Smartwool Trekking Heavy Crew Socks

A thick boot filling sock makes for a comfortable fit inside any boot that can accommodate their bulk. Even wet provides a great cushiony feel.

The Trekking Heavy Crew Socks were purchased in hopes they would fill the extra room in the toe box of my Keen Erickson PCTs and they worked out great. I had owned other Smartwool socks before, but none so thick as this.

These are very thick socks, labeled as 78% wool, 21% nylon, 1% Elastine. The XL are sized for 12-14.5 US Men's which appears valid as they are a bit loose on my usual size 12 feet. Rather bulky they are probably better suited to boots than a trail running shoe.

These socks have been put through their paces for an entire year of four season use and numerous washings.  There has been some loss of shape and some pilling in the foot area. There have been no holes, snags or other wear issues in either pair I have used over this time period.

I spent a lot of time in wet boots last year and give these socks a lot of credit for my feet not suffering more.  I was quite impressed with how they retained their foot protecting bulk even with a boot full of water. They do not dry very quickly on trail but since they performed so well wet I didn't mind putting them back on for another day if I expected it to be wet again.

In dry conditions they were a bit on the warm side, but being so thick they seemed to still keep my feet from feeling wet with sweat. When boots were removed the sock would feel lightly moist to the touch but never sweat soaked. That warmth also makes them great sleep socks in cooler weather and I use them as my top sock for Winter sleeping under my three season quilt with good result.

All in all I would say these are excellent socks but very application specific. Their bulk is a feature I was looking for and I was pleased to find the Smartwool Trekking Heavy Crew Socks performed well in that regard.  After hundreds of miles of use in challenging conditions they are still fully functional.

They are showing some wear as seen in the pictures below. Some of that I attribute to the conditions I use them in and some may be due to improper washing since I won't let my wife do my trail laundry.

I feel I have gotten value for my dollars as far as these socks go. Smartwool socks are not cheap, but they are functional.  I will continue to keep some of these Trekking socks as well as other styles in my quiver.

Some loss of shape in foot area but upper portion remains solid.

Close up of pilling which is especially visible in the shadow.