Reasonably-priced winter socks for kids? Talk amongst yourselves.

Thin cotton socks + winter weather = cold tootsies. But I'm having a hard time finding decent wool socks for my kids (especially my 3YO daughter). I'm looking for non-scratchy and reasonably-priced. The only kids' wool socks I can find are at the outdoor store (for hiking) in the $8-10 per pair range.

Do I really have to shell out $40-50 per kid for a weeks' worth of warm socks? Any ideas?

Comments

[t-bird]

get half a yard of good quality polar fleece or microfleece and make little insoles for thier shoes. If you are any good with a needle and thread make "wellywarmers" - fleece socks that fit inside their wellington boots (which should always be bought at least 1 size too big to acommodate thick socks!)

Or find a willing auntie to knit them some lovely warm socks?

[SheilaC]

Um. Maybe the problem is the kids' boots. We live in Saskatchewan where it's been very cold recently, but we don't use heavy wool socks.

We have very warm winter boots, the kind with the removable felt liners. (Sorel is one good brand.) If you have old second-hand boots you can often buy new liner inserts.

We also have cozy slippers the kids can wear around the house, but mostly my kids don't bother. Thin cotton-nylon socks are fine all year round.

For infants and toddlers, try the leather Robeez shoes, which stay on securely, keep socks on, and which are comfortable for crawling, sitting or walking.

[Wendy]

I actually just bought my son some warm "boot socks"at WALMART!! They are not wool but keep his feet warm and dry! They were around $3.00 for two pairs!

[Sarah]

My daughter is 3 and I've had the same problem you describe. So far I just resorted to putting two pairs of the thin cotton socks on her when it was really cold or layering socks over tights. She is very hot natured so she never complains of cold feet.

[Jessica]

http://www.ruggedbear-online.com/kiwimewoso.html has Wigwam wool socks, which are wonderfully warm and fuzzy, on sale for $5/pair.

[Christy]

I never, ever, ever could stand thick socks (it makes me feel like my feet are claustrophobic) and the thought of thick WOOL socks makes me itch all over just thinking about it. I would recommend some thinner, but warmer polar fleece or silk socks.

[marykz]

my Mom knits the best wool socks. not itchy, very cozy, crazy colors... she says it isn't hard to learn... maybe one of these days. for now, I keep requesting projects from Mom!

[Tracey]

Not cheap, but my mom gave us a pair of Alpaca socks for my two-year-old. They're bright and soft, and quite warm (I want some!). They were $7 at a festival from the maker, who has an alpaca farm in northern Indiana. You might look for these at festivals. I honestly don't know if any catalog or website would sell them.

[Sharon]

Old Navy sells a very thick cotton crew sock. They come in infant and toddler sizes They have a thick elastic band and come in white and colors. They are about three dollars a pair and they have the skid resistant bottoms. Buy them a size bigger then you need - they shrink and get soft and thicker. They are our family's favorite.

[Daniel Sroka]

Make sure your kid really needs heavy socks before you make them wear them. Even in the dead of winter, I usually go barefoot throughout the house (unlike my wife who always needs socks). I find it completely comfortable. And so far, our son is taking after me.

[Scott Elias]

Interesting discussion... We've been looking for wool socks as well and haven't been able to find ANYTHING. We've recently gotten him a pair of snowshoes and can't get the kid inside so every little bit helps...

[kim]

For toddlers, Hanna Andersson recently had woolies on sale. My only problem is that they are a bit slippery. Fine on carpet but my 21 month old was running and had an impressing wipe out on wood floor over the weekend. Wish Hanna still made them in adult sizes though. I could use some myself.

[Beth]

I love the Old Navy crew socks. They are thick and have great elastic on the ankle plus the non-sid bottoms. They stay on and are very warm. I just discovered these a couple months ago and just love them.

[Mandy]

My son has some Smartwool socks from the sporting goods store. They were about $14 for 2 pairs and I wash whichever pair he's not wearing whenever I do a load of laundry (about twice a week) I dry them on high with the rest of our clothes and it hasn't hurt them. Wool is odor resistant (which is why it makes great diaper covers). You definitely don't need to wash them after every wear, you could probably go a couple weeks in the same pair if you wanted to.
My other favorite socks are the babyGap nonslip ones with stripes. They're not always there, though, and aren't online. They're pretty thick and very durable, my son has a pair of 2-3T that he's been wearing for over 2 years and are in perfect shape to hand down to his brother.

[jd]

Mandy mentioned Smartwool and I am a HUGE fan. I used to wear wool socks with thin poly sock liners. Smartwool made the liners irrelevent. I keep an eye out at Sierra Trading http://www.sierratradingpost.com/ and I buy a bunch every time they have a good deal.

-JD

[Amy Lu]

I happen to live in the same city as Wigwam, and they have factory sales twice a month, with really big sales twice a year. We wear Wigwam wool socks almost exclusively. They are warm, but they wick moisture away so they are breathable too!

I knit the rest of our socks. You can make several pair of children's socks from a skein of sock yarn. Depending on their size. And kid's socks knit up so fast! Still, it isn't the cheapest way to fit your kids in wool socks....

[hismoose]

I go with "knit some." I can get a pair of kids' socks out of what I have left over from the standard amount I buy to knit socks for myself. Or about three to four pairs of little kids socks out of one adult-sock-equivalent volume of yarn. Sock yarn isn't the cheapest, but if I'm figuring on spending about $12 anyway on a pair just for me, the ones for the kids from the leftovers are free.

[Tracy WW]

In the dead of winter, I always put tights on my kids--much warmer than mere socks! So far, the boys (age 2 and 4) don't mind wearing "man-tights," and when it's really cold, I'll put a pair of socks over the tights (just as I do for myself.)

[barb]

Remember, their circulatory systems are way better than ours... I'm in wool socks and Uggs, and my son claims he's fine in bare feet on our cold floors in Maine. And his claim is valid- his toes are no colder than my nose... So, ordinary socks, or slippers, may be plenty.

[Suki]

You can buy fabric "puff" paint at the craft store and write on the soles of the socks for traction.

We do the tights and socks combo, or thin cotton socks with a wool pair over those.

[Parent Hacks Editor]

You people are amazing. I can't believe all this incredible advice about SOCKS.