It has been a long, hot summer in the Upper Midwest and even short 30 mile bike ride will make you sweat like a Chicago alderman at a deposition. Cycling shoes are usually well ventilated, but if you wear the wrong socks your feet will be wet during your entire ride and make you miserable. The best socks for hot weather I’ve been able to find are the Pearl Izumi Men’s Attack Socks.
Pearl Izumi Attack Socks
These socks have a standard cuff height and are made with Pearl Izumi’s fast-drying Select Transfer fabric (69% polyester, 27% nylon and 4% spandex). The reinforced heel and toe on these socks make them very durable—I own six pairs of these socks and they have been washed at least fifty times each and the socks have held their shape and still look great.
This sock also has a “flat toe seam construction” which means the seams around the toes are so flat that you will not feel them while wearing the socks. The top of the socks have mesh ventilation that help keep your feet as cool as possible. The elasticized ankle cuff keeps the socks in place even on Century rides (and keeps your tan line crisp as well).
Pearl Izumi Men’s Attack Socks (Style 9343) are available in either black or white and retail for $20 for a package of three. You should be able to find these socks at your local bike shop, or, if that fails, on PerformanceBike.com or Amazon.com.
billgncs
August 1, 2012 at 8:03 AM
i will give them a try
All Seasons Cyclist
August 1, 2012 at 3:39 PM
I am sure you will enjoy them!
aleksbosch
August 1, 2012 at 1:55 PM
I’ve not yet branched out into investing in cycling socks. I don’t suppose you could explain what they offer over and above the multitude of specialist running socks I’ve acquired?
All Seasons Cyclist
August 1, 2012 at 3:41 PM
If you already have good running socks then you probably don’t need cycling socks — they are nearly identical — in fact, some companies advertise their socks as “dual purpose” for both running and cycling.
Chuck Huss
August 1, 2012 at 5:35 PM
I grew up North of Chicago (Round Lake) and I know it can get hotter there than here in Florida. The fast-drying feature has got my attention since it rains quite a bit here. I would like to know if you can reccomend a shoe that is also fast-drying and can be worn off the bike as well?
All Seasons Cyclist
August 1, 2012 at 5:53 PM
Chuck — it’s funny, but my best friend lives in Tallahassee and for most of this summer the daily temp in the Chicago area (I live in Zion) has been higher than in Florida! As for shoes, if you want to be able to walk with cycling shoes then you will need Mountain Biking Shoes, not Road Shoes — and for that I would highly recommend the Sidi Dominator — these shoes take a lot of abuse and are the coolest cycling shoes I have found for summer riding. I posted a review of them at:
http://allseasonscyclist.com/2011/11/04/sidi-2011-dominator-5-mesh-mens-mountain-bike-shoes/
Chuck Huss
August 7, 2012 at 5:54 AM
Thanks for the advice. I will look into that. When I first moved to Florida people said I was crazy because of the heat but it never gets to 100 degrees where I live like it does up north. It just stays at 95 for a very long time.
Zion is close to where I grew up. I seem to remember a restaurant that was half in Zion and half out and could only serve alcohol on the Zion half.
lifebeginsat30sum
August 1, 2012 at 6:38 PM
Thanks for stopping by my site! I hope you continue to check it out! Always neat to see someone excited about cycling – there are a lot of advid cyclist where I live! It’s really impressive!
All Seasons Cyclist
August 1, 2012 at 9:52 PM
Cycling changed my life — I used to be morbidly obese, but once I took up cycling the pounds just melted away (or something like that).
lifebeginsat30sum
August 2, 2012 at 8:29 AM
That’s awesome! Great that you found what works for you! I love swimming, so I try to do that whenever I can. I love all the options that are out there for people to get fit! Keep it up!
gillbla
August 2, 2012 at 5:19 AM
Hi, I’m glad you liked my velodrome cake at Tales of Pigling Bland. My husband rides a fixed wheel bike (poser?!) 12 miles to work every day rain or shine and is having all sorts of grief with it at the moment, I might have to direct him to your blog to cheer him up with exciting bike related paraphernalia
All Seasons Cyclist
August 4, 2012 at 9:59 PM
Be care about sending your husband to this blog since reading product reviews can end up costing a lot of money. I am an “impulse buyer” and tend to buy what I like (and I seem to like a lot of cycling gear).
buddyhell
August 3, 2012 at 4:12 AM
I’ve been wearing them for the better part of 4 years. They’re very comfortable, lightweight and cool. Highly recommended!
All Seasons Cyclist
August 3, 2012 at 9:56 AM
And they as so much more comfortable that the Performance brand of socks that I used to wear.
The Local Traveler
August 10, 2012 at 5:05 AM
I definitely need to get a pair of these.
All Seasons Cyclist
August 10, 2012 at 12:09 PM
Your feet will thank you!
Rebecca Drinkwater
August 25, 2012 at 1:34 AM
Ive got some and they are great for cycling – I do find that I occasionally end up running in them and that is not so good as they are shiner than running socks so I slip about in my trainers more.
All Seasons Cyclist
August 25, 2012 at 9:06 PM
Rebecca — you are certainly correct — they are thinner than running socks — it would hurt my feet to try and run with these socks on — but one the bike there is nothing better!