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For the warmest feet – choose ski socks

Maybe you think you can do without ski socks – after all they’re only a pair of socks, right?

Well, no – they're not like regular ones. They’ve been specially designed to keep feet as warm and comfortable as possible. Despite your child’s ski boots being insulated, his feet can still get cold. He is out in the snow, after all.

So the best way to keep his feet warm is to buy a couple of pairs of proper ski socks (one pair to wear, one pair being washed). You can buy them from specialist winter sports or outdoor gear shops.

You shouldn’t let your child wear two pairs of regular socks instead. They will crease, probably cause blisters and almost certainly be uncomfortable. We’d recommend that ski socks are definitely an item of clothing you and your child shouldn’t be without on ski holidays.

If you buy a reasonably priced pair, the first thing you’ll notice is that they are thicker than regular socks so they’ll keep your child’s feet warm. If you’ve opted for a pair that is described as a ‘ski tube’, the next thing you might notice is that apart from a seam that lies over the top of your child’s toes, there are no seams around the ankle.

This is because seams could cause discomfort when your child’s foot is nicely secured in his boot. It wouldn’t take long for seams to rub on his foot and then just imagine the complaints about blisters! So the tube design will both cushion your child’s foot as well as help prevent sore feet.

The length of ski socks also differs from regular ones. The ideal length (as you can see from this picture) is just below the knee, or at the very least to just above the top of the boot. This will ensure that your child’s whole lower leg inside his boot is comfortable. Believe us, shorter socks will inevitably wrinkle down around the heel or rub on his shins and feel really uncomfortable.

Long ski socks will also help if your child gets hot, sweaty feet by wicking the moisture away from the foot up the length of the sock. That’s not to say he won’t have sweaty feet at the end of a day’s skiing – but wicking will help him feel more comfortable.

When buying the tube variety you’ll find that a pair will fit several shoe sizes, so the good news is that they’ll easily last a couple of seasons. Price-wise, they’ll cost around £3 to £4 a pair and will usually be made from a nylon/wool/acrylic mix.

If you don’t like the sound of the ski tube sock, you could buy a pair with a defined heel where seams will be kept to a minimum to prevent discomfort. These too are available in size ranges, rather than specific shoe sizes. You’ll notice that they are more expensive than the tube variety, starting at around £10 a pair.

This design will probably be thinner and made with a more technical skier in mind. There’ll be strategically placed cushioning, extra wicking properties and even pairs that are supposed to have built-in ventilation. So for those who want maximum responsiveness between foot and boot, this design is sure to appeal. But, honestly, if you have a four-year-old taking his first lessons does he really need a technical sock? We’ll leave that to you to decide!

Whichever design you choose, a useful tip we’ve picked up through the years is to hand wash ski socks at the end of each day (yes, we know that’s an added chore on ski vacations). But you’ll notice that they wick moisture away much more efficiently if they’re freshly washed.

If we had to choose between the two designs, we’d choose tubes for growing feet. This is purely because we seem to get longer use out of them. We’ve found it difficult to get the right sized heeled variety to fit, which seems to lead to complaints about comfort – or lack of. Remember, we’re all for avoiding anything that could give the children cause to complain!

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