How many km's should socks last?

[LAMEA-Gals]

In the middle of the year I bought a $50 pair of Thorlos socks - I don't usually pay this much for socks, thought they might be good for the hard rocky Larapinta Track (which they were).

Anyway I've just come back from a long weekend walk and they have given up the ghost - no amount of soaking/washing/airing is reviving the soles - they are stiff, matted and have no cushioning left. I've worked out that I've used then for about 200km of walking.

Am I being unrealistic thinking they should be lasting longer???

Any tips for reviving them after long trips?

[ollster]

Sounds like they've been nicely broken in... cushioning is not really that important in my opinion. If you need more "comfort" in your footwear then maybe a softer pair of shoes/boots is more appropriate?

I really only care about the shape and fit of the sock. Loose, baggy socks like Explorers (utter, utter crap) always give me blisters, as they move around on my foot. The Icebreaker socks and Wigwam/Ultimax socks I use NEVER give me blisters because they are fitted to my foot, don't deform when wet and don't move around or bunch up when I'm walking. They all go a bit stiff and pack down after a bit, it doesn't bother me at all.

[johnw]

Any tips for reviving them after long trips?

Try washing them inside out, it may help. Some packing down/stiffness is normal wear and tear but failure after 200km does seem a bit premature.
I have a pair of Thorlos I picked up for $15 on sale but haven't got around to trying them out; I hope they'll do better than that.
Like Ollster I also like the Wigwam Ultimax socks and they seem to last for years. Always wear them with thin liners and wash them inside out.
Extremely rare to get a blister with them in my experience. I'm guessing km's usage would be over 1000 and still going.

[vagrom]

Don't give up on the idea of two pairs, a light weight inner and thicker outer. Holeproof 65/35 wool/nylon inners that catch the first line of foot gunk;( being lightweight makes them quicker to wash and dry. Roll them up in something dry to speed that up), and then 70/30 wool/nylon outers. Much cheaper than hi-tech socks and readily obtainable.
The double layer is supposed to reduce friction hot spots. On an extended walk you could bring say 4 or 5 inners and two outers and one of the outers can be an excellent warm, dry pair at the end of a wet, cold day.
I'm guessing as a rule that shock absorbing inner-soles are more a mainland issue.

[norts]

I've had a couple of pairs of Thorlos and did not have any problem with them. I agree they need to be washed inside out . Dont expect the cushioning of any sock to last long. Think about your weight compressing some looped fabric.
I now wear Darn Tough Socks and they are great. Hardly any cushioning but I have never had a any problems even after days of walking in wet boots with the same pair.

I noticed PP had them in stock the other day. I had to get mine from USA

Roger