Saturday, November 19, 2005

Socks: SmartWool vs Bridgedale

Comparison of three hiking socks

Smartwool socks

Smartwool socks seem to be universally endorsed among experienced winter cyclists. The New Zealand merino wool used in Smartwool socks is extremely comfy, the socks are reasonably priced and the company is based here in Colorado.

I own several pairs of Smartwool socks and I also recommended Smartwool socks enthusiastically. In the summer, I hike and climb mountains wearing these socks. In the winter, I hike, snowshoe, and ride my bike in these Smartwool hiking socks.

The two bottom photos to the left shows two pairs of my Smartwool hiking socks after two years of this use.

Bridgedale socks

Eventually, I asked the local hiking shop for socks that won't fall apart on me. They recommended Bridgedale Socks. I bought the Trekker from them, a midweight sock similar to my Smartwool socks made of merino wool designed for trail running, hiking and backpacking. After two years of use, my Bridgedale socks have held up significantly better than my Smartwool socks. There is no hint of sagging in the cuffs. The socks fit my feet better, meaning there don't blister like I do with the Smartwool socks on my peak bagging runs (the discolored areas on the Smartwool socks are blood stains).

Because they're made of the same Merino wool as Smartwools, the fabric is just as comfortable. The Bridgedale's are a little bit pricier but the construction and quality are significantly better.

The top photo shows a Bridgedale Trekker sock after two years of use similar to what I've done with the Smartwool socks. There's absolutely no thinning and the sock fits just as perfectly as when I first bought them.

I currently own two pair of Bridgedale Trekker socks and I'll buy more in the near future. I now enthusiastically recommend Bridgedales to anyone who asks.

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6 comments:

  1. bikefridaywalterNovember 20, 2005 at 10:07 AM

    my vote: wigwam ultmax.. they're not wool but they act a lot like it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yokota FritzNovember 20, 2005 at 1:26 PM

    I have some Wigwam socks also, though not the Ultimax.

    ReplyDelete
  3. bikefridaywalterNovember 20, 2005 at 7:08 PM

    yeah they're very similar although the ultmax are a little thinner while retaining all the same qualities of the super-warm and cushy wool ones.

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousNovember 21, 2005 at 8:39 AM

    I don't know--from the picture I think that the problem might be that this person has two right feet. I doubt that Smartwool socks are designed for being worn by mutants.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Yokota FritzNovember 21, 2005 at 8:46 AM

    Those are actually THREE right feet that you see in the image. The Bridgedales seem to work fine on my mutant feet.

    Speaking of mutant feet, here's the archive of an old website of mine.

    ReplyDelete
  6. jonOctober 19, 2006 at 7:10 PM

    i wear both. smartwool liner sock, bridgedale outer. works like a charm.

    ReplyDelete

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