For the very first post of Best in the Land, I present to you the finest sock in the land. I chose this one because I just bought 18 pairs of these puppies and I’m really excited about them.

I normally hate socks. Before smartwool I had only 4 pair, which I wore only when exercising. My main criteria when buying shoes (and I have gone through phases where I have bought lots of shoes), is to buy shoes that don’t require socks. So if you can tolerate the thought of socks, you’re already a step ahead of me.

For some reason, I like textiles more than your average 25 year old. I think that wool is an amazing material and I have read about it extensively. It is an excellent insulator, which means that it keeps you cool in the summer and warm in the winter. The fibers are very strong, so it can’t be flattened over time like cotton (that’s why wool rugs are so popular). It has natural oils that repel dirt. It wicks away moisture and can hold up to 1/3 of its weight in water before feeling wet. It even absorbs odors.

When I heard about Smartwool socks, I wasn’t excited. I had a pair of wool socks before, but they were far too itchy and thick for me. I read that these socks were used on Everest, though, and that they weren’t itchy. I had to try them for myself.

Lo and behold, they are absolutely incredible. They’re packed with features like arch supports, blister preventing bumps in the back, extra padding on the heel and toe, and even ventilated areas on the top. It’s as if Ferrari had designed the sock. They aren’t itchy at all, but rather soft and comfortable.

You know that feeling when you take off your socks, but then have to put them back on because you don’t have any other pairs? The socks feel dirty, thin, and loose, right? Not with smartwools! They feel just like a fresh pair. It’s astounding.

Overnight I was transformed from a sock hater into a sock aficionado. Every day I can’t wait to put on my socks, and I don’t take them off until I have to go to bed. I even offer them to guests at my house so that they can experience the nirvana. If you have feet, you owe it to yourself to buy some of these. I currently have 33 pairs, mostly the Adrenaline LT’s pictured above.

The only problem, of course, is that they go for $10-20 per pair. Ouch! Luckily Sierra Trading Post has incredible deals on them. That’s where I got mine. Don’t pay too much attention to the sizes. I got mediums but people with much larger feet also found them comfortable.