Sportful Wool Woman 16 socks

Sportful's Wool Woman 16 Socks offer decent winter comfort and warmth, providing a level of insulation for colder days that is surprising given their low bulk. They are rather pricey though.

Pulling the socks on, they have the usual softness you'd expect from merino, but are far from the cosiest I've worn. Comparing them with something like Castelli's Sfidas, their lack of luxuriousness is really noticeable.

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The socks don't have the bulk of some full-on winter ones – perhaps a bonus if you have a very close-fitting shoe. On me they're snug, close to a compression fit, though I have wide, size 8.5 feet, and opted for the L/XL (size 39-41), so I'm at the upper end.

I've made use of the socks without overshoes in cool, dry weather, and in temperatures of 8-12°C they perform brilliantly. The footbed is lightly padded for extra warmth and the terry-knit at the front of the ankle insulates well. The decent length offers extra protection for the lower leg/ankle on colder days too.

You'll probably want to add an overshoe if you use them in temperatures under about 7°C, but even with an overshoe, as temperatures neared zero the socks didn't cut it for me – my feet simply weren't kept warm.

The high merino content certainly helps to keep odours at bay. I got several wears out of these before they made it into the machine. Even when they did, it wasn't because they were smelling.

> Buyer’s Guide: 16 of the best cycling overshoes

The 30% synthetic fibres are intended to provide good breathability; you want your feet to be kept warm, but you want to avoid overheating. Sweaty feet certainly weren't an issue for me when I did add overshoes.

They are still in great condition after daily wear for the full test period. They've held their shape well – no evidence of shrinking or loss of elasticity.

Price-wise, they're at the top end of what I'd want to pay for a winter sock that doesn't cater for the coldest of winter days (for me), but there are a lot out there at a similar price.

For comparison, Rapha's Merino Socks (similarly not 100% merino) are £15, and the M2O Crew Compression socks are the same price as the Sportfuls – as are the Castelli Sfidas I mentioned earlier.

You can certainly get cheaper though: dhb's Lightweight Merino Socks are £10, and if you are keen to stick to a female-specific sock, maybe consider dhb's Aeron Merinos, currently £10.50 down from £15.

> How to keep your feet warm while cycling in winter

Overall, these aren't the cosiest or cheapest socks you can buy, but they do seem durable. Their performance in terms of insulation and breathability in a wide range of temperatures means you should get plenty of use out of them, too.

Verdict

Good low-bulk winter socks that will cater for most cold weather, but the high price works against them