Not all socks are created equal.

You wouldn’t wear an alpine ski parka to go nordic skiing, so why would you wear alpine ski socks to nordic ski?

Kate Agathon

and

Paul Gallaher

Smartwool Nordic Crew Socks are engineered to provide durability, breathability, comfort and warmth for nordic skiers. They are designed to keep your feet warm and dry with every kick and glide.

Founded in 1994, Smartwool was the first outdoor company to create performance merino wool ski socks, revolutionizing the industry. This season’s nordic crew socks feature their most advanced technology, including:

• Indestructawool™ Technology for enhanced durability

• 4 Degree™ Elite Fit System for a dialed-in, performance-oriented fit

• Body-mapped mesh zones for added breathability

• Virtually Seamless™ Toe for enhanced comfort

A good nordic ski sock should insulate, manage moisture, and have features that prevent blisters and friction. Fortunately, the Smartwool Nordic Crew Socks offered all that and more.

Thanks to strategic cushioning and moisture-wicking properties, the merino socks were comfortable, kept our feet warm all day long, and odor at bay.

They stayed in place and performed so well that we forgot all about them- which is exactly what a good sock should do.

Sock Selection

 If you happen to wear a poor quality or ill-fitting sock when you ski, trust us, you definitely know. It will disrupt your entire ski day.

A bad sock made from the wrong fabric can make or break a ski day (who wants cold, wet feet?). Therefore, selecting the right sock is important.

Ask yourself what kind of conditions you plan to ski in. Will it be wet and slushy? Cold? What kind of sport-specific features does the sock have? What kind of cushioning and support do you need? Is there mesh for breathability? Are there flat lock seams for comfort? Will the sock last all season long, or will it wear out quickly? How does it fit (i.e. no bunching)?

An alpine ski boot is vastly different from a nordic ski boot and therefore it makes sense that sport-specific socks will have different construction too.

Absolutely worth the investment, the Smartwool Nordic Crew Sock eliminates the guesswork by checking all the technology and comfort boxes and lets you focus on skiing. On a day when our hands quickly got cold, our feet did not. Way to go, Smartwool!

Smartwool Nordic Crew Socks are available in unisex sizings (S-XL) and in two colors (Black and Twilight Blue) and come with a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee.

Paul Gallaher

Paul grew up in Minnesota where he learned to love the outdoors, riding his bike, fishing and canoeing in the summers and skiing in the winters on Minnesota’s 300 foot-tall “mountains”.

After finishing college, he was commissioned as an officer in the USAF eventually becoming a special operations and reconnaissance instructor navigator flying and serving around the world for twenty-two years.

Living and traveling around the world has given Paul opportunities to explore outdoor passions. He is an advanced scuba diver, a pilot, a sailor and has skied in the United States, Canada, France, Italy, Austria and Switzerland.

Kate Agathon

Dr. Of Stoke

Freelance writer, bicyclist, outdoor recreation enthusiast, social justice advocate, and mom to her furbaby, Sansa.

A Colorado native, Kate considers the outdoors her mother ship. She brings her passion for bicycling, the environment, and issues of diversity to her writing. Her primary outdoor recreation activities are mountain biking, road biking, nordic skiing, alpine skiing, hiking, snowshoeing, and peak bagging Colorado’s 14ers.

 

Kate earned a bachelor’s degree in History from Colorado State University and later an MSEd and Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from Purdue University. In addition to her education, Kate’s background serving on the Mayor’s Bicycle Advisory Committee and experience working for non-profits and bicycle sales well position her to bring depth and understanding to the complex changes currently taking place in the outdoor recreation industry.

The Dr. of Stoke has been part of the Engearment team since 2016.