Socks

I just spent $40 on three pairs of socks. I don’t regret it, even a little bit. They’re actually for my husband, so I’m a little jealous.

I used to be a white cotton socks girl. About a decade ago, some of my friends had a job where somebody came in for an “informative demonstration” that was pretty much an ad for their backpacking gear. They also got free socks. Since large women’s socks weren’t popular in that particular crowd, one of my friends picked up a pair for me from the leftovers the next week. I wore those socks at least once a week for years, and finally threw them out last year.

Fox River socks are pretty much the best socks. If I were getting paid to write this post (I’m not), I would go to the website and throw down a bunch of quotes about the technology that makes these the best. Instead, I’ll just list why I pay $12-$15 for each pair of these socks.

• They keep my feet warm in the winter, and cool in the summer. I’m typically cold, so having warm feet in the winter keeps me warm overall. It might be an exaggeration to say “cool” for the summer, but my feet aren’t sweaty and nasty the way one might expect. How do they do it? Magic.
• They last forever. Almost. I briefly made a foray into SmartWool socks because, frankly, they look cooler. SmartWool socks are a bit more expensive, but they’re fancier and even include dress socks. While SmartWool socks last longer than cheap cotton socks, they last maybe a third as long as Fox River socks. If I could combine Fox River’s durability with SmartWool’s style, I’d be in sock nirvana. SmartWool socks wore through on the balls of my feet and back of my heels. It’s not just me–my husband’s SmartWool socks wore out the same way. Granted, they still lasted over a year, but not over five years like Fox River socks.
• Fox River is headquartered in Iowa. Yay, kinda local business.
• They have good cushion. I wore some white cotton socks for something recently (I think I wanted to wear shorts, and the only short socks I could find were old cotton ones), and my feet hurt. Not an aching hurt, but the actual skin on my feet was uncomfortable. I’m not used to that with Fox River socks (or SmartWool).
• They come in different sizes. As a big-footed person, finding large socks can be difficult. I’ve never had trouble getting Fox River (or SmartWool) socks in my size. The company intends to make socks that actually fit feet, so they make several sizes, rather than just making socks and then throwing in some oversized pairs as an afterthought.
• They are available in different thicknesses/cushioning.

My husband was skeptical the first time he asked for socks and I brought home some quality socks, but he was quickly won over. The socks pictured here were requested specifically–I tried to wait until his birthday, but he made clear that he would need them sooner. He wanted three pairs of lightweight crew socks and held up a pair of heavy weight crew socks for comparison. I ended up buying these at Scheels, a regional sporting goods store.

What socks do you wear? Have you tried Fox River or SmartWool socks?

*Disclaimer: I’m not getting paid to write this post. I did receive a free pair of Fox River socks in 2003, but I don’t think that counts as receiving product to write a post. I might get some money if you go buy socks here