As a kid, I often wore two or three pairs of cotton socks topped with a super thick wool sock. It was a very inefficient system and did more harm than good. After many years, miles, and cold sits, I learned just how important good hunting socks are.
Hunting socks may not be a glamorous gear item, but they sure as heck deserve your attention. Between comfort, moisture mitigation, and keeping you warm/cool, socks are key ingredients to happy feet in the woods.
A flimsy and oft-neglected piece of fabric, good socks go unnoticed and are sometimes taken for granted. Bad socks, however, can ruin an outing with bunching, constant slipping, or — worse yet — hunt-ending blisters.
With all of that said, there are a ton of hunting sock options floating around out there. To help sort them all out we at GearJunkie decided to pull our top picks for 2023 together. With any luck, this list will help ease your search and put smiles on your feet come hunting season. Swing down to our Comparison Chart to learn more about picking the right hunting sock, and be sure to check out our Buyer’s Guide.
The Best Hunting Socks of 2023
- Best Overall Hunting Sock: The Darn Tough Midweight Hunting Sock
- Best Budget Hunting Sock: Cabela’s Instinct 2.0 Wool Crew
- Best Hunting Sock for Women: The Darn Tough Boot Midweight Hunting Sock
- Best Late-Season Hunting Sock: First Lite Zero Cold Weather OTC
- Beast Early-Season Hunting Sock: Farm to Feet Ely
- Most Versatile Hunting Sock: Vortex Game Trail Tick Repellent Hunt Sock
- Most Technical Hunting Sock: KUIU Ultra Merino Over the Calf Sock
Pros
- Unconditional lifetime guarantee
- Performance fit
- Has cooling vents
Cons
- Too hot for early-season hunting
Cabela’s Instinct 2.0 Wool Crew
Pros
- Affordable
- Moisture-wicking and heat-retaining
- Made in the USA
Cons
- Fit could be better
Darn Tough Boot Midweight Hunting Sock
Pros
- Very comfortable
- Great fit
- Unconditionally guaranteed for life
Cons
- Too hot for early-season hunting
First Lite Zero Cold Weather OTC
Pros
- Very warm
- Compression to help with fit
- Feels great on the skin
Cons
- Too warm for lots of hiking. Best used for long sits or sleeping.
Farm to Feet Ely
Pros
- Lightweight but durable
- Targeted cushioning
- Entirely sourced and made in the USA
Cons
- The padding might be too much for some folks
Vortex Optics Game Trail Tick Repellent Hunt Sock
Pros
- Very comfortable
- Helps repel ticks
- Vortex VIP warranty
Cons
- We wish this went over the calf. It would add to the versatility and aid more in not only more tick-repelling real estate but also warmth.
KUIU Ultra Merino Over the Calf Sock
Pros
- Shin protection
- Ankle protection
- Made with Nuyarn technology in merino wool (higher stretch, better moisture management, greater insulation)
Cons
- Expensive
Best of the Rest
Pros
- Very comfortable
- Over-the-calf support
- Arrowool increases moisture mitigation
Cons
- Not cheap
Pros
- Lightweight enough for summer
- Comfortable
- Made in the USA
Cons
- Definitely will need another sock for later in the season
Pros
- Breathable
- Retains shape after heavy use
- Made in USA
Cons
- Steep downhill grades tend to make the toe stretch underneath toward the ball of your foot.
Hunting Socks Comparison Chart
| Hunting Sock | Price | Materials | Season | Sizes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darn Tough Midweight Hunting Sock | $27 | 64% merino wool, 33% nylon, and 3% Lycra spandex | Mid | S-XXL |
| Cabela’s Instinct 2.0 Wool Crew | $17 | 63% merino wool, 28% nylon, 7% carbon nylon, and 2% Lycra blend | Mid to Late | M-XL |
| Darn Tough Boot Midweight Hunting Sock | $27 | 63% merino wool, 35% nylon, 2% Lycra spandex | Mid | S-L |
| First Lite Zero Cold Weather OTC | $30 | 68% merino, 30% nylon, and 2% spandex | Late | S/M-L/XL |
| Farm to Feet Ely | $26 | 63% US merino wool, 33% US nylon, and 4% US Lycra spandex | Early | M-XL |
| Vortex Optics Game Trail Tick Repellent Hunt Sock | $30 | 34% nylon, 28% merino wool, 28% acrylic, 8% polyester, and 2% spandex | Early to Mid | M-XL |
| KUIU Ultra Merino Over the Calf Sock | $35 | 55% merino wool, 25% nylon, 15% Lycra, and 5% spandex | Early to Mid | M-XL |
| WORN Hunt and Heavy Terrain | $34 | 55% merino, 27% AR nylon, 12% Coolmax, and 6% elastane | Mid | S-XL |
| Kenetrek Yellowstone Lightweight Boot Height Sock | $25 | 36% merino wool, 35% polypropylene, 20% nylon, 6% elastic, and 3% Lycra | Early | M-XL |
| Crispi San Juan Merino Crew | $20 | 59% merino wool, 37% nylon, and 4% Lycra spandex | Early | M-XL |
Why You Should Trust Us
Hunting is one of my ultimate passions and I’ve been backpack hunting with a smile on my face for the past 10 years. And the health of my feet is a massive part of that. Trust is a must with socks for me.
