When choosing socks to help prevent your feet from sweating, the most important aspect is, of course, going to be wetness control. The sock’s ability to ‘wick’ away sweat is vital for keeping your feet cool, dry and healthy. Socks that stay wet and enclosed in shoes for too long can create bacteria and fungal growth. Irritation, blisters and athlete's foot are just a variety of health concerns that can be caused by sweaty feet.

Sweat isn’t something we should be embarrassed about; it’s the body’s natural way of maintaining proper temperature and keeping cool. Now that we have all expressed our body’s concerns, companies have been working on creating solutions like the sweat-wicking sock.

Wetness control can be found in a variety of areas in a good quality sock. The most common aspect of controlling liquids is found in the material the socks are made out of. Breathable materials that absorb sweat away from the foot without making the socks wet are key for success in keeping your feet dry. Custom made materials or synthetic fiber blends are great choices for wicking away sweat. Each sock is created with different materials that aid in its ability to stay dry, so we’ve made sure to include a variety of fabrics to choose from.

Along with the overall sock, the material comes breathable woven inserts like mesh fabrics and ventilation panels. The arch of the sock and the top where the shoe comes in contact with the sock is typically where sweat forms the most in socks, and this is where features like mesh inserts can come in handy. Typically found only in these areas of the sock, the ventilation panels or mesh provides flexibility and the proper air circulation needed to keep your feet cool and dry. These inserts are a great choice for allowing your feet to breathe.

Some brands create special custom made fibers or features to enhance the socks breathability. Some of these features include ThorWick fibers, Coolmax Polyester, and iWick technology. You’ll see many other custom materials and features in the socks on our best list. Each company creates their own unique features, so we made sure to go in-depth with information about each one in the item reviews.

We briefly mentioned some materials above that help to wick away liquids and keep your feet dry, but with so many materials and custom blends to choose from, how do you know which is best? We’ve gone ahead and done thorough, in-depth research to provide you with only the most relevant information on quality made socks. The material is one of the first, most important choices to make when it comes to keeping your feet dry and comfortable so we’ll break it down some more.

There are good materials, and there are some not so good materials to have in the making of your socks. If the ultimate goal is to keep the sweat from building up in the socks and keep your feet dry, you’ll want to make sure the materials are designed for the same goal. While cotton is the most widely known material for being comfortable and soft, it will leave your feet feeling wet and swampy. Cotton doesn’t provide any ability to wick away sweat. Instead, sweat builds up inside the socks and can cause many problems.

To avoid sweaty socks, you’ll want to use materials with a purpose. If you like to stick to more natural materials, Merino wool is the best choice and all around is a top leading material used for fluid-wicking socks. The comfortable cushioning of the wool and the ability to keep sweat away from the foot makes it one of the best materials on the market.

Synthetic materials and custom blends are also a good choice because they’re specifically designed to provide a functional purpose, like keeping your feet dry. Many companies have heard the complaints and needs of their users, so to create the ultimate solution they create their own custom-made materials. Most of these materials like CoolMax, DriTech and polyester, are made to wick away sweat from the socks.

Along with the type of material comes the thickness of the socks. This tends to be more of a preference but also provides separate benefits, so we made sure to include both thin-thick socks to choose from. Thick socks are good for providing cushion and comfort but may not always be suited for keeping your feet dry. Unless the thickness of the sock is created with a sweat controlling fabric like Merino wool, you may want to choose thinner materials. Thin materials are good for providing more breathability and room in your shoes but make sure you stay away from materials like cotton, or you’ll sweat right through your socks.

Overall, the material choices are extremely important for keeping your feet dry, and we made sure to only include the best materials when choosing socks for our best list.

The length of your socks tends to be more of a personal style choice, but each style features different benefits and features that make for a good quality sock. From no-show to crew-length socks, we’re here to tell you why each one is important and beneficial.

While you may think of a crew sock as too constricting or enclosed, we’ve made sure to provide styles that are comfortable and breathable. Crew length socks are a great choice for pairing with boots or wearing during athletic activities like running or hiking. The longer length helps to protect your legs better. Most crew cut socks come with built-in with ribbed ventilation to not only help keep the socks from falling down but also to provide proper air circulation.

