Today's Socks
Luckily, you can find such socks designed for walking, jogging, and light hiking from several manufacturers.
Thickness and Padding
Socks designed for walking will have light padding in key areas - heel, ball of foot, toes and in some cases the instep. Some socks forgo the padding. My feet do best with a medium-thickness sock, but tend to blister with a single-layer non-padded thin sock.Double Layer Socks
Double-layer socks prevent blisters by providing wicking and decreasing friction, as the sock layers move against each other rather than your foot moving against the sock. Some find them the key to blister prevention, although I have done best with a single-layer sock. WrightSock is a leader in this type of socks.Anatomic Design
To keep the sock in place and prevent bunching, it needs to be shaped like your foot. Many designs have elastic or ribbing to keep them snug. Men's and women's feet differ in shape, so a gender-specific sock is wise. For those of us with bunions, you may find your sock is the culprit for irritation rather than the shoe and need to shop for a sock that doesn't bunch your toes together.Wicking Fabrics
Say no to cotton. Look for a sock in wicking fabrics such as CoolMax, Dri-Fit, Sorbtek and many others coming on the market. Smartwool uses wool for its moisture management system. The wicking fabrics are the key to preventing blisters.
