The Best Socks for Every Situation, Style, and Budget
What are the best socks for men? That really all depends. Are you looking to keep your feet dry in swampy heat, or keep your feet warm in cold weather? Do
you need extra arch support, or a reinforced heel and toe? Athletic socks or dress socks? Crew socks or ankle socks? Supima cotton or merino wool?
Maybe you’ve got specific answers to those questions, or maybe you need all of the above. Either way, we’ve rounded up the eight essential types of men's socks you'll want to reacquaint yourself with once you start wearing shoes that aren't slippers. (Which, to be clear, should be now.) From weighty hiking socks to moisture-wicking performance socks, here are the 24 best socks for men for every situation, style, and budget.
The All-Purpose Half-Calf
If you're looking to overhaul your sock drawer from the ground up with the most useful, versatile pairs around, these are the ones to stock up on first.
The Swoosh's signature crew has ribbing to mimic a dress sock, but enough cushioning to keep you comfortable through four hours of open-bar-fueled bad dance moves with nary a blister in sight. And though it’s thin enough to slide into sleeker shoes—your loafers or oxfords—it’s thick enough to keep your toes warm should your fancy footwear carry you to freezing locales.
A thousand podcasters can't be wrong: Bombas socks really are as good as advertised. They're comfortable, cushion-y, and come in every color, pattern, length, and weight known to man. Start with these crayon-hued half-calfs.
Gold Toe cotton crew 656s athletic socks (6 pairs)
Those white tube socks your dad used to wear with sandals while operating the grill every weekend? They're now the hottest accessory on the runway at Paris Fashion Week and onstage at every music festival. Thankfully, that sudden jump in status hasn't affected its affordability whatsoever.
Ribbed, solid-hued dress socks are still the very best way to fill in the gap between the cuff of your suit trousers and the tops of your oxfords.
Uniqlo color socks
Want to experiment a little with your socks? Start with Uniqlo. Their ribbed dress socks are shockingly high quality (tightly woven, comfortably padded, super-saturated in color) for a low, low price. Plus, they come in nearly every hue you can imagine. Get teal! And eggplant! Neon pink? They'll look good against gray or navy pants! If a color isn't working, you're only out a few bucks.
Pantherella's cotton socks made this list because they're knit from Egyptian yarn with a bit of nylon (it's a 70/30 blend, if you want to get specific). The cotton's soft but strong, while the nylon delivers stretch and grip. Fabric weights and finishes are something the company is obsessed with at their Leicester, England, factory (the site of the brand's sock production for the past 80 years). Beyond that, they've got a not-too-thin, not-too-wide rib, which keep the socks from drooping down around your ankle; come in a lineup of rich, saturated shades that would make Crayola jealous; and currently clock in a perfectly respectable $13 a pop.
Got the kind of feet where people start leaving the room before you've even finished untying your laces? American Trench's signature socks will help. There's anti-microbial silver knit directly into heel and toe to ward off odors at the source, and the breathable merino wool that comprises the rest will keep your dogs toasty and moisture-free.
Sleepaway camp: good for making lifelong friends, learning practical survival skills, and developing excellent taste in thick, nappy socks.
Hikerdelic smoothie socks
Manchester's Hikerdelic makes their lightweight raggs in weirdo colors befitting their trippy '60s branding: acidic lemon yellows, deep purples, and wild combinations like this one.
Thunders Love "Charlie" color-block melange cotton-blend socks (was $28, now 30% off)
Slubbily knit on vintage machines from recycled materials, Thunders Love's socks are the kind you'll want to wear with sandals to expose as much of them to the world as possible.
If you—like Jonah Hill, Kerwin Frost, and Prada—have chosen to ride hard for the Three Stripes these last few years, you'll need the appropriate socks to pair with all your new Sambas, Gazelles, and Superstars.
An ideal pairing of old school good looks and new school eco-friendlier production methods. These guys are breathable, comfortable, and ready to be pulled up with all manner of short-shorts this summer.
Tabio has only been in the U.S. for a little over a year, but they’ve been a go-to socksmith in Japan for half a decade. We enlisted 'em to design an exclusive pair of socks for our Best Stuff Boxlast summer—that pair has long since sold out, but these perfectly retro guys are just what the doctor ordered.
Even if you aren't a full-blown, hemp-wearing flower child, you still need at least one pair of vibey tie-dye socks in the rotation.
Mr P. ribbed tie-dyed striped cotton-blend socks
Your stuffiest striped socks, if your stuffiest striped socks chugged a whole lot of ayahuasca, decamped to Joshua Tree, and came back sick and tired of the corporate grind.
Like flying first class or eating dry-aged wagyu, wearing cashmere socks is one of those completely unnecessary luxuries you need to experience at least once in your life.
The #menswear-era heyday of going sockless is long behind us, but as our guy John Cho once proved at the Oscars, there's still a time and place for flashing some ankle. Here's how to do it without swamping up your brogues.
Bombas cushioned no show socks (4-pack)
Bombas has mastered the low cut, no-show sock, adding to it a honeycomb compression ring over the center of the foot, a Y-stitched heel, and footbed padding, all in Peruvian cotton. The results are spectacular.
The build-your-own six pack box from Nice Laundry is a great way to replenish your summer sock options all at once. Plus, they’re made from three-way stretch fabric and have a heel grip so no matter how sweaty your feet get, they'll still hang on for dear life.
Mack Weldon, a newish brand known for its mastery of menswear basics, has made a well-cut, no-fuss version of the no-show loafer liner. Each comes with two versions, and there are numerous colors and patterns to choose from on their website.
