How to Choose the Best Socks for Snowboarding

Choosing the best socks for snowboarding may seem simple, but there are a wide variety of materials, designs, and tech features to considering before you resort to grabbing the first (or cheapest) pair you see. At a minimum, snowboarding socks should keep your feet warm and dry - that is their primary purpose - but additional comforts like leg and foot support, compression, and anti-odor qualities are beneficial. That's why for all but the most infrequent riders, we strongly recommend elevating the comfort of your feet with high-quality snowboard socks.

In this guide, we’ll explain why the experts at Burton recommend investing in high-quality snowboard-specific socks, key features and tech to consider when buying snowboard socks, and some quick tips to care for your socks and help your feet stay happy and dry.

• Do you Need Snowboard-Specific Socks?
• Choosing Snowboard Socks: Features & Tech
• Snowboarding Socks: Quick Tips & Care
• Final Thoughts on Snowboarding Socks

Do you need snowboard-specific socks?

We always recommend that snowboarders wear snowboard-specific socks for improved comfort, sweat management, additional support, and blister prevention. Snowboard socks are designed to be used with snowboard boots, and their length, reinforcements, and materials have all been optimized to give you the best possible riding experience, something cotton socks, or crew socks won't do. Even if you are going snowboarding for the first time, bringing a high-quality pair of snowboard socks with you to the mountain is an affordable and smart way to make your first day on the hill more comfortable.

Pro tip: Besides high-quality snowboarding socks, make sure your snowboard boots are the right size for comfort and optimal board control. Review Burton’s Official Snowboard Boot Sizing and Buyer’s Guide to ensure your get the correct size.

Choosing Snowboard Socks: Features & Tech

When shopping for snowboard socks, pay attention to the following key design elements so that your feet can remain comfortable all day.

• Materials & Durability
• Thickness & Warmth
• Fit & Padding
• Compression
• Anti-odor Treatments
• Length

Pro tip: Although ski socks and snowboarding socks are similar in appearance, ski socks are often thinner and designed specifically for the unique geometry and fit of ski boots. If you are snowboarding, wear snowboard socks.

Snowboard Sock Materials & Durability

Snowboarding socks are often made from two classes of fibers: natural or synthetic, and both have advantages. Natural fibers include wool - most commonly Merino wool - whereas synthetic fibers are often a blend of polyester, nylon, acrylic, and polypropylene.

In terms of durability, Merino socks may be slightly less durable than synthetic blends, although both hold up well if they are properly cared for. Merino wool blended with synthetic fibers often provides the best of both worlds, giving you durability and comfort.

Pro tip: While it’s worth snagging a good deal when you find snowboard socks on sale, we don’t recommend buying the cheapest snowboard socks you can find. Make the investment and purchase high-quality merino wool or synthetic snowboard socks which are more durable and last longer, keeping you comfortable and dry for multiple seasons of riding.

Snowboard Sock Thickness & Warmth

When choosing the best socks for snowboarding, it’s essential to pay attention to sock thickness, which contributes to the warmth and sensitivity (your ability to feel what's happening between your snowboard and the snow). Your choice will ultimately be a trade-off between these two qualities.

At Burton, our socks come in three thicknesses (also referred to as weights): ultra lightweight, lightweight, and midweight.

• Beginner riders may prefer Burton's midweight socks for warmth and support. If selecting a thicker sock, make sure that you have enough room in your boots to accommodate the extra material without restricting blood flow to your feet and toes. If at all in doubt about fit, bring your boot into a local snowboard shop and have an employee assist you.
• Advanced riders, or rider of any skill level who run warm may prefer Burton's thinner socks (lightweight or ultra lightweight). Thinner socks also offer the benefit of increased sensitivity. It's all about personal preference, so ultimately we recommend trying out a variety of options to help you decide what will work best for your needs.

Whether you choose ultra lightweight, lightweight, or midweight snowboard socks, it’s important that you don’t compromise the fit of your boots. Stuffing a bulky sock into a boot that is already snug may restrict circulation to your toes, resulting in cold feet, even when wearing a thick sock. With this in mind, we recommend experimenting with a variety of sock thicknesses until you find one that is comfortable, supportive, and warm.

Pro tip: When shopping for snowboard boots, bring your snowboard socks and wear them while trying on boots, to make sure you have the right fit and feel.

Snowboard Sock Fit & Padding

Excess sock material bunching inside snowboard boots can lead to blisters, so it's important that you get a snug fit to avoid this scenario. But be cautious of getting snowboard socks that are too tight, which can lead to discomfort or numbness in your feet, ankles, or shins. Ultimately, you'll want to find a Goldilocks sock - one that is not too lose or too tight.

