10 Best Wading Socks in 2023 (Wader Socks Reviews)

Kudos to you if you fly fish barefooted under your wading pants or wading boots. Since it’s impossible in reality, getting the best wading socks for fly fishing is a compulsion to show your affection towards your feet.

After counting on the best deals in the market, we have found Wetsox wader socks, simply the best. The right fit, immense breathability, and ability to keep feet warm and cool have won our fellow fishermen. That’s not enough! Our team members opinionated these are the best socks for every kind of water sport.

In our quest of finding the best waders socks, we have witnessed the reliability and performance of several other models for wet wading. Some of which have left a lasting impression on our minds are listed below.

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10 Best Wading Socks For Fly Fishing

1. Wetsox Wader Sock|Slide In/Out of Boots/Waders – Best Neoprene Wading Socks

Wetsox’s frictionless wader socks from Wetsox are a great choice for best wet wading shoes due to their snug fit and frictionless outer material. 

Our testers have used these socks for their summer fly fishing and winter fly fishing and found them valuable in both seasons. These neoprene socks provided full protection from the foot to the leg, without causing feet to feel numbness. In winter, when used under waders, these kept our testers foot pretty warmer.

They offer a snug fit while leaving enough space for feet to maneuver, making sliding in and out of waders or wading boots easier than before.

Despite the durability of the product, the safety of your feet is assured due to reinforced heels and toes. Wetsox never touts that these socks are waterproof, but their ability to keep feet cool and warm is commendable. 

2. Simms Men’s Guide Guard Socks – Best Gravel Guards Wading Socks

Let’s say that your fly fishing kit is incomplete without any of Simms’s products. It’s our favorite wading socks from the house of Simms for a couple of good reasons.

Featuring gravel guards that fold over the socks, these serve the purpose alone without requiring waders. Because of gravel guards, the sand particles don’t enter into wading shoes. The length of the sock is just perfect that goes a little above your shoe for firm gripping and keeping feet grit free.

Simms impresses our testers as these socks are significantly lighter than standard neoprene socks in the market. being Neoprene’s, the breathability and moisture wicking properties never cut down at any specific moment, whether you’re wading wet or dry.

These socks count on your foot protection. Many wading socks either get sloppy, folded, or tight, asking anglers to compromise on free movement in the water. But Simms outperforms in this regard by introducing a clip to keep the sock in its place.

Along with this, Simms offers incredible customer service for replacing these socks if there’s a sizing issue.

3. Korkers I-Drain Neoprene Wading Sock – Best For Winter Fishing

Another pro rig in the category of neoprene wading socks comes from Korkers. Unique design, anticipated warmth, and comfort required during long hikes of fly fishing are worked upon here.

For our testers, the design of these socks is the first attention-grabbing feature. During wet wading mostly the socks come sloppy in your shoes. But this one stands apart as the unique design grips well around your ankle.

 Not just your feet get decent protection from grit but it’s tough to beat durability thanks to padded heels and toes on each sock. These socks are fully compatible with all Korkers Wading boots.

Like its competitor variants by Simms and Wetsox, they also retain heat to warm your feet. If you can shed some extra bucks, then top up your choice by considering Korkers’s exclusive 3.5mm neoprene socks to avail of extra benefits.

You can’t help appreciating how easily your feet dry out once you’re out of water. Easy to put on and off, Korkers has made them for delivering perfection.

4. Sealskinz Knee Length Sock – Best Merino Wool Socks

Steelhead chasers won’t let frostbite, foot immersion, or blisters stop them from hooking in the most awarded fish of the game. So if you fly fish in cold water bodies of Oregon or Alaska, then no need to look further than this option from Sealskinz. 

Wet wading will make your feet wet in time, so the idea of the best waterproof socks for wading is a myth. However, Sealskins has gone beyond by manufacturing fishing socks that would remain on the dry side throughout. 

Notwithstanding this fact, they deliver excellent warmth and comfort to your feet. From the inside, it features merino wool to keep your feet dry and cool. Whereas the hydrophilic exterior saves water from entering the sock __that’s why waterproof.

Even the best neoprene wading socks require fishermen to fight when wearing them on and taking off, these are a no-brainer. Just like any traditional cotton socks, putting them on and off is a cinch. Also, they hug your foot and leg for a seamless fit.

