There is no question about the need for hiking socks to be comfortable especially if you are planning on doing a lot of hiking. However, at the same time they also need to be warm, thick and last well.  Some of the key requirements for good long lasting socks to wear outdoors are that it is thermal and have great moisture wicking properties. Something to aim for, when purchasing your hiking socks, are that they will last you for at least a year. Even if you are only a weekend outdoor walker, you could easily cover one thousand miles of ground in one year so your socks really will need to be durable.

The most important thing when choosing hiking socks, however, is that they provide you with optimum comfort.  Once you have started your hike it will be too late to go back and change into more comfortable socks and shoes, so you need to make sure that you are wearing decent socks that will protect your feet from blisters or chaffing.

Your thermal socks should also provide moisture wicking. In case you are not familiar with this term, simply put it means that moisture and sweat that forms on your feet while you are climbing and hiking will be drawn away from your foot, enabling your feet to remain dry.  Damp, sweaty feet can result in quite a few foot problems such as developing foot tinea, or getting blisters on your feet.

The best material for hiking and other thermal socks is wool.  Wool naturally absorbs moisture, keeps you warm and yet lets you have free air flow. So if you are looking for good, long lasting, durable yet very comfortable hiking socks you should look for wool thermal socks. You will find that they will not only give you the best value for your money, but they will also be very comfortable to wear when hiking.