Your socks are some of the most worn and washed items in your wardrobe. As such, make sure to routinely invest in versatile, durable pairs. Crew ones are my recommendation, as they rise high enough to cover the space between your pant's hem and the uppers on your boots, sneakers or loafers. Plus, plenty of crew socks come with elasticated cuffs and arches, meaning they won't slide down or lose their shape after a few washes.
Socks do eventually diminish, though. It's inevitable. Explore a range of hard-wearing materials and choose colors that complement your pre-existing wardrobe. And make it a habit to buy a new pair every so often so your sock drawer stays fresh.
If you're buying better socks, though — see our case for pricier ones below — you can just buy a pair at a time in an effort to keep to a "one in, one out" rule. (Otherwise, your sock drawer will overflow — and fast).
Buy Singles, Not Bulk
If you see socks in packs, that means the brand made a lot of them. Higher volume means factories can produce more of the same product without having to switch out materials and patterns to make different products for different brands, saving the factories time and money. The higher quantity also implies, in most cases, they used cheaper materials. In this case, that means lower-grade cotton blended with a higher percentage of synthetic materials: aka stretch.
Lesser-quality cotton has shorter staples (essentially, a staple is a length of fiber). The shorter the staple, the weaker the fiber, the easier it is to fall apart in a weave or a knit. As for synthetics, most socks will need some kind of nylon or elastane for durability and stretch — these man-made materials are also cheaper to produce than natural fibers.
Price
While the price point for a pair of quality socks will vary, a good pair of socks will likely cost you well over $10 a pair. But you'll own them longer, and a higher up-front investment makes you more inclined to repair a ripped sock down the road.
Our tester tried a number of socks, wearing them with sneakers, sandals, boots and beyond, assessing how they felt, whether they stayed up and how they fared after a few washes.
There are endless options out there, but these are the ones we can stand by, thanks to countless days in each iteration.
To learn more about our testing methodology and how we evaluate products, head here.