If the crew length is too high for you, you can step down to the mid-length, over the ankle style. This length is still good for protecting your ankles from rubbing against your shoes, without the excess fabric around the shins. These socks tend to focus more on comfortable cushioning and air circulation to the main points of the socks.

Along with no-show socks, mid-length socks usually come equipped with ventilation or mesh inserts on the top of the foot area or around the arch. The use of multiple fabrics in the creation of these socks helps to provide comfort and extra breathability.

There are also sock liners that are made with thin fabrics to help provide breathability in between other thicker socks. We’ve provided a crew length style in our best list which is great for layering and providing lightweight protection and comfort around the foot.

No matter what length you choose from, you’ll want to make sure the features in the sock provide you with proper air circulation and wetness control. The length shouldn’t change the functional features, but just so you don’t have to do the extra searching, you can be assured that all the sock lengths provide the same amount of functionality as the rest.

Everyone wants to be comfortable when wearing a pair of socks. You shouldn’t ever have to sacrifice comfort for special features or style. Sweaty feet are uncomfortable enough as it is so when you’re looking for a sock that provides wetness control, you’re also looking for a sock that provides you comfort.

There’s nothing comfortable about bacterial growth and soggy wet feet that can lead to blisters. The materials used to create liquid control in your socks should also be created to provide a form fit and comfortable feel. We’ve talked a lot about how important the material choice is for providing liquid wicking abilities and comfort.

The fit of the sock is also a highly important aspect and what makes the sock comfortable enough for daily use. A sock that fits the foot just right and provides breathability makes it versatile for its use. To help prevent sweat from building up, it’s important to make sure that the socks form around the shape of your foot and the material doesn’t provide any loose areas.

Socks that are too loose tend to pile and create extra areas where sweat can form and build up. Arch compression or ribbing in the material is a perfect choice for providing a comfortable, form fit around any foot shape. The flexibility in this area also helps to provide comfort during all types of movements.

There are many other features from padding around the ball, heel and ankle collar of the socks to a seamless toe area. Padding is a very common aspect featured in quality made socks. Socks without cushioning can create hot spots in the main impact areas of the foot, like the ball and heel area which can lead to extra sweat and discomfort. This is why padding is so important to have in the material.

The length, as well as the thickness of the sock materials, also helps to create an overall comfortable feel. When choosing a pair of socks for sweat control, you want to look for features in comfort as well as breathability. The structure and features of the sock are what makes the value higher and the use more functional.

It’s no hidden surprise that good quality, wetness controlling socks are going to be a little costly. Most socks start at $10 a pair which can add up quickly when looking to purchase multiple pairs at a time. Sacrificing quality for a lower cost isn’t a good option either because the low-quality materials can lead to potential health concerns and don’t do much in the way of wicking away sweat.

Since each pair is going to be a little costly, you want to make sure you’re the money you’re spending is worth the overall value. Durability and reliability are aspects that people most commonly look for to fulfill their satisfaction and complete their initial purchase. Spending hard earned money and getting good quality items to go hand in hand which is why we’ve made sure to include socks with features that extend the overall lifespan.

There are some key features to look for to help increase the durability and value of the socks. One important feature is the reinforced material in the high wear areas of the sock. Areas like the front toes, ball, and heel, are most commonly worn down first, and that’s how holes get created. When these areas are reinforced, the overall lifespan lasts much longer and therefore increases the value of the sock.

Value is found everywhere in a good quality sock. From the material to the structure and even down to the stitching, every detail counts. The brands we included in our best list are known for their high-quality features and styles. Some brands have created their functional features that you can only find from them. The customized feel not only extends the value but also adds to the overall comfort.

Durability and value are important in these higher priced socks, and while most are going to be priced at a higher cost, we’ve also made sure to include some quality made socks with basic features for a more affordable price. It’s truly important to protect our bodies from damage even down to socks. When preventing your feet from sweat, you’ll want all the quality features you can find.