Wigwam Kids Hiking Socks: Tried & Tested
We give some kids hiking socks from Wigwam a test. We cover why you should get special socks for hiking and what to look for when buying them.
Getting outside and walking is one of the most basic and affordable things to do with your kids. And it keeps everyone healthy too 😉
It’s something we do a lot, especially at this time of year.
To make sure it stays in enjoyable you’re going to want to take care of your feet.
In this post, we look at some hiking socks from a new company to the UK: Wigwam.
Why Walking Socks are Better than Normal Socks
Although walking is an affordable outdoor activity, you are going to want to invest in a few items if you plan to do it regularly. Namely some good shoes or boots, possibly with some better insoles, and some hiking socks.
Here’s why you’ll want to get some hiking socks and what you should be looking for:
- Some normal socks have stitching inside the toe area of the sock. After a lot of walking, these can cause blisters. Hiking socks don’t have this. They fit smoothly to your feet to reduce the chance of getting blisters.
- Normal socks don’t provide any cushioning for your feet. Good hiking socks have built-in cushioning to protect the underside of your feet, reducing that ‘aching feet’ feeling.
- Normal socks can slide down and even end up inside the walking boot. Another recipe for getting blisters. Good hiking socks should stay in place, and not slide down your ankle.
- Many good hiking socks use technology, or natural solutions such as merino wool, to help keep your feet dry. Again, damp sweaty feet could also cause blisters and problems.
As you can see, getting a good pair of socks is a great idea if you are going to be getting your family outdoors hiking.
What are WigWam socks?
We’ve been a fan of the Bridgedale hiking socks for some time. Well, now there’s a new option, Wigwam. And more choice is always a good thing 🙂
Wigwam is a long established firm in the US that is now available over here in the UK.
They make kids and adults hiking socks, and a lot of other technical sports socks too, such as socks for the Ironman triathlete.
Wigwam Merino Comfort Hiker Kids Sock review
So, interested in how they compare to the Bridgedale socks, our friends over at Kozi Kidz (who also sell kids Wigwam Socks), sent us over a pair of Merino Comfort Hiker socks to test out.
These socks looked well made and the merino wool made them soft and cosy. They also met the key things to look for in a hiking sock:
- No thread in the toes. They were completely seamless.
- Cushioned under foot.
- Elasticated to stay up.
- Designed to ventilate and keep your feet dry.
For a good test, a few weeks hiking up hills wasn’t going to cut it, so our eldest daughter wore them on a Silver Duke of Edinburgh Award practice hike. This was 30 miles up and down the Welsh hills over 3 days backpacking.
The result?
The socks worked brilliantly.
In terms of comfort and performance, they were the same as the Bridgedale socks that were previously subjected to D of E backpacking. However, she prefers the look of the Wigwam socks over the Bridgedale ones.
Not stopping there, Shell also decided to try them (yes, she does have small feet!) on a family hike we took over the Shropshire hills. And once again, the verdict was that these were really great socks for hiking in.
With two great tests, the Wigwam socks get the thumbs up from us as another great bit of outdoor kit for families.
Disclaimer: We were provided with a sample of these socks to conduct the test. All opinions here are our own.
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Gav Grayston Contributor
Father to 3 kids, who loves getting out and about (hiking, running, camping, cycling, canoeing...) Co-founded Get Out With The Kids to help other parents enjoy the outdoors with their family.
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