Thermal socks

Starburst

The cold weather is making my poor arthritic feet very unhappy. I have thick, fluffy socks that are great for at home but do not fit into my shoes alongside the orthotics. Has anyone found any thin thermal socks that are warm without taking up too much space in shoes? I found some walking ones but they had lines and they irritated me. (I'm a proper fuss pot.) Any pointers would be much appreciated, please and thank you.

scouting

Aldi had some thermal socks in their stores last week. Very good. Gxx

dibdab

I've not searched for thin thermal socks , my zookeeper daughter has many pairs of thick fluffy ones because she gets so cold being outdoors all day. I wonder whether it's worth checking out the outdoor activity shops ...... I would imagine that mountaineers would need thin and thermal with their climbing shoes, and maybe ski shops. Whilst in New Zealand earlier in the year I discovered the joys of fine Merino wool sweaters, thin and wonderfully warm, and maybe you can get Merino socks that would be warmer than normal ones (though probably pricy).

Maybe if you find a good solution you'd share it with us so that others can get prepared if we have a hard winter :?

Good luck with your search,

Deb xx

daffy2

I would be thinking along the lines of fine wool(merino, alpaca, cashmere), silk or blends of same, but as Deb says the solution may be pricey - socks for Christmas?! I read somewhere a little while ago that some climbers and such like are going back to natural fibres for some of their cold weather clothing as it performs better than the man-made equivalents. I know that the silk camisoles (mostly from charity shops!) I wear under shirts and jumpers etc provide warmth far in excess of what their bulk would suggest, and the 2 pashminas I picked up(one for 75p the other £1-50 in charity shops, and yes they are genuine) are lovely and warm and although big are thin enough to fit under a jacket.

stickywicket

I'm with daffy. Natural is best. My problems are painful lumps and bumps everywhere, an inability to pull socks over my ankles as the latter have fused themselves and the need not to have tight tops which dig in. For all those reasons I buy from http://www.cosyfeet.com/socks . They do a wide range of specialist socks. They're not the cheapest but then disability is always expensive.

Talking of expensive - start with the shoes. Leather is warmer.

stickywicket

P.S. The Sock Shop has a very wide range of everything too.

Starburst

Thank you, all. I knew I could count on you. I'm not fussed about the cost. I've learned that my foot comfort does not come cheaply. However, once obtained, it is priceless. I have a few days off work (bliss!) so I shall scour the 'net for warm sockies.

TrishaW

I think TX Maxx have them -posh ones going cheap!

Starburst

TrishaW wrote:

I think TX Maxx have them -posh ones going cheap!

Oooh, as it happens I am going to TK Maxx tomorrow. Thank you for mentioning that. I shall report back!

TrishaW

They may be in the men's section x

Boomer13

I agree about Merino wool and silk. I also do layers on my feet. I have some nice ones right now that are an angora blend. Very warm and thin but they're wearing out quickly due to the delicate nature of angora.

I've had good luck with socks that are made for hiker's. The merino ones are the best.

daffy2

I don't know if it would help but I quite often use tights or popsocks as an extra layer. I have thick coloured tights for cold weather and put an ordinary thin pair underneath, or if I'm wearing trousers or jeans a pair of tights helps to keep the cold fabric off my skin, and if I'm wearing ankle or knee socks again the thin layer can help - especially if I'm not wearing capacious footwear that can accommodate some of my thick wool socks! I just have to remember not to pull the first layer too tight when putting the second one on...
The other thing that might be worth looking at if ridges etc are a problem is baseball type socks, which tend to be tubes rather than having heels, so they fit to the size and shape of your foot.
My MIL used to knit wool socks for my ex - comfortable for him but high maintenance for me with the hand washing and the need to darn when his bony feet rubbed holes. As it happened I was a dab hand with the needle, and we didn't have a washing machine in our early years anyway. Things went downhill once children arrived and he started working away through the week - MIL not happy!

bubbadog

Did you get your Thermal socks? As I got several pairs for my OH for Amazon at a good price.

Starburst

Thank you for your advice. However, in typical Sophie style, I got distracted by my favourite shoe shop. It's a lovely little independent place where they measure you, look how you walk and specialise in awkward feet. I ended up buying 2 pairs of fur lined boots instead of thermal socks.