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A good pair of socks is something to behold. Once you go to wool socks, you will never be happy with cotton socks again. This is my favorite brand.

The smartwools are my number 1 choice for socks for a number of reasons. In terms of design these are the best and I will show you why.

Material

These are mostly wool with elastic around the ankle. The wool is amazing and always keeps your feet at just the right temperature. These allow your feet to breathe and can also keep them warm when soaking wet. Nobody likes wet socks, but wet wool beats wet cotton any day of the week as far as I am concerned. I don't know if it is the way I walk or the material itself, but after about a year or so, I wear through the back of the heel. A year for a pair of socks isn't terrible and it is well worth it considering how great these feel, but there might be room for improvement here.

Seams

the front seam is not in the front , but rather on top of the toes. The seam is also flush sewn so there is no rubbing to be seen. The rear seam is placed just high enough above the heel to also not cause any wear. I did have one sock break on the seem, but that was after a relatively long life. I do find that the seam on the inside of the cuff can give pretty early, but the sock is still about halfway through its serviceable lifespan. I would like to see that beefed up, but any more and I don't think it would be as comfortable.

Elastic

There are elastic fibers running throughout the socks and there are extra around thee cuff. The elastic isn't noticeably tight, but the sock contours to your foot perfectly. I have never had the elastic wear out on me so it must be really high quality.

Review: 7/10

Overall the material and design are great. There are a few problem areas that I would like to see addressed, but these are my favorite socks for running, hiking, or just walking around. Nothing has beaten these, though they are not perfect.