• Overall Rating

  : 5 out of 5

The Smartwool Women’s Hike Targeted Cushion Crew mid-weight hiking socks are designed to offer long-day comfort and performance, coupled with enhanced durability and it shows.

Smartwool have 3 decades of wool manufacturing experience and safe to say the sum of that experience presented here is one of the best walking socks I’ve ever tried! Although these socks do not feature a separate right and left fit, the shape means that they fit very well anyway. The women’s specific fit features a narrower heel, but it’s the zoned cushioning and different densities of knit that really make for a superior fit.

These stay put once they are on, with no movement within the shoe, no bunching up under toes and no issue with chafing. The cushioning is located just where it’s needed – toes and forefoot as well as heels and Achilles tendon area and for me was just right in terms of the comfort/thickness equation. Ribbing at the top of the sock helps to keep it in situ however you like to wear it – pulled up tight, or more relaxed. Wearing these with both boots and shoes, I found they still stayed nicely in place, making them an almost intangible addition to footwear, rather than an extra element to worry about.

Targeted cushioning really works! Credit: Lara Dunn

The medium weight of the knit is surprisingly warm for its low weight and bulk, happily tackling temperatures in the low digits as well as warmer, sunnier days. Those who really struggle with the cold may want something a little warmer, though.

A pretty even blend of (ethical) merino with synthetics means that they benefit from the best of both fabric types, giving balanced warmth and next to skin comfort with good moisture transport and swift drying. In fact, they dried incredibly quickly after washing and swiftly bounced back to looking fresh and new.

How we tested

Lara wears a UK size 5.5-6 and has a medium width forefoot and a narrow heel. She tested the socks in a mix of weather and in a variety of footwear from lightweight breathable walking shoes to stiffer, lined trekking boots. The tests were mostly lower-level hill walks but with some rocky, boggy and forested terrain too.

This review was first published in the March 2026 issue of The Great Outdoors. Compare this to others in our guide to the best hiking socks.