One potential downside to this option is its higher price tag which shouldn’t make it a deal breaker at its cost.

5. Sumade Waterproof Socks – Best For Wet Wading

Whether you wet wade in the cold or your fish hiking goes on all year, Sumade waterproof wading socks won’t disappoint you. These socks pack in warmth, and comfort while providing your feet enough ventilation to fish while staying 100% dry.

Like Sealskinz, these also bear three layers of construction. However, our testers raved about the superiority of these over the other ones. Atop it features nylon for repelling water; the second layer consists of a waterproof membrane; and the last inner layer comes with state of the art Coolmax fabric. So if water enters the sock, Coolmax lining will wick moisture to keep your feet completely dry.

The toes and heels are padded to protect your feet from any unwanted discomfort. Not to mention, its elasticity allows its wearer to slide in and out of the shoes or fishing waders a real breeze. Yet, a slight catch is to find an accurate fit for your size since they get either tight or too sloppy on the calf.

Overall, for wild freestone fisheries with lots of pebbles, this is the perfect rig to deem. 

6. Darn Tough Micro Crew Socks – The Most Comfortable Wading Socks

If you’re wet wading at below 30-degree temperature, your feet may swamp. Likewise, even if you’re dry wading at 50degree above temperature, your feet tend to sweat. However, with these socks on, you don’t have to remain mindful of keeping your feet dry or cool in either of the situations. In short, their breathability never drops.

In our checklist, comfort is the deciding factor to buy a nice pair of angling socks. Darn Tough Micro Crew socks never disappoint us as they remain soft on the skin and cause neither itch nor smell. The cushion from the toes to the heel also improves the overall experience. 

With all this, there are four different sizes available to get a proper fit for your foot size. Merino is stretchable, so these socks adapt to your foot shape.

in freezing temperatures, layering underneath these socks is required to level up the insulation to keep feet warm. Yet, this is a tradeoff feature that doesn’t make this bargain deal inferior to consider as the best wading socks for fly fishing. 

7. Ducks Unlimited Wader Socks – The Coziest Wading Socks

With 80% of Merino wool, these socks from Duck Unlimited can impressively cater to your wet wading needs. 

This sock is worth trying for angling, why? Because with more Merino fibers in construction, this sock has more moisture wicking properties. Again, owing to more wool, the socks can keep your feet warmer than any other competitive Merino wool socks. 

Reckon with this option if you have a liking for long fishing socks. From your toes to the knee and even above, you get reasonable comfort to make your wading experience worthful. Being knee high and thicker socks, they’re a popular choice for your cold wading.

Along with this, you don’t have to fight when slipping in and out of your wading boots or waders is required. The pullover design is one of the easiest of its kind when it comes to putting them on and off.

Yet being friendly on the pocket, this is an attention grabbing deal.

8. Simms Merino Thermal OTC Sock – Best For Women

Simms’s fishing products are a synonym for exceptional craftsmanship and its Merino socks aren’t an exemption. 

Better than average polyester or cotton socks, these are the perfect socks when you fly fish all year. With better absorption, these socks soak water without making your feet swampy. Similarly, with higher breathability your feet will stay super cool when you’re wearing them under your waders and sweat is tripping over your feet. 

A phenomenal sock should fit well, and Simms’s sock holds well for many years to come. It is tailored to cover not only your foot but the calf too, for bringing in a warmer and better wading experience. With extra padding on the toes, midfoot, and heel, the OTC socks seem to caress your feet.

More to this, the unique design doesn’t slouch and prevents any kind of irritation and rubbing against your skin.

If you’re a believer in “ you get what you pay for”, then you won’t mind shedding bucks to get this pricier pair of socks.

9. Riverruns Wading Socks – Best Wading Socks For Money

Knee down warmth when wet wade fishing in Northern cold rivers seems delusional. Yet, enthusiasts know how to turn the tables by investing in a quality pair of Neoprene wading socks. This is an effective deal on the best socks for fishing waders as the wearer’s comfort and warmth remain unnegotiable.

First off, these are Neoprene socks, therefore incredibly warm and require the least layering beneath to enhance the insulation. For glacial fed rivers, they’re worth trying.

This doesn’t imply that you can’t use them for angling during warmer months. This sock is well ventilated and keeps your foot cool. 

