For the cold, sweaty, stinky-footed individual, wool socks are the answer

When it comes to warm socks, it turns out the old ways are still the best.

Wool is still the best material to insuretoastytoes, says Michael Edwards, the director of strategic initiatives and exhibits at Science East in Fredericton.

"When you think of thick wool socks, the kind that you get as a vaguely unwanted Christmas gift from a grandmother or an aunt, instead of that gift card you were hoping for, these are really the kind of warm ones," Edwards said.

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The reason for this hasless to do with the warmth of wool than with the ability of wool to trap air within its fibres.

"You've got this insulating layer between your foot and the exterior,: then that stops the heat going out and the cold air coming in," said Edwards.

That's not the only thing wool has going for it.

"Wool can absorb lots of moisture as well," Edwards said. "So it means that if they get wet, or if you've got sweaty feet, that means that they're able to deal with that."

For feet witha smell that is not exactly pleasant, wool can also help.

"Apparently, they're very good for people with stinky feet because there's a natural antibacterial property to wool as well," said Edwards.

Now, it's true there are other materials that would make warmer socks. The only problem is they're not very practical.

Too big for shoes

"When it comes down to it the warmest theoretical ones you could get, [it] would be down-filled socks ... you would need to have shoes or boots that were about five sizes too big," said Edwards.

Of course technology may catch up with wool. Newer materials have started to take hold.

"They've also started using that shiny stuff on jackets as well, which supposedly will reflect the heat back," he said. "I don't know if they work as well as they say it does, but it looks really cool."

Edwards said the type of blood vessels in the feet make them perfect indicators of your temperature.

"When your feet are cold, it's almost like ... it's one of the first things you notice about your body when you're feeling uncomfortable."