An item of clothing that people sometimes pay too little attention to during mountain biking: socks. Good MTB socks offer protection, contribute to comfort and keep your feet at the right temperature. In winter or summer. On this page I tell you everything you need to know about MTB socks.
Why are mountain bike socks important?
Blisters on your feet can develop not only during hiking, but also during mountain biking. Socks can prevent you from getting these kinds of complaints. However, those are by no means all the benefits of wearing socks. Like other parts of a mountain bike outfit, they offer comfort benefits. All the reasons to consider mountain biking socks:
- Can foot complaints such as blisters prevent
- Provide extra grip in mountain bike shoes
- Protect your lower legs from branches
- Keep your feet at the right temperature
With this last point, it is very important to buy socks that are suitable for a specific season.

MTB socks winter and summer
Do you wear MTB shorts in the summer? Then high socks can protect the rest of your legs from branches. And in the winter, socks can keep your feet warm during a cold mountain bike ride. When buying new socks, it is therefore very important to pay attention to the weather conditions for which they are suitable.
MTB winter socks offer more warmth, are often longer and thicker. Summer socks are lighter and thinner. These also come in high variants, so that they can protect your legs well if you wear shorts in the summer. And make no mistake: mountain bike winter socks are also ventilating!
Buying mountain bike socks
When you are going to buy new mountain bike socks, it is important to pay attention to the points below.
- Check the size of the socks, don’t buy too small or too big
- Go for seamless socks
- Pay attention to the degree of ventilation
- Check for which season they are suitable (summer or winter?)
- Buy socks in a set, then you are often cheaper
Good brands in a row
I advise you to buy MTB socks from the more famous sock brands. Consider Falke, for example. However, there are also brands that offer special mountain bike socks. I list them:
- GribGrab
- Craft
- Castelli
- Sockeloen
- Assos
Yes it’s right: many of these brands also offer socks for cyclists! These socks all fall into the cycling socks category.
Mountain Biking Socks FAQ
The fit of most MTB socks usually corresponds to normal socks. Size ranges are usually given for socks. For example size 42 – 46.
Go for brands like GribGrab, Castelli or Craft. These are brands that sell high quality mountain bike socks.
They keep your feet warm, prevent foot complaints and offer extra comfort. In addition, high socks also offer protection against branches and dirt.