Regarding Cool Max Socks

[gogiant]

I went to Target today and bought some Cool Max Socks. My question is are there different kinds of Cool Max Socks or will anyone due? I ask this because when I bought a pair for my husband his were very light, labeled "allpro" 50% Coolmax.48% Nylon/Nilon and 2% spandex. The ladies pair I bought for myself were called women's running shell socks, and were made of 33% Coolmax, 33% cotton, 32% poly, and 2% spandex. It did not mention anything about keeping feet dry but it felt thin enough to wear with another sock. They had another pair of socks that I think was from Danskin and it mentioned something about keeping feet dry but they were very thick and I can't see putting on another pair of socks over them...my sneakers won't fit. Did I buy the right socks?

 

[Safari Steve]

This, imo is a moot point...
Coolmax (and similar fabrics) is a very neat product. The fibers wick moisture from your body to the outside of the fabric, where the moisture is more easily evaporated, thereby keeping you cool. In any normal temporate environment with a moderate-to-low humidity level, this works fine, but when the humidity is high, like here in Sunny Central Florida, there's really nowhere for the moisture to go, and you end up with clothes that stick to your body, making air circulation inside the garment impossible.
For socks, this might not be awful, as all socks basically stick to your sweaty foot, but when you have a shirt or pants made of coolmax, it's not much better than a poly-cotton blend.

Go with socks of a thickness that you find comfortable. If you can find coolmax socks for your husband that aren't too thin, use them, but if the look/feel is better with plain-ol socks, buy some of those. For the amount of walking that you'll be doing on your trip, it might be a good idea to find some socks with built-in support, like Sof-Sole. They are made with different knits arranged in a way to hold your foot ergonomically... better than any insole I've tried.

 

[NotUrsula]

If you have a Marshall's or TJMaxx in your area, you may be able to get Thorlos for around that same price, and those are probably best of all. However, they are quite thick, and may cause already-snug shoes to fit too tightly.

 

[gogiant]

Just to clarify, these Thorlos are to be worn with another pair of socks? Thanks!

 

[DizBelle]

My favorite socks for WDW trekking are keds with coolmax socks that I get at Mervyn's. They come in quarter crew and crew length. They are soft and cushy without being too thick. This cushy-ness will help minimize the chance of blisters as the fibers of the sock rub against each other instead of your foot.

 

[alliecats]

I just got back from a week at the World. I wore the coolmax socks from Target you described every day at the parks. My feet were dry and comfy all day. I did not wear socks on top of them. I can't praise them enough!

 

[manchurianbrownbear]

I'm pretty sure I've both of the socks you've described.

First, I personally wouldn't wear another pair of socks over them.

Which type are most comfortable really depends on which shoes you are wearing and you're personal preference.

I like the really thin socks, but you can really feel the inside of shoe, so make sure you have a comfortable pair!

The thin cool max socks from Target never last very long for me. I wear them running and put quite few miles on them, but I wear through the toes pretty quickly.

The thicker Target cool max socks are more durable, but just thicker than what I find comfortable.

 

[Zurg]

I am a big fan of cool max.

I have used coolmax sox at WDW and they were a big help over the cotton I used before. I used utramax sox I got from REI. Made for hiking.

I have had issues with bilsters at WDW. (Where do you think the idea for badshoe came from anyway.) The environment is as tough as any trail the hikers and backpacker walk, hard & hot. Good shoes and sox are key.

I got some of the running cool max sox from Target and some duraspun (another brand like cool max) to test for the next trip.

So far both the target sox are holding up in hazy hot and humid south east PA very well. No significat differance between the sox in keeping feet dryier than cotton does.

Wear the shoes & sox for a while before going to WDW and be sure the shoes are broken in and the sox comfortable.!

 

[NotUrsula]

No, you certainly wouldn't want to wear a 2nd pr. with Thorlos, they are over 1/8 inch thick as it is; your shoes would never fit.

 

[Safari Steve]

It seems the socks have ringing endorsements. I was speaking from experience with coolmax shirts and pants which did not work very well at all in the high summer humidity. Are the socks supportive as well? I might look into some if so, otherwise I'll stick to my non-coolmax sof-soles.