When it comes to athletic and outdoor gear, there’s a lot I’ve done wrong in my life. Mistakes made that resulted in blisters, chafing, or total equipment failure. We’ve all been there. But owning – and more importantly, wearing – good socks is something that has been ingrained into my outdoor and athletic habits since I was a little girl. (Hang tight, before we can get to the Wildly Good Socks review, I have to tell as story. It’s what I do.)
Growing up in Vermont, I learned mighty quickly that if you wore the thin, “cute but cotton” socks under your boots you were going to freeze your toes off. Not to mention, you’d spend stupid amounts of time constantly reaching down into the back of your boots trying to fish out your socks that had slid below your heels. It was a buzzkill to an otherwise fun afternoon sledding, every single time.
In order to avoid frozen toes and miserable ankles you had to wear the big wool socks that looked like they were your Dad’s. (Truth be told, I had a size 10 foot by the time I was in 5th grade, so I probably often DID wear Dad’s socks…). Were they as pretty as the rainbow stripes or cute crew socks with stars? No, but you weren’t miserable. And that’s when I learned function beats fashion, every single time.
Fast forward to today. As a 38 year old endurance athlete who spends a ton of time outdoors covering endless miles on my feet, I’ve never strayed from my loyalty to good, quality socks. And that’s why I was stoked to review a pair of Wildly Goods Lightweight Merino Wool Socks
Wildly Good Socks
The Story:
Christian Collard, an outdoor enthusiast in Rutland, Massachusetts, also knows the importance of good socks. Yet he was looking for something that bridged the gap between “the office and the Himalayas” (his words, not mine). Finding that most quality hiking socks were a) super thick, and b) expensive, Christian got to work designing something that would better suit the average adventurer (i.e., those of us not attempting an Everest summit). From that, the Wildly Good sock was born. Today, the company is a small family-owned business and 100% self-funded
The Specs:
Materials:
- 86% Extra-Fine Merino Wool
- 10% Polyester
- 3% Nylon
- 1% Spandex
Construction:
- Breathable mesh with arch support
- Full cushion support with a reinforced heel and toe
- Stitch by Stitch toe closing so you don’t feel the seam
- Length: calf cut that fits halfway up the calf to support your lower legs and ankle
- Unisex design
MSRP:
$14.99, though if you follow their social media or hop on the mailing list, there are occasional sales.
The Review:
I’m not going to lie, the very first thing I noticed – and loved – about the Wildly Good socks, is that they look exactly like the aforementioned Dad socks of my Vermont youth. Heathered grey with a green (or red) toe, heel, and cuff.
That said, there’s a few notable differences between Dad’s winter socks of the 90’s and the Wildly Good socks. First, these are made from extra fine Merino wool, not the itchy acrylic / wool blend of my childhood.
Second, the Wildly Good socks are thin – surprisingly thin. I was anticipating a burly hiking sock, but this is not it. Rather, the soft and thin fit resembles that of a pair of my high tech running socks. Thinner socks reduce the chance of blisters (as a bulky sock isn’t sliding around in your boot). Plus, not gonna lie, now I live in South Carolina. 95% of the year, I don’t NEED a thick, burly, wool sock.
But, even in the summer I love wool for it’s natural sweat wicking properties. Plus, Merino wool repels bacteria, which helps keep your sweaty swamp feet from smelling atrocious. Seriously, these are real coastal South Carolina problems.
So far I’ve worn the Wildly Good Lightweight Merino wool socks:
- On a day hike around a State Park (with a kid, so kid speed)
- Around the campfire
- On a 3 hour mountain bike excursion through sandy/swampy conditions
- Overnight in a tent in early March
- To the grocery store. Which is an endurance event of it’s own.
Honestly, the best review of a sock, in my opinion, is when you simply forget you are wearing it. I don’t want to feel anything: I don’t want to notice the heel slipping, I don’t want to feel a seam on my toe, I don’t want the cuff to be too tight, I don’t want my feet to sweat. You get the idea. NOT noticing the sock means you have on a good sock.
And that has been my experience thus far with Wildly Good socks.
I will continue to wear these socks and update my review after they’ve logged a lot more miles (and trips through the washing machine). But for now? I’m a fan.
If you’re in the market for a new sock, and enjoy supporting small businesses run by fellow outdoor enthusiasts, be sure to give Wildly Good a try. Best of all, they have a “Happy Feet Guarantee”. If you don’t like the socks or they don’t fit, they’ll replace them or give you a full refund within 60 days. They also offer Free Returns & Exchanges on all orders that have not been opened. You can’t lose!
Thanks again to Wildly Good for sending over these socks to help keep my feet happy during my endless adventures!
