Skating socks for men

[tstop4me]

For mucho years, I've gotten by without special socks for skating.  I simply used Gold Toe casual dress socks:  thin, absorbent (high-percentage cotton), and durable.  In particular, the seams were finely stitched.  As with many products these days, "they don't make them like they used to".  The latest batches have coarsely stitched seams, especially around the toe cap.  Some have pronounced nubs, causing pressure and pain when skating (OK in regular shoes).  I was hoping the nubs would soften with repeated washings, but they've actually gotten harder.  This doesn't appear to be an isolated problem; reviews of Gold Toes indicate the quality has really deteriorated.

So, guys, what socks do you wear with figure skates?  I would like to avoid >50% nylon, and would prefer >80% cotton.  But the main thing is I want well-crafted seams that don't bunch up and don't dig into me.

Thanks.

[lutefisk]

As you've discovered, men are underserved in the sockage dept.  I like as thin a sock as possible and when I returned to skating and couldn't find anything suitable, I stole a pair of my wife's trouser socks (aka: knee highs).  Initially she was OK with that but now insists that I go buy my own.  You don't need to go to the ladies underwear dept of a store like Macy's.  You can find trouser socks almost anywhere--grocery stores, gas station quicky-marts, etc.  Anyway, they're relatively cheap, feel good inside the boot, and work fine for me.

[Bill_S]

I wish that I could help. I have a brand of socks in the drawer that I like for skating. They are cotton, about a medium weight, but their brand is lost to time. I'd like to get more, but the last time I tried, I ended up with something much thinner and slick.

I'm no good at the "feel test" in a department store to be able to match my favorites. I'm watching this thread to see what others may suggest.

[Bill_S]

Lutefisk: Your reply came in as I was typing mine. It sounds like we are opposites when it comes to sock preferences!

[dlbritton]

I actually prefer as thin a sock as possible so I use Mondor black skating socks.

For skiing I have always used polypropylene or silk sock liners. I prefer as little extra padding in my boot as possible, be it for skiing or skating.

A agree about Gold Toe. I always wore 100% cotton gold toe socks but they have become hard to find and seem to wear out sooner than they used to. 

[rmsilva]

Black Mondor Socks

I'm pretty sure they are 100% nylon. I have custom boots that were sized with me wearing these super thin socks, and these let me slide my feet in with no bunching. I have a half-dozen pair and I swear by them.

[tstop4me]

I actually prefer as thin a sock as possible so I use Mondor black skating socks.

For skiing I have always used polypropylene or silk sock liners. I prefer as little extra padding in my boot as possible, be it for skiing or skating.

A agree about Gold Toe. I always wore 100% cotton gold toe socks but they have become hard to find and seem to wear out sooner than they used to.

Black Mondor Socks

I'm pretty sure they are 100% nylon. I have custom boots that were sized with me wearing these super thin socks, and these let me slide my feet in with no bunching. I have a half-dozen pair and I swear by them.

I checked the Mondor website.  Most of the socks are flesh-colored knee-high nylon socks for girls and women.  I did find this one listing for black socks that might be suitable for men:

https://mondor.com/anklelength-socks-00167.html


Is this the one you guys use?  It is high-percentage cotton, rather than nylon.  Perfect for me.  My concern is the length of the top.  I don't want knee-highs, but I do want the tops of the socks to clear the tops of my boots.  These socks are listed as only ankle length (the ones I'm wearing now are typically listed as mid-calf length).

[FigureSpins]

FWIW, my male skating students wear Mondor knee high skating socks.  One skater folds them down over the laces after putting on his skates.

https://mondor.com/knee-high-00106.html

Looks like almost all of the knee-high socks come in black.

My husband wears Gold Toe socks with everything - even sneakers.  He said the same thing - not enough cotton in the material and they pill something awful.  We have a beige carpet in the bedroom and you can tell wear he takes off his blue/black socks.  Looks like little bugs - we always vacuum that spot first.

[lutefisk]

Lutefisk: Your reply came in as I was typing mine. It sounds like we are opposites when it comes to sock preferences!

Me and contrariness go way back.

Sincerely yours,
L.

[Bill_S]

Schnork! - OK, now you caused some green tea to go up my nose! Time out for a paper towel.

From the sound of things, I'm the only guy here who prefers socks that grip feet like sandpaper.

[Nate]

Usually wear normal socks or black tights (Danskin, whatever) depending on what boots I'm wearing and how snug they fit.

The market for Men's skating apparel is... not very well-served.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

[sampaguita]

I've always used nylon socks that are as thin as possible (30 denier, I believe), partly because my skates were fitted to me when I was wearing those socks. I bought it from a Daiso store (the dollar stores here in Asia), maybe you can also find some there.

Knee highs should work, as long as there isn't any marking on the sock where the heel should be.

