Hillwalking socks: which Alpkit sock to choose

By Kenny Stocker 05 Mar 2026 4 min read

Liskam, Ushbar and Talus hiking socks and Mesa and Esker liners compared: which weight suits your season and boots, and when to add a liner.

We make three hillwalking socks and two liners. Which one you need depends on the season and your footwear:

For most walking from spring to autumn: Liskam, a lightweight blended merino sock
For year-round walking in boots: Ushbar, a midweight lambswool sock
For winter walking and mountaineering boots: Talus, a heavyweight lambswool sock
Under any of them, to cut the risk of blisters on long days: a Mesa or Esker liner

All three hiking socks have polyamide reinforcing the toe, heel and sole where they wear fastest, cushioning at the toe and heel, and a seamless construction that cuts the risk of hot spots. The difference is how much wool there is, so how warm and padded they are.

Lightweight: Liskam

When you want a light sock that works for most of the year. Liskam is blended merino with Coolmax and Thermolite fibres: the merino feels soft and resists smell, Coolmax moves sweat away faster, and the hollow Thermolite fibres hold a little warmth on cooler days. It's crew length, so it suits approach shoes and trail shoes as well as boots, and it's thin enough for running, riding and climbing on a multi-activity trip.

Best for spring to autumn hillwalking, warm days and well-fitting boots that don't need padding out.

Midweight: Ushbar

When you want one warm, cushioned sock for every season. Ushbar is a lambswool sock with polyamide in the high-wear areas. It's thicker than Liskam, so there's more padding under your foot on long, rocky days and more warmth when it's cold. Long crew length works with boots and shoes.

Best for year-round hillwalking in leather or fabric boots, and for anyone who prefers a traditional thick wool sock.

Heavyweight: Talus

When it's cold and your boots are stiff. Talus is our heaviest lambswool sock, made for 4-season hillwalking and cool-weather mountaineering. It's mid-calf height, so it sits above the cuff of walking, mountaineering and ski boots, where a shorter sock would let the boot rub your shin.

Best for winter walking and cool-weather mountaineering.

Liner socks: Mesa and Esker

When you get blisters, or you're out for several days. A liner is a thin, close-fitting sock worn under your hiking sock. The liner moves with your foot and the hiking sock moves with your boot, so the rubbing happens between the two socks instead of against your skin. Our guide to layering socks covers when two pairs help and when they just make your boots too tight.

Mesa is Coolmax polyester and comes in a pack of two pairs. Being synthetic, it dries quickly, so it's the one for warm weather. Esker is blended merino, so it's softer and slower to smell on a multi-day trip. Both are made to fit under Liskam, Ushbar or Talus, and both work on their own as very light summer socks.

Our hillwalking socks compared

Sock	Weight	Fibre	Best for
Liskam	Lightweight	Blended merino, Coolmax and Thermolite	Spring to autumn, shoes or boots
Ushbar	Midweight	Lambswool and polyamide	Year-round walking in boots
Talus	Heavyweight	Lambswool and polyamide	Winter and mountaineering boots
Mesa	Liner	Coolmax polyester	Under a hiking sock, warm weather
Esker	Liner	Blended merino	Under a hiking sock, multi-day trips

Choosing sock weight, height and fit

Thick or thin. Choose by season and by the room in your boots. A thicker sock adds cushioning and warmth, but only if your boot has space for it. A sock that squashes your foot is colder and rubs more than a thinner one that fits. If you bought your boots with thin socks, Liskam is the one to wear with them.

Height. A sock should come above the top of your footwear so the cuff doesn't rub your skin. Crew length suits trail shoes and walking boots. Choose mid-calf, like Talus, for taller mountaineering and ski boots.

Fit. Hiking socks should be snug with no wrinkles, especially under the heel and across the toes, where a fold soon turns into a hot spot. Try new boots on with the socks you'll walk in.

Wool or synthetic. Wool stays comfortable over a wider range of temperatures and resists smell, which matters on a trip where you'll wear the same pair twice. Synthetic fibres dry faster. Liskam and Esker blend the two, Ushbar and Talus are mostly wool, and Mesa is synthetic.

Socks for running and cycling

For running, Scape is a light, ankle-length sock with mesh panels to let heat out, and Repeat is the blended merino version with cushioning under the sole. For riding, Stage is a breathable crew-length road and gravel sock, and Divide a mid-calf merino sock for bikepacking. See our guides to trail running socks and cycling socks.

See all our socks, or the rest of your hillwalking kit.