Defeet Woolie Boolie socks £11.99

“My feet are freezing”; just how many times have I heard riders say that each winter? Just how many times have I said that myself?! Well, recently, I have to say not as much.

This is down to a number of reasons: I don’t wear summer shoes with lots of vents, preferring something with a slightly thicker upper for winter miles, I wear overshoes over them and under them I wear Merino wool Defeet Woolie Boolie socks.

In recent times Merino wool has seen a resurgence of use in activity clothing including cycle clothing. It is made of the finest grades of wool, having excellent insulation and wicking properties to help keep you warm and reduce sweating. It also very comfortable next to the skin without the itching that many associate with wool garments. As such, it is often the choice for under garments, including socks.

It has the unique quality that it keeps you cool when it is hot and warm when it is cold, as such it is the ideal material for socks. Defeet have an excellent Merino wool sock for the summer called Wooleator, which of course although designed more for the summer can be used all year round. The Woolie Boolies, however, put more emphasis on keeping you warm and, as a result, they are a midweight, slightly thicker sock. Fortunately, my shoes are not a tight fit and I found them ideal. However, those using their snug fitting summer shoes all year round may find these may just make them a bit too tight, meaning that your feet can get cold due to poor circulation.

Unlike cotton socks they feel lovely and warm as soon as you put them on, as well as very comfortable. Now I am not even remotely pretending that if you have suffered with cold feet all your life these will be the cure, but they will help, quite a bit. I will say this much; these are the warmest and most comfortable winter socks that I have ever had.