Ladies Thermal Socks
An article about ladies thermal socks may not be at the top of the list of fashion magazine cover stories… but for any woman who has dealt with the misery of frozen toes and aching cold feet, you’ll understand that sometimes fashion must take a back seat to function.
Whether you’re outdoors working on the job, enjoying the great outdoors hiking, skiing or snowshoeing, or if you just want to want to keep your feet nice and cozy warm around the house during the winter, a good quality pair of ladies thermal socks will be one of the best (small) investments you’ve ever made. And trust me, you’re feet will thank you for it all winter long.
Frozen toes and feet has got to be one of the most uncomfortable and easily avoidable situations that women (and men and kids) experience during the chilly months of winter. One of the most common mistakes people make is thinking that slipping on a basic pair of cotton tube socks is going to do the trick to keep their feet warm. The truth of the matter is that thermal socks, while slightly more expensive than your basic cotton athletic sock, truly is an engineering marvel. Thermal clothing is made from several different materials, one being 100% natural merino wool, and the other a synthetic material (or synthetic blend).
The thing is, this is not just some kind of marketing hype to get you to purchase some new kind of specialized sock… they really do keep your feet warmer, drier, and overall much more happy than any non-specialized sock ever could. And when it comes to really frigid weather, proper gear goes beyond just comfort. It also protects you from serious conditions such as frostbite or hypothermia.
You see, one of the two main functions of thermal clothing, whether we’re talking about socks, shirts or longjohns, is the fact that they are designed to trap a layer of air close to your body. The air will warm up to your body temperature and give you a nice, insulating layer to help keep you cozy.
The next critical component of any good thermal material is its ability to wake moisture away from your body and towards the surface of the garment where it can easily evaporate. I’m sure it makes sense to you to imagine the difference between having moisture on your skin when you’re out in the cold as compared to keeping your skin nice and dry. The comfort level between these two scenarios is beyond night and day. Perspiration that remains on your skin will make you feel cold and clammy. For your feet, or creating a perfect environment for fungus to grow. Yuck!
As far as natural materials go, wool not only works as a great wicking component, but it is also antimicrobial. This means that it’s not as likely get stinky as your old cotton sweat socks. However, some people have a dislike for wool because they think it’s going to be very itchy. There’s good news in that department as well; merino wool is one of the warmest, softest and completely non-itchy wools you can find, and you’ll find many thermal socks that offer lots of cushion comfort (especially in the heavier weight versions), for women, men and children made from this high quality wool product.
Another option you might consider is Angora. Angora comes from rabbits and is also very adept at wicking moister from the skin of is very, very soft (as I’m sure you can imagine) and will keep your feet very well insulated and toasty warm from the cold (Angora is a great material for baby thermal clothes, though anyone at any age will appreciate how soft it is) . One of the additional benefits of a material that wicks moisture extremely well is that it’s just as beneficial during the summer time when your feet sweat a lot as it is during the winter.
You can also find good quality thermal socks made from synthetic fibers such as polyester or polypropylene. Some of these synthetic fibers actually have branded, trademarked names that you could keep your eyes out for. One of them is CoolMax. SmartWool is a branded 100% merino wool you might want to look at. Which ever option you choose for your thermal apparel, rest assured that they both offer good stretch characteristics and are both machine washable for easy care.
Finding the specialized socks make sure you keep your feet comfortable in the cold weather is not as difficult as you might think. Many outdoor stores will carry a variety of them, from ankle socks for running or cycling to heavy weight hiking socks. Or, if you prefer to shop online, Amazon will always offer a wide variety of choices and great deals on prices. You can probably expect to pay somewhere in the range of $10-$15 for a good pair of ladies thermal socks (maybe a bit more, maybe a bit less if you have a coupon).
Another benefit of shopping with Amazon is that they have great customer service reputation if you need to return something, and will often offer free shipping.
For those hard-core fashionistas out there, don’t worry… you can find some pretty fashionable knee high and thigh high thermal socks to wear in an assortment of colors (including pink). Whether they’re for you or you plan to buy them as a gift for someone else, and regardless if you’re wearing them under your sexy leather boots or your hiking boots, or even your every day shoes, or if you just want something comfy enough for lounging, you’re sure to find the ladies thermal socks that will keep out the icy winter chill and keep you feet and toes cozy and happy all winter long.