This spring I noticed that my feet get very wet during long walks in the city. Perhaps it has something to do with being 36. I found out that cotton is a terrible material for socks. It absorbs moisture and becomes abrasive. Furthermore, cotton socks get destroyed from constant washing. I kinda thought that this is an inevitable fact of life, but then I discovered synthetic fibers.

Synthetic fibers, such as polyamide do not absorb moisture, because they are hydrophobic. Instead of trapping moisture inside the fiber they allow it to evaporate.

This is why all socks that are designed for running will have synthetic fibers in them. A good example of a high quality running sock is the Falke Ru4. It uses a blend of polypropylene, polyamide, polyester and elastane to achieve maximum moisture wicking.

Another great sock is one from Darn Tough. It's a merino wool / synthetic blend. Merino is used very often in hiking socks, because of its high breathability, but it's not a very durable material. The thing about Darn Tough though is that their socks are near indestructuble. They offer a lifetime warranty and will send you a new pair no questions asked, if you manage to wear one out. They are like 30 bucks a pair.

Living in Germany I have grown an appreciation for Decathlon, the store. They have a selection of in house brands, which are surprisingly good. One of those is kiprun. They produce good enough running socks at a much lower price. A 2 pack of their R500 thins is like 6 euros, which is a steal.