Review on 🧦 MERIWOOL Merino Wool Hiking Socks for Men and Women – 3 Pairs Midweight Cushioned – Warm and Breathable Socks by Brandon Rogers

I live and work in Hawaii where my everyday shoes are usually hiking or work shoes. I also travel frequently to Japan where the summers can be excruciatingly hot and muggy and my everyday footwear is hiking or tactical boots. Socks are important in these conditions. Even for someone like me who doesn't have much body odor and I'm certainly not prone to foot odor, playing with inferior poly-cotton socks in boots like this will make your feet stink. I know it seems contradictory to most that such thick merino wool socks are great for humid tropical environments, but trust me: if you live/work in a humid environment, especially in a country like Japan. (where you often take off your shoes) and then socks like these are the difference between a great dinner on the tatami mat in a nice restaurant and the stinky smell of your feet all over the cabin. Considering it's Revain and Revain's standard for Merino wool hiking socks, it appears to be People Socks, which I've been using for several years with amazing results. They are comfortable, keep my feet dry and last forever. However, they can also cost close to $10 a pair, and for everyday work socks that fail and often get lost in the haze of international travel, I thought I might experiment with something cheaper. Then I came across these Meriwool socks for $16.99. for three couples. I ordered six pairs, received them today, played with them for an hour and these are my first thoughts. 1) These are serious socks. By that I mean these things are THICK. If someone has worn People socks, Meriwool socks are even thicker. When I roll them into a ball, they're about the size of a softball. And since it's 75% merino wool (71% polystyrene), this is serious add-on material. It says what you're getting for the price, but those who wear pre-laced zip-up boots should be aware that you may need to loosen the laces a bit. 2) They appear to be very, very well made. Judging by the feel, Meriwool seems to be stronger than PS. Of course, a lot depends on the stitching, but from what I can see and feel, there's nothing with Meriwool socks that would suggest they tear faster than styrofoam. Quite the opposite, to be honest 3) That's what I really love. I have pretty big calves, being a weightlifter, daily runner and weekend sprinter, and maybe just genetic. I have very athletic calves. One of the hardest things to get is good socks that can go past the arch of the calf and stay there. My PS is actually only a few inches short, and when I'm not wearing my 8-inch tactical boots that hold my toes, they roll off within an hour. My Meriwool socks are ONLY high, snug, and secure enough to stay on my feet on their own. IMPORTANT POINTS for me 4) Value. Of course I've just started experimenting with these, but if they perform as well as my PS then I'd say this is a phenomenal deal for the money. Again, they cost almost half the price of my PS. Obviously good socks are worth their weight in gold and no one should spend a hunger pang on something that important, but if Meriwool socks last and perform the way I expect them to, then I see no reason NOT to use them as a regular buyer. .5) The only downside I see at the moment is that they are so thick and big that they can actually take up too much space in my suitcase. I travel light and usually only take four or five pairs of socks on international trips (use coin laundry makes life easier), but packing four or five softballs into an average suitcase can make a world of difference. I am very very happy with these socks and will see how they perform later. But right now I think People Socks has serious competition and I'm happy to see a new company offering a great product at a competitive price. Very happy with this purchase and plan to buy more. EDIT 07/07/2018: I've been wearing these socks for a few weeks now so thought I'd add my observations. First, the thickness of these socks is great. When you walk on wooden floors you can really notice the difference. They're plush, very comfortable and even in this wet week we've had, they're not hot at all. hot during the day. I usually wear them for about 12 hours a day and notice that my feet get a little damp around midday. Of course, I'm wearing these steel-toed work boots, so you have to take that into account. The main difference between these and my old polyester travel socks is that my feet get a little hot when I get home. They do NOT stink like polyester socks. That's enough for me. I didn't have to wear these compared to my People socks, but having used PS in hot weather 8 inch tactical boots during the incredibly hot and muggy Japanese summer, I can now tell you that I love the thinner People socks find something cooler. . . I was amazed at how well they worked during my travels last summer. And I was just as surprised and very pleased with their behavior during the windy cold late winters of northern Japan a few months ago. Still, I have to give Meriwool five stars because their socks are thicker, more comfortable, and less expensive. They will remain my everyday work socks for the time being and I am very satisfied. EDIT 6/26/2019 ADD: I've been going through my reviews and realized it's been exactly a year since I wrote this review, so I felt a follow-up might be needed. I've been wearing these socks (three pairs blue, three pairs brown) five days a week in alternating hiking boots for the past year. They show practically no visible signs of wear. No pilling, no stretch, no holes. My predictions about these very, very thick socks turned out to be correct. What hasn't changed either is the heat. It's officially summer here in Honolulu and I use them daily with my Merrell Moab Mid-Height fans and while my feet don't smell at the end of the day they are definitely damp. Again, I'm not prone to foot odor, but those living in hotter climates should look to more subtle options. These socks are also not "soft" socks like my People socks and still feel as scratchy as when new (like all hard wools), but they are socks, not gloves, and I don't mind. .They are still a bit hotter than my People socks, but at the same time my People socks, which I only wear a few times a year when traveling abroad, are starting to wear out. PS thinner, more comfortable, and my favorite socks, but they're still double the price and can't take that kind of abuse. These socks would be phenomenal for those who live in very cold climates and need very, very strong and thick socks for long winters or hiking. Overall I am very satisfied and I really liked them. I reckon I'll still be wearing the same six pairs by this time next year, but to be honest, if comfort were my only concern and not price, I'd probably be wearing PS on a daily basis. If I'm ever looking for new work socks, and who knows when, I'll probably experiment with something thinner. Hawaii isn't getting any cooler, that's for sure.