When buying snowboard socks, we recommend choosing the size based on your typical street shoe size. Look out for extra padding in critical areas on your feet and legs, including shins, ankles, and heels. Having some arch support and extra cushion in your sock may increase comfort and riding performance, but everyone's feet are different, so there's no one-size-fits-all approach here: you'll need to experiment a bit to learn what works best for you.

Pro tip: If you need extra support, aftermarket footbeds may help reduce arch and foot fatigue during long riding days. If you add footbeds, make sure to put on your snowboard socks, lace up your boots, and wear them around the house for a bit, to make sure everything is going to be comfortable. Always being the original footbeds that came with your boots to the mountain, in case you need to change out aftermarket footbeds part way through the day.

Snowboard Sock Compression

Compression snowboard socks may offer a range of benefits to riders including improving circulation, reduced muscle fatigue, faster post-workout recovery, and muscle stabilization. And while individual experiences do vary, there are many scientific studies supporting the benefits of compression. If you frequently experience post-riding soreness in your calves or feet, consider trying compression snowboarding socks. At Burton we offer a variety of compression socks in ultra lightweight and lightweight merino wool blends.

Anti-odor Treatments

There's no way around the fact that snowboarding socks can get stinky after long days of riding. But, by choosing socks with anti odor treatments, or that are made from odor-fighting materials, you can reduce the funk. At Burton, our snowboard socks that are constructed from Merino wool offer natural odor-fighting abilities. Merino wool fights odor in four ways.

1. The keratin proteins (what your own fingernails and hair are comprised of)that make up Merino wool fight odor naturally by binding to and neutralizing the stink-causing compounds produced by bacteria.
2. Merino wool also fights odor by absorbing moisture, up to 30% of it's own weight, which keeps skin dryer and helps fight bacterial growth.
3. Breathability and Merino wool's natural ability to regulate temperature reduces moisture from sweat, limiting bacterial growth.
4. Finally, some Merino wools have residual lanolin, a naturally occurring waxy substance that also fights bacterial growth.

Snowboard Sock Length

The best socks for snowboarding are long enough to extend up and over the calf, to just below the knee. Long socks protects your legs from chafing against your boot liner while also adding an extra margin of warmth. Over-the-calf socks can also prevent contact between the skin and the top of snowboard boot cuffs, which can cause irritation.

Snowboard Socks: Quick Tips & Care

Review our list of quick tips and care recommendations to give your snowboard socks a long and functional life.

• Style vs. Comfort: With snowboarding socks, comfort is always more important than style. For example, if the blue socks you have your eye on aren't available in the correct size for your feet, don’t buy them. Choose purpose-built snowboard socks that fit well and are comfortable for riding.
• Don't wear cotton socks: Cotton socks are great for lounging at home, or enjoying fire-side après, but cotton retains moisture, making it a terrible choice for active pursuits like snowboarding. Wearing cotton socks can lead to blisters and other nastiness.
• Retire worn-out snowboarding socks: High-quality snowboard socks are durable, but they won't last forever. If your socks become threadbare or develop holes, you can perform a repair (darning), but most likely it's time to dispose of them responsibly and scoop up a replacement.
• Bring spare socks: The pros at Burton always recommend bringing an extra pair of clean snowboard socks with you to the mountains. If your feet get sweaty or develop a hot spot, you can duck into the lodge, car, or tent and quickly change into a fresh, dry pair. Consider different thickness or materials to ensure you're ready for changing conditions.
• Prevent blisters: If you are someone who is prone to frequent blisters, you may benefit from wearing a liner sock under your snowboard socks. Liners are super thin, and they allow your outer sock to glide over the skin with less friction.
• Do your sock laundry: Take care of high quality snowboard socks by washing them regularly. Your mom recommends washing your socks inside out, in cool water, at a low speed, and always hanging them up to dry. Never use wash or dry-in scent beads or fabric softeners. Never put wool or wool blend socks in the dryer as there's a high likelihood of shrinkage. The dryer can also wear out snowboarding socks prematurely, so air drying is recommended for a longer service life.

Final Thoughts on Snowboarding Socks

You'd be surprised by how many people suffer unnecessarily by wearing ankle socks or cotton crew socks while snowboarding. This often results in cold toes and blisters, but can lead to more serious issues, like non-freezing cold injuries (also known as trench foot - gross). These problems might not sound that bad, but when you are trying to maximize your riding season, or heading into the backcountry for consecutive days of riding, you don't want anything slowing you down or holding you back. The easiest way to keep your feet happy is to wear the correct footwear - purpose-built snowboard socks - keep them clean, and take care of them so they last for many seasons.