I tested the Hywell merino wool boot socks for a few months around Moab. Mixed terrain, trail work, off-trail travel, and plenty of sandstone, dirt, and grit. Enough use to see what holds up and what does not.
These socks use a blend of 53% merino wool, 38% nylon, and 9% spandex and are designed for all-day wear in boots.
My previous go-to socks were Darn Tough crew socks, so I wanted to see how these compare in real use.
First Impressions
The Hywell socks feel thinner and less reinforced than the Darn Tough socks, but more comfortable. I did not weigh them since I received the boot-length version for testing before the crew version became available.
With Trail Runners
I used these socks with Topo trail runners on the Colorado Plateau. They felt comfortable at first, but slid more than I prefer in my Topo shoes.
Trail runners let in dirt, rocks, and grit. On abrasive sandstone, that combination wears gear fast. These socks wore out faster than I’ve seen before.
Heel wear after use
General wear after use
Toe break down, top.
Toe breakdown, bottom.
Overall, they wore out faster than I expected for this type of use.
With Boots
I also used these socks for trail work while wearing boots fairly often these past two months.
They work better with traditional boots that keep out dirt, rocks, and debris. My feet stayed dry and comfortable over long days. I suspect they would also work well with more enclosed shoes like Keen footwear.
Overall
For moderate terrain and more traditional footwear, these socks can work well.
For hiking on the Colorado Plateau, they do not hold up. For the same price, I will stick with Darn Tough for hiking.
For trail work in boots, I enjoyed wearing them and plan to use them regularly with this type of footwear.
Hywell informed me they are releasing a more durable and redesigned option based on feedback similar to mine, and I will test these newer socks in traditional hiking shoe length as well.
Update to follow.