Riverruns Neoprene sock replicates the Wetsox frictionless’s design. If smoothly slipping in and out of waders or wading boots is what you’re looking for, then the antislip exterior makes them the best socks for wading boots.

The main issue, our testers encountered with these socks is the fit. Claimed to be stretchable to fit a specific size, they felt a bit tight on the calf. Whether you have a large calf or a short one, go for a size up to have room for movement. Yet, for durability and make, this sock has our hearts.

10. Simms Neoprene Wading – Best Socks For Drying Feet 

We already had a great experience with Simms Gravel guards wading socks and weren’t expecting anything less from these neoprene socks. Spotting on, these have all the basics of traditional neoprene socks, making us fall in love with the socks and the brand.

For comfort, we rated these socks higher than average Neoprene socks. The design hugs the skin from the toes to the mid length of your calf, leaving no wrinkling behind. 

Next to the design is the well thought construction. Though Neoprene is by default breathable, the inclusion of airprene wall under the footbed of each sock adds to the breathability of the sock. This is important to consider if cooler feet during warmer summer days are your priority. 

Not just this, but are the best socks for winter wading, too. By covering your leg to the middle of the calf, the sock provides decent warmth to anglers. Nevertheless, these aren’t waterproof.

Keeping ourselves unbiased, we encountered a few issues when finding the perfect fit for our size. Instead of going one size up, these socks might require going one size down.

Yet, these remain a great consideration as the best wading socks.

Buying guide

Since wading involves staying in a water body for some specific time, your feet under waders or wading booties can get wet, no matter what. Your regular cotton socks won’t work to keep your feet dry in the water, so you must have an idea of the material used to make different types of wading socks.

Types of wading socks

1. Neoprene wading socks

Neoprene is the most general material used to construct wading socks. For summer wading, if a wader seems heavier and warmer on the body, then only Neoprene socks along with a nice pair of wading shoes are fine to keep your feet warm. 

On the other hand, the water-resistant nature of Neoprene and improved insulation also make them worth investing in when it comes to fly fishing in cold rivers.

2. Merino wool wading socks

Merino wool is well known among outdoor sportsmen for decades because of its better moisture soaking and skin-friendly nature. They don’t compromise on warmth either, making them perfect to wear under a wader in chilly weather. 

Key Features To Look For In Wading Socks

You can’t stop here; merino wool or neoprene, both kinds of socks for fly fishing are only the best when they have the following attributes.

1. Comfort

A wading sock is useless if it bites on your feet. So, comfort is the main thing to look for when buying socks for fly fishing waders. Comfort comes with the right sizing and the exaggerated padding on the sole of a wading sock. 

You can’t overlook the accurate sizing of a wader sock. A saggy sock will not just let water enter the sock, but dirt and pebbles can also make a way through such kind of sock to irritate your skin. Therefore, to prevent blisters you need socks that fit your feet well.

Likewise, if you want better protection and more warmth for your feet, the knee length wading socks make the best bet.

2. Breathability

The breathability of wading socks is directly proportional to the comfort you’re going to have in a particular wading sock. Merino wool as well as Neoprene socks are breathable. Yet, Merino wool sock is better if more breathability is required as Merino fibers optimally soak sweat and water to keep your feet dry and cool.

3. Gravel guards

Whether you fish in salt or fresh water, the fine particles of sand or gravel can enter your best wading boots pair. However, socks with gravel guards aim at keeping those fine particles away from entering your wading shoes.

3. Durability 

Used frequently or occasionally, wading socks should last you years of service. Keep them clean and dry when not in use to improve their durability.

Conclusion

Deciding on the best wading socks shouldn’t intimidate you since you have detailed knowledge of the topic. To simply put, effective socks for fly fishing protect your feet from blisters and cold. Simms OTC socks are also the best consideration if you have an adoration for Merino wool. Again, Simms gravel Guards Neoprene variant is a great option if you’re just opting for the best wader socks for fly fishing.

FAQs

Are wading socks waterproof?

Intended to remain waterproof, the wading socks eventually wet your feet. 

Merino wool socks or Neoprene: which is a better option?

It depends on your personal preference and usage. If you fly fish in winter, Merino is better for keeping your feet dry and odorless. If fly fishing in summer, then Neoprene goes excellent without waders on.

Do wading socks require additional layering?

If you wade in cold water, then layering under the socks is better for keeping your feet warmer.

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