Whether I’m making a long double-digit hike into a backcountry camp, or I’m hauling out a mind-bendingly heavy load, my feet are the gateway to the finish line. In other words, I have absolutely zero tolerance for incapable socks.
When testing out a pair of hunting socks, there are a few things on my radar. Fit, comfort, insulation, and breathability. I’m also just paying attention to how my feet feel overall while hiking, whether hot spots are present or if my feet sweating. Success in these areas is critical for pursuing my passions, as a bad pair of socks can cause a bad day in the field.
Of course, with my own experiences, I also took into account the experiences of trusted hunters around me. It provides a different perspective and gets me out of my own head for a bit. And the top-selling hunting socks on the market were also noted at a variety of price points.
All of our feet may be a little bit different, but the hunting socks listed above will cater to a wide range of hunters — whether they’re sitting in a treestand, or packing miles into the backcountry.
How to Choose a Hunting Sock
Up above we’ve laid out quite a few options for hunting socks. And aside from our top picks, there are a ton of options out there for you to choose from. So, how do you go about choosing the right hunting sock for you? We’ve got you covered. Once you’ve dialed in your sock game, consider taking a look at our guide to the top hunting boots.
Time of Year
The first thing that needs to be established is what time of year you’re planning on hunting the most. Choose a sock that fits the demands of most of your hunts. Obviously, the early season is going to be warmer than the late season. Don’t be the guy hunting with a late-season sock when it’s 80 degrees out. That’s a recipe for a bad time.
So, why not just use a midweight sock for everything to hit all of the marks? You can absolutely do that, just know that it’s a give and take. You’ll give up warmth in the late season or you’ll give up breathability in the early season. Of course, there are tricks to get by like airing your feet out often when it’s hot or starting a fire to warm the toes when it’s cold.
Style of Hunting
Another factor in choosing the right hunting sock for you is your style of hunting. Some hunters are more active and they prefer to stay mobile. And when you’re more mobile, you’re naturally going to sweat more. At the same time, the more methodical hunter that plays the waiting game more often than not has different needs. They aren’t going to sweat as much and will require more insulation depending on the time of year.
For the active hunter a lightweight hunting sock is going to be best. This is going to not only wick moisture away, but because it’s thinner it will be more breathable and dry faster. Even when it’s cold out, if I’m moving on a regular basis, I don’t need a super thick sock to stay warm. In fact, having too thick of a sock could cause more harm than good because you’ll sweat more. Wet equals cold. You want to keep your feet dry and warm.
For more stationary hunters, sock choice is going to be temperature dependant. In the early season, a lightweight sock will be just fine. However, when it gets cold, this is where the gap increases between the active and stationary hunters. In these cases, lean on the mid-heavyweight side. When you’re not moving as much, you’ll require more insulation simply due to the fact that you’re radiating less heat.
Test Before Your Hunt
This is not a cookie-cutter process. The hunting sock that your buddy loves might not do right by you. I’ve had that happen in the past. Maybe you just don’t like where a certain seam or reinforcement zone is on a sock, thus decreasing the comfort level.
With that said, test your socks before heading out on a hunting trip — even if that’s just wearing them around the house for a day. You won’t know if they’re going to work unless you try. And you don’t want to find out they don’t while out on a hunt.
We strongly suggest merino wool socks for hunting. Merino wool is fantastic at wicking moisture, retaining insulation when wet, preventing odor, and regulating body temperature. It covers the gamut of what hunters need out of a sock.
Our top pick for late-season hunting is the Zero Cold Weather OTC from First Lite. The socks you need for hunting in cold weather ultimately depend on your hunting style.
We don’t recommend layering socks for hunting unless we’re talking about adding a sock liner underneath your regular hunting sock. Wearing too many socks is not only uncomfortable, but it also poses a risk of excessive sweating. Sweating will lead to cold feet.
We strongly recommend the Farm to Feet Ely for hot-weather hunting. This is a lightweight, breathable sock that will wick away moisture and dry quickly.
Sweaty feet are cold feet. If your feet get sweaty, we recommend drying them out — as well as your boots and socks. Starting a fire will help achieve this. If your feet are getting sweaty too often, you might want to try thinner socks, especially if you are hiking a lot. The best way of dealing with sweat is to prevent it in the first place.
The Best Hunting Boots for Men of 2024
Whether you’re hunting moose in the Yukon or wing-shooting pheasants in South Dakota, we’ve rounded up the best hunting boots of the year.
The Best Women’s Hunting Boots of 2023
From the best elk hunting boots to the warmest boots for the treestand, you’re bound to find something in our list of the best hunting boots for women.
