Women's Cotton Socks - hard to find now

[Pea-n-Me]

Does anyone know a good place to buy 100% cotton women's socks in different colors, and not too thick? I used to be able to buy them in places like WalMart and Target, but now they all seem to have nylon and/or spandex in them, and I don't like those. (Nylon socks make my feet slip around in my shoes. Hate that. They also cause odor when feet can't breathe, IME.) Online would be perfect if anyone knows somewhere to find these. Thanks in advance!

 

[lucky978]

I buy gold toe brand socks at Khols. I think they are also sold at other stores as well.
They don't come in many colors but for me they are the best (given the same reasons you list in your post).

 

[Imzadi]

Oh, yes! I'm looking for ones in all black. I know that is a hard color to get as most cotton black socks just fade in the wash. But, I went to Walmart & Kmart & all they have in both womens and the largest size boys/teens crew socks are some polyester mix which just are NOT soft, but very rough on the feet.Those brands were Hanes & Fruit of the Loom. I was shocked that their socks were so disappointing.

I don't mind a cotton/spandex blend in all black, but they have to be cushy & SOFT and yes, breathable. And they have to be of medium weight, not the thin dress socks that are more like hose, and not too thick, like athletic socks. If anyone has any brand suggestions, please tell me!

 

[Happy Snowman]

I buy gold toe brand socks at Khols. I think they are also sold at other stores as well.
They don't come in many colors but for me they are the best (given the same reasons you list in your post).

Gold toe have lycra or something in them now. I used to LOVE Gold Toe but they just aren't the same.

The only place I've seen 100% cotton socks in colors--and it's been a few years--was Lands End.

 

[JanaDee]

I buy gold toe brand socks at Khols. I think they are also sold at other stores as well.
They don't come in many colors but for me they are the best (given the same reasons you list in your post).

Gold Toe aren't all cotton.

 

[JanaDee]

Pea, I found these on Amazon, though I'm not sure what style you're looking for.

http://www.amazon.com/Buster-Brown-100-Cotton-Socks/dp/B0000X5EJO

 

[cabanafrau]

I've been on the same quest for several years now. A couple years ago I found some very nice socks at Nordstrom's Rack that are made with bamboo fiber and I've really liked them. They came in navy, black and brown.

 

[Eliza32]

Bamboo is good. I'm in the UK, so don't know if you guys can get Pringle???? (socks, not chips!!)

 

[Imzadi]

I've been on the same quest for several years now. A couple years ago I found some very nice socks at Nordstrom's Rack that are made with bamboo fiber and I've really liked them. They came in navy, black and brown.

Bamboo is good. I'm in the UK, so don't know if you guys can get Pringle???? (socks, not chips!!)

How is the bamboo on longevity? I saw bamboo socks at Walmart. They were pretty soft, but as a fiber, I wasn't sure if they'd be sturdy or wear out a lot faster than cotton.

 

[bcla]

There's very little out there without at least an elastic. All cotton will be misshapen in short order. Without an elastic it's going to bunch up once it starts losing its shape.

Also - 100% cotton has some serious issues - especially in hot weather. Once it gets wet it take a long time to dry. Most socks these days have some amount of nylon and/or polyester to help with "moisture control". To take care of odor, they often use antimicrobial silver. Now there is a concern that it's toxic to fish and that it leaches into streams, but that's another discussion.

If I'm going hiking for long distances, I'll generally wear polyester, wool, or non-cotton blend socks. A lot of runners do the same. Wet cotton chafes like crazy and can lead to blisters. I'll also wear a thin non-cotton liner which reduces friction.

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/11517096/ns/health-fitness/t/want-avoid-blisters-try-some-new-socks/

ST. LOUIS — Sweaty socks made from 100 percent cotton are the worst when it comes to causing nagging blisters, a study found.

But doctors say there’s no reason to get your cotton socks in a bunch, unless your feet are regularly active and you are prone to blisters. The study results are mostly useful to athletes, diabetics with circulation problems and people who wear prosthetics.

Biological engineering students at the University of Missouri-Columbia tested 10 popular brands of athletic socks and separated the good from the bad with a device that measured moisture and friction, which causes blisters.

All-cotton socks are most likely to cause blisters on sweaty feet, according to research data, while nylon socks performed the best. Socks that were a cotton-synthetic blend scored somewhere between the two.

http://www.aapsm.org/socknov97.html

Natural fibers (cotton-wool) when laden with moisture, compress more easily than synthetic fibers (acrylic, CoolMax®). Thus, cotton and wool socks have a higher resistance to sweat transport of wicking. When wet, acrylic fibers swell less than 5% while cotton swells 45% and wool swells 35%. Swollen fibers that are compressed reduce air spaces and thus reduce moisture transport. Thus, cotton socks exhibit a 2.4 times higher resistance to moisture transport.

