brasher's reputation for comfort on the line

Socks. Possibly the least sexy of all outdoor gear.

We pull them on to our feet, stuff them in our boots and forget them.

Until, that is, our feet get sore, blistered, wet, sweaty, uncomfortable. Then, we are more likely to blame the boot even though the socks may be to blame.

I must admit I gave little thought to socks other than to make sure they were the right size and up to the job of walking a few miles. Then brasher sent us a pair of Fellmaster socks.

These gender-specific socks have made me re-evaluate the value of these poor relations of the walking world.

I’ve had this pair out on the hills in virtually all weathers, except snow – but maybe that will be with us soon. On every occasion my feet have come back fresher than I might have imagined.

“Existing scientific reports show that men’s feet don’t get as cold as women but do produce more moisture, hence the use of Coolmax fibres to keep the feet dry,” brasher said. Let’s not pussyfoot around the terminology here: men’s feet in general get sweatier than women’s.

I’ve lost count of the times I’ve taken off boots at the end of a walk and experienced a less than fragrant mist rising gently from the footwear.

Yet every time the boots came off my feet were dry in the Fellmaster socks. Hot, yes, but not sweaty. In wet weather, with Gore-Tex lined boots, the feet were dry. In warm weather on a smartish hike up our test hill Pen-y-ghent, rather than damp feet at the end of the walk, we had hot, but dry tootsies.

Combined with brasher’s deserved reputation for boot comfort, the Fellmaster socks make for a pain-free hike.

The Fellmaster has extra padding on the heel to enhance walking comfort

The socks have the company’s comfort fit leg and cuff, and high density padding on the heel.

The toe seams are flat, again for comfort within the boot.

The area around the instep is ribbed, to increase ventilation, but it is the inclusion of Coolmax fibres that differentiates the men’s model from the women’s.

Whereas women are generally more prone to cold feet, men have the opposite problem, so the wicking properties of Coolmax polyester make up 83 per cent of the sock, with 15 per cent polyamide and 2 per cent Lycra.

The women’s version has merino wool mixed with Coolmax to increase the insulating properties of the socks.

The two gender versions are also tailored to fit men’s and women’s feet.

These socks have been a bit of a revelation and the comfort and pleasure gained from well-padded footwear that keeps the feet dry means you can virtually forget any potential sock problems.

The range is UK manufactured and come in three sizes. brasher describe the socks as three-season and the typical retail price is £13.50 a pair.

I didn’t test the women’s socks on the reasonable basis,  I thought, that I’m a man, but if the women-specific models live up to the men’s they should find a permanent place on fellwalkers’ feet.

Curiously, brasher’s website says at the time of writing that, although the men’s version is in the shops, the women’s is not yet with retailers. Ladies, you’ll just have to be patient.