Socks

You'll find a fair number of articles about the right shoes to wear when you travel, but for reasons I don't understand, there's less discussion about socks.

Socks hold your feet snugly in shoes all day long. Too thick or too thin? You'll have blisters by supper time. Wrong material? You'll get insatiable rashes. Too tight? Your feet will look like sausages.

When you're picking out socks, consider these factors:

• size

• material

• style

• comfort over the long haul

Size

This sounds weird, but it's better to have socks a little too big than a little too small. Toes like wiggle room!

Seriously, hours on a plane often make your feet puffy, and hours of walking make them even puffier. This is normal and probably not even something you'll notice -- unless your socks are too tight. Ouch.

Material

Bamboo is the champion of moisture-wicking and odor control, but its trademark softness takes some less-than-savory chemicals that might bother you.

"Technical" fabrics are trendy right now, and I've tried most of them, with marginal results. But do try some for yourself. Socks are usually affordable, and you might find some that you just love. Your feet are the real experts here.

Personally, I like a high-percentage cotton material, with a smidgeon of nylon added for faster drying. Merino wool is another material popular with hikers, and if it wasn't for my hypersensitivity to wool, I'd wear it every chance I got.

Style

I don't know when the super-thick sock trend started, but I'm not a fan.

The concept sounds good; cradle your feet in lots of extra padding so they stay more comfortable, right? The problem is that often that's not how it works out.

Correctly fitting shoes, thin-to-medium-weight socks and a fitness level that makes walking comfortable will do a lot more for you than thick socks. Fluffy, padded socks can make correctly fitting shoes too tight and too hot. This can lead to blisters, fatigue and horrendous toenail troubles (don't ask how I know, but it's a game-changer you don't want).

One small hack I've learned; turn your padded socks inside-out. I don't know why, but it feels more comfortable to have a smooth surface against your skin than seams, loose strings and more rubbing on you. I still opt for the choice of many runners, which is to wear thin, well-made socks that allow just a bit of wiggle room.

Comfort over the long haul

The last thing you want is to head out of your room at 8 a.m. feeling like you already can't take another step.

Vacation is not the time to take a pack of never-worn socks, thinking that they'll last better than socks you've been wearing every day. You want to wash new socks several times to get rid of any chemicals used in their manufacture, just for starters; then you want to wear them on long days so you know how they feel.

Some of my socks feel terrific for about six hours, and then they start to heat up and itch so much that I think it would be easier to walk on bare cobblestones in the rain than to keep them on my feet another minute. Obviously, these are not the socks I pack, and you shouldn't, either.

For your greatest comfort over the long haul, slip off your shoes mid-day and let your feet air out for a few minutes. Although I'm militant about packing light, I do make an exception for socks. Switching into a fresh pair after lunch makes a big difference. Socks take up very little room in a purse or washing machine, so this an easy indulgence.

Reminder: shoes

Shoes are just as important than socks, and it's a topic I blogged about earlier. If you want the right socks, you want the right shoes, too.

Walk on!