 

[Eliza32]

I would say my bamboo socks last as well if not better than my old cotton ones.

 

[Lilliputian]

100% cotton socks are a hard to find and hard to wear. One of my children was sensitive to all non-natural fibers when he was little, and I had to find all-cotton socks for him. They were expensive and stretched out of shape easily. Plus they came in about 5 million sizes instead of fitting a large range of feet. (That part isn't as bad if you're full grown. It's a pain in the neck for a toddler who's growing fast.)

People used to always give me socks that had a picture of cotton on the package, thinking they were doing something wonderful, but the socks were never all cotton. They had some cotton in them along with other fabrics with better stretch and recovery. If you're buying all cotton socks, you know it by the price and by the way they wear.

If you do really want socks that only have cotton, there are some made for runners and hikers (but those are being phased out by better high tech wicking materials, I believe), some sold for diabetics, and some sold for people with eczema. You'll need to search specialty shops online or consider going to a medical equipment store in your area. Those places that sell wheelchairs and things like that will probably have them, but your color choices will be limited. REI would be another place to check.

 

[aejammers]

Vermont Country Store. Whenever there's a hard to find item, I always check here first.

These are 100% cotton, but have elastic in the cuff.

http://www.vermontcountrystore.com/..._Cotton_Athletic_Socks_-Set_of_2_Pairs-/H3890

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Thank you for your responses. I will check them out!

The Buster Brown ones look good. I hadn't seen them on either Amazon or VCS.

If/when I get some I will report back how they are, if they keep their shape, etc.

 

[bcla]

REI would be another place to check.

Not REI. Pretty much everything they sell is synthetic, wool, or a blend of synthetics and wool fibers. I found a single model of women's socks (a 70/30% cotton/nylon blend) on their website that has any cotton at all.

http://www.rei.com/product/880190/wigwam-breeze-socks-womens-2014-closeout#tab-specs

I wear cotton nylon socks on a daily basis, but for any kind of serious physical activity I've got wool or synthetic socks.

Also - the work "breathability" is tossed around without any kind of definition. Modern microfiber synthetics are actually plenty breathable relative to similar weight cotton. Some of the clothes I have, one would be hard-pressed to tell they were polyester except after sweating in them and finding how fast they dry. Wet cotton doesn't breathe.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

There's very little out there without at least an elastic. All cotton will be misshapen in short order. Without an elastic it's going to bunch up once it starts losing its shape.

Also - 100% cotton has some serious issues - especially in hot weather. Once it gets wet it take a long time to dry. Most socks these days have some amount of nylon and/or polyester to help with "moisture control". To take care of odor, they often use antimicrobial silver. Now there is a concern that it's toxic to fish and that it leaches into streams, but that's another discussion.

If I'm going hiking for long distances, I'll generally wear polyester, wool, or non-cotton blend socks. A lot of runners do the same. Wet cotton chafes like crazy and can lead to blisters. I'll also wear a thin non-cotton liner which reduces friction.

Thanks, it is food for thought. I've always worn all cotton and never had a problem with wetness or blistering before (or them becoming misshapen), but unfortunately my supply is dwindling. (And my DD steals them sometimes! I bought her some she wanted that are the "new type" and the smell is atrocious - I'll be throwing them out as I don't want that smell somehow getting in my supply! Same thing happened when I bought some for DS!) I work 12 hr shifts on my feet and with this movement in my shoe it's making one area on my foot uncomfortable and that could become a big problem for me, so I just want to get back to what I know works for me. Just frustrated I can't find them as easily anymore.

Sort of glad to see it's not just me not liking this trend!

 

[Imzadi]

If I'm going hiking for long distances, I'll generally wear polyester, wool, or non-cotton blend socks. A lot of runners do the same. Wet cotton chafes like crazy and can lead to blisters. I'll also wear a thin non-cotton liner which reduces friction.

Interesting articles. Thanks. When I looked at the Hanes & Fruit of the Loom, and I ran my hand across the soles, the thing I was concerned about was the chafing & friction. Living in a concrete jungle and literally wearing out a pair of sneakers every 4 months from all the walking, I worry a lot about the chafing & friction. In a bad pair of shoes or socks, walking 3 blocks can seem like a painful 10. And it just gets worse throughout a long day.

Both brands seemed to have quite a "nubby" texture to them. From the articles you quoted, it seems those "nubs" were there for cushioning, while having air spaces in between the nubs to wick away the moisture.

 

[kirstenb1]

If you're near the outlets, both Nike and Adidas have them.