino Spin Socks Alpine 5-toe is ¥3,696, and the out-of-ranking mont-bell Merino Wool Trekking 5-toe Socks is ¥2,600. Both cost ¥510–528 more than the regular shape.
Gear in this article
Ad · Images: Rakuten IchibaSources
- mont-bell official online shop: Merino Wool Trekking Socks Men's
- mont-bell official online shop, product search: Merino Wool Trekking Socks (Women's, and the price of the 5-toe socks)
- Caravan official online shop: RL Merino Retro Trekking
- Caravan official online shop: Merino Wool_neo 2P Socks
- Darn Tough Japan official (A&F) #1466 Hiker Micro Crew Midweight Cushion
- finetrack official online store: Merino Spin Socks Alpine Regular
- finetrack official online store: sock list (the price of the Alpine 5-toe)
- The North Face official store: Trekkers Crew (unisex)
- Consumer Affairs Agency: Textile Labeling Rules (definition of blend ratio, and official moisture regain in Appended Table 3)
- Sidas Japan official: Outdoor 3D
- Newhale official: Blister Tape
- Newhale official online store: Blister Tape