[AgnesNitt]

Gentlemen, you Gold Toe users may be interested in the thread from this blog. There are some really unhappy men. Apparently Quality doesn't matter at all anymore.

https://undershirtguy.com/gold-toe-socks-quality-complaint/

[Bill_S]

Interesting!

I just ordered socks from LL Bean in an effort to find suitable replacements for me. I prefer thicker socks. Thin socks without padding hurt the spots where I used to have toe joints in my right foot, so I ordered wool socks. I hope that they come in an appropriate weight. If not, they have plenty of other selections to try.

In case anyone is wondering why I'm online-ordering socks, most of the local clothing stores have gone out of business. WalMart is the only local store still carrying socks, and that's not a promising situation quality-wise.

[lutefisk]

Bill:  There's a brand of thin wool socks called "smartwool".

https://www.smartwool.com/ that might work for you. 

I bought a couple pair from REI but I don't use them for skating, just normal every day sockage once the weather turns colder (did so this past weekend--went from 90 to 55 just like it saw a state trooper).

[Bill_S]

Are they a little on the thick side? That's what I need to avoid pain.

I did have a blowout in one pair of my existing skating socks last week, so my supply is getting lower.

Timely thread.

[lutefisk]

Bill:  The ones I have are thicker than my skating socks and I think if you go to the smartwool site and click on the tab for men that you'll see socks for different activities such as hiking vs running for example.  Different heights, thicknesses etc.

[skategeek]

When I'm not wearing skating socks, I live in Thorlos.  Their walking socks are incredibly comfy if you like thick socks.

[Leif]

A bit late, however ...

One option is ice hockey socks which are designed to be thin, durable, and a tight fit. I have a pair with my custom boots, and the great thing is that they do not bunch up when putting my rather tight skates on. They are a bit pricey though.

[Leif]

A bit late, however ...

One option is ice hockey socks which are designed to be thin, durable, and a tight fit. I have a pair with my custom boots, and the great thing is that they do not bunch up when putting my rather tight skates on. They are a bit pricey though.

I recently picked up the cheapest thinnest socks I would find at a local sports shop, about $1 a pair, and they're brilliant. They stretch nicely to get a tight fit.

[Lola]

Slight pivot on this topic. Has anyone found seamless skate socks?  Mondor, US icewear, and Edea socks all have a seam and I have a hard time putting the seam somewhere that doesn’t hurt my foot.

[tstop4me]

Slight pivot on this topic. Has anyone found seamless skate socks?  Mondor, US icewear, and Edea socks all have a seam and I have a hard time putting the seam somewhere that doesn’t hurt my foot.

I haven't found a seamless sock.  But here's one trick you might want to try; whether it will work or not will depend on the particular sock construction:  turn the sock inside out.  On my Gold Toes, the seam was a pronounced ridge (with nubs) on the inside of the sock along the top of the toe cap.  It dug into me while skating.  By turning the sock inside out, I had smoother fabric pressed against my toes, and the ridge facing out.

[tstop4me]

For mucho years, I've gotten by without special socks for skating.  I simply used Gold Toe casual dress socks:  thin, absorbent (high-percentage cotton), and durable.  In particular, the seams were finely stitched.  As with many products these days, "they don't make them like they used to".  The latest batches have coarsely stitched seams, especially around the toe cap.  Some have pronounced nubs, causing pressure and pain when skating (OK in regular shoes).  I was hoping the nubs would soften with repeated washings, but they've actually gotten harder.  This doesn't appear to be an isolated problem; reviews of Gold Toes indicate the quality has really deteriorated.

So, guys, what socks do you wear with figure skates?  I would like to avoid >50% nylon, and would prefer >80% cotton.  But the main thing is I want well-crafted seams that don't bunch up and don't dig into me.

Thanks.

Update.  The major problem was a ridged seam with nubs on the inside of the sock along the top of the toe cap.  As I mentioned, the nubs got harder with initial washings.  I turned the socks inside out to allow smoother fabric in contact with my toes.  This helped a lot, but some nubs were still irritating.  With additional wear and washings, the nubs then got softer and broke down.  No more pressure points.  That's great since I can use the same socks for everyday wear and for skating. 

[AgnesNitt]

Search for 'seamless socks' or 'silk socks' on Google. Then dig around. They are out there. For men, Brooks brothers has some nice ones.

[Query]

I recently bought a bunch of black Wunford socks from a dollar store (maybe Dollar Tree??). They are thin and have no obvious seams. They work for me.

The ones I bought were Socks size 10-13 (shoe size 6-12.5).

98% Polyester, 2% Spandex. I.E., should be fine if your boots are reasonably warm, and your rink isn't too cold, and your feet don't get too cold. If you get cold feet, you might be better off with liner socks from an outdoor ski or camping store, in Polypro or Silk - but I doubt you will find that in the dollar store.