I really had no intention to write a post reviewing socks. However, a series of events transpired over the past couple of months that I felt compelled to share this post which I hope will be relatively brief. Then again, many of you know how things go when I get into story telling mode. So you’ll have to wait and see how brief this post ends up. Unless you don’t care about socks – wool socks specifically.

You’re still here? Okay, then. I guess it’s story time.

I suspect only a handful of y’all know this, but I love wool socks. I’m quite particular about them though because they aren’t inexpensive and finding some that I can wear year round in the Texas heat that are durable enough to put up with the abuse I put them through isn’t easy.

Now that you know that, let’s go back to a couple of months ago. I had just cleaned out my sock drawer and noticed that the last few pairs of lightweight “year round” wool socks I had left were looking worn. Not worn enough to toss out just yet, but worn enough that it was time to keep my eyes open for new wool socks to try. Especially since the cooler weather was coming and hunting season was around the corner.

The remaining socks I had left were okay. They weren’t great, but if push came to shove I would acquire some more of the same since they had performed well enough on range days, at matches, on hunts, and all of the other typical outdoor weekend activities I participate in. The exception to that was the summer heat. One brand of socks was a bit too warm for me. And the other brand socks, a more recent acquisition, weren’t holding up as well as the first. Still I could work with them again.

At any rate, I wasn’t in a rush to replace them. I had time.

Shortly after that, I saw a post on X (formerly Twitter) where someone I followed sent a pair of wool socks as a gift to someone. In that post, the sock maker, Ron Miskin, was tagged. The thing was that I didn’t know Ron made wool products. All I knew is that Ron and I had been following each other and interacting on X for years. As far as I knew, he was just a good dude. So I replied and mentioned that I was going to order a pair or two of his socks to try out.

And that’s exactly what I did. I ordered a pair of lightweight wool crew socks and lightweight wool short socks.

A few days later, my package arrived. To my surprise, the order contained the two pairs that I ordered and then some. Ron and his wife, Theresa, threw in a set of bison fiber insoles and three other pairs of socks. They also refunded my order.

I was confused. The next day, I messaged Ron on X and told him there was a problem with my order and I needed to send back a bunch of stuff. He laughed it off and said there was no mistake. He said it was a thank you gift for all of the free content I’ve put out over the years that he has benefitted from.

Ron asked for nothing in return. Not this review. Nothing. It was a very kind gesture that I accepted.

Of course, I had to post a “mail call” picture on social media shortly thereafter. One reply asked me to review the socks. My response was that I wouldn’t know where to begin. I’ve never reviewed socks. However, after putting some of the wool socks through the ringer. I found myself buying several more pairs. And now I find myself writing this post.

Why now? Well, the socks are wonderfully comfortable and all signs are pointing to them being durable. I might have to eat those words this time next year, but I doubt that will be the case. Additionally, the holidays are upon us and wool socks (and other wool goods) make wonderful gifts.

While I’ve tried on all of the different socks I received, I’m going to tell you about the three that I’ve reordered and why.

The first set of socks is The B.O.S.S. ultralight gear short sock (which I originally ordered). I wear shorts a lot in hot weather and when I wear shorts I prefer to wear short socks. These particular socks are soft and comfortable. They have all sorts of features that I could mention and pretend to know about like the integrated arch support and terry loop cushioning, but the truth is I don’t know anything about that and I really don’t care. I like the socks because they keep my feet dry and are comfortable. While I didn’t wear them in peak Texas heat, I did wear them at several matches and a couple of full day firearms classes while the temps were in the low 90s and they did their job without getting too hot. Suspecting these will work well next spring and summer, I ordered another few pairs.

The set, which I also originally ordered, are the Casual Crew 2.0 ultralight gear crew socks. As far as I can tell, these are just like aforementioned short socks but in a crew sock height. And this height of sock is what I prefer when I wear pants which is something I have to often thanks to the day job. Apparently, wearing shorts in a “professional setting” is frowned upon by many. At any rate, they perform just like the short socks. Suspecting these will work well next spring and summer as well, I ordered another few pairs.

The final set is the Yellowstone Advantage gear crew sock. These are heavyweight socks that I probably won’t use nearly as much since they do get quite a bit warmer. However, these socks are even more comfortable than the lightweight ones and have kept my feet nice and warm while hanging outdoors during the lows of the cold fronts that have started hitting us which have been in the low to mid 40s. Given the warm comfort, I suspect these will work well for the upcoming winter matches and this deer season. As such, I ordered a few more pairs.

There is one honorable mention here that I want to order more of and that is the Pro Gear crew socks. These are a midweight sock that are just a hair warmer than the lightweight ones, but not as warm as the heavyweight ones. Ron included a pair of these in a boot sock length that I really enjoyed. Not sure if it was the silk that’s mixed into the yarn or what, but they were the softest and most comfortable of the three weights. The only reason I haven’t ordered more of these is because the crew length ones in my size have been out of stock and I don’t wear boots often enough to get enough use out of them to justify the expense. However, I will be picking a few pairs of the crew length ones as soon as they are back in stock.

I can’t say much about the Kenai ultralight gear boot socks Ron also sent because I haven’t tried them yet, but I have a hunch they will get some use soon enough and I don’t expect I will be disappointed.

At any rate, I think I may have found my new supplier of wool socks – The Buffalo Wool Co. While I may still be in the honeymoon phase with these socks, I’m very impressed. Besides, Ron and Theresa Miskin are good folks. They are also a Texas-based family-owned business that is manufacturing American-made wool products and that means a lot to me. I will have to try some of their other products after I’ve replaced and restocked the wool socks I want in my sock drawer.