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Why Thousands of Runners & Hikers and Choosing Toe Socks | 5 Benefits Explained
The Top 5 Socks to Beat Athletes Foot
Athletes foot effects 1 in every 4 of us at any given time and can spread further, wreaking havoc on your feet. Your socks can make or break your treatment of athletes foot and choosing the right ones is essential.
What are the main features to look for in a sock?
With the goal of creating a dry, low friction environment, here's what you need to look for:
Breathability
Airflow ensures a dry, low humidity environment that fungus hates!
Lightweight
Thin socks for the win as increasing sock thickness reduces your skins ability to regulate temperature and can increase moisture
Merino Blend
A blend of natural merino wool and synthetic yarn creates the perfect fabric to wick away moisture and keep yoru skin feeling dry.
Wide toe box or separate toe sleeves
Keeping your toes compressed together creates a warm, moist area with constant skin on skin contact between your toes. sort this out by choosing toe socks to wrap each toe in a moisture wicking sleeve. You can also look for socks with a wide toe portion to wear by themselves or over the top of toe socks.
For a more in depth look at why these features are important and how the help with athletes foot, see our previous article: The Best Socks for Athletes Foot
With the knowledge at hand that the best socks for athletes foot should be light, breathable, ideally foot-shaped and have a combination of wool and synthetic fibers, here's out top recommendations 👇
1. Creepers Merino Toe Socks
Our number one sock for foot health that ticks all the boxes to keep your feet dry and healthy and thanks to the super soft merino, it barely feels like you're wearing them
Pros
- Merino Blend (50% merino)
- Separate, toe sleeves
- Seamless construction
- Lightweight
- Breathable mesh upper
- High ratings
Cons
- Only available online
- Small range to choose from
Buy the top rated toe socks here
2. Drymax
Touted as the number one sock for keeping you dry, it's our 2nd favorite sock for athletes foot.
Pros
- Drymax material
- Tried and tested favorite of many runners & hikers
- Lightweight
- Duel-layer
Cons
- No Merino wool
- High (11%) elastane content, likely to increase the toe-squish
- Toes aren't separate
3. Smartwool
Smartwool use a combination of fibers and technology to create great socks that help you go far and feel good.
Pros
- Merino blend (around 50% merino wool)
- Snug fit
- Seamless toe box
- Only 3% elastane
Cons
- Toes aren't separate
- Premium price point
- Variable reviews count
4. Injinji
The most well know/oldest athletic toe sock brand that's tried and tested. They have a wide range of models available with some models.
Pros
- Merino wool blend in some models (32-44%)
- Wide range
- Seperate toe sleeves
- Seamless construction
Cons
- Lower Merino percentage than others
- Longevity can be an issue
5. Darn Tough
A merino blend sock that's well known for it's resilience and longevity.
Pros
- Lifetime Guarantee
- Merino Blend (40-50%)
- High review counts
Cons
- Can we thick. Even the lightweight versions have thicker padding through the sole and toes
Finals tips
- Regularly clean your feet and dry well afterward
- Change your socks!
- Wear lightweight, breathable merino socks, ideally with separate toes
- Breathable shoes with a natural shaped toe box helps
Bonus: For first time customers, you can use the code "HAPPYFEET" to get 10% off your first order of Creepers merino toe socks
Disclaimer: Socks along are not guaranteed to get rid of athletes foot but are an important aspect of it's treatment and management. This article and any information on this site is not medical advice and, if needed, consult and doctor or dermotologist.