Bamboo Sports No Show Bamboo Socks Review

Bamboo Sports’ No Show Bamboo socks are oh-so-comfortable to wear. Really, we’ve been digging just how soft the fabric is. That does sound a bit weird given how “bamboo” is in the name. It’s no joke, though, and the material does have its advantages in terms of absorbing moisture and as an alternative to Merino wool.

Materials & Aesthetic

The main draw of these socks boils down to two things: they’re no-show socks, and they’re primarily made of bamboo. Yes, that bamboo. To be more precise, these socks are 80% bamboo, 15% polyester, and 5% elastane, so they’re not entirely made out of wood. But why bamboo, anyway? The material is supposedly effective at absorbing moisture because of the fibers. And if there’s anything you’d want your socks to do, it’s to keep your feet dry.

Bamboo socks haven’t really been on our radar for that long, mostly because we’ve stuck with our Merino wool socks and never looked back. However, there are people who cannot use Merino wool because it’s itchy and/or irritates their skin too much. Bamboo does seem to be a promising alternative, but we’ll save the conclusions for later.

Aesthetic-wise, these are more or less your typical no-show socks. They’re low-profile and pair nicely with low-cut shoes. Like a lot of socks, these have large branding on them. Normally, we’d make a huge fuss if this were a bag or other type of gear we carry openly. Because these are socks, though (and the logo’s on the soles anyway), we’ll let it slide this time.

The sample we used for this review is medium-sized, which we found to work well with shoe sizes between 7.5 and 8.5. We also chose the white colorway out of personal preference. Thus, we won’t be too fussy about stains. That said, we won’t be overlooking non-color-related blemishes like loose threads or pilling, as you’ll see later on.

Usage & Durability

Something that’s not immediately obvious about these socks is how non-uniform they are. The top portion is a thinner, almost mesh-like layer, while the bottom gets the bulk of the material. This may come off strange if you’re coming from regular no-show socks. However, if you think about it, it makes a ton of sense.

Since our soles bear the brunt of our walking, it only makes sense that they get most of the cushioning. In fact, given how relatively thick this bottom portion is, it’s almost like a footbed. Conversely, the top portion’s thinner material makes the socks more lightweight overall.

Mind you, just because the top portion is thinner doesn’t mean it’s only all about weight savings. Bamboo Sports makes the most out of it by weaving it like a mesh for extra breathability. So if you’re the type to pair socks with open-top footwear like sandals, these may be worth looking into. That said, they don’t feel particularly more or even less breathable than Merino wool socks.

Similar to other no-show socks, these come with some silicone at the ankle area to help keep them from slipping down. Unfortunately, in this case, they don’t seem to be very effective because they did occasionally slip anyway. It’s easy enough to shift the sock even while we’re wearing shoes, but we’d rather not have them slip in the first place. Your mileage may vary, as our team did. Some had theirs slip; some never slipped at all.

Comfort is where these socks excel, and boy do these deliver. We could actually feel the extra cushioning along the soles. We typically focus more on the shoes we wear whenever we’re trying to get the most comfort. These socks, though, they’ve played just as much a part as our choice of footwear. This is a huge deal from a travel perspective where you’ll be doing a lot of walking and standing.

As much as we adore just how comfortable these socks are, they do come with a huge caveat: durability. After just one use, we already saw loose threads in some places and pilling all over the material. The loose threads are concentrated around the stitching near the toe and ankle areas, suggesting that it’s mostly due to wear and tear. However, washing also seems to add to the blemishes cropping up over time.

On that note, even though these socks have anti-microbial, anti-bacterial, and are moisture-wicking, we only got as far as two wears before needing to wash them. For comparison, we’ve had socks that had lasted four wears before they began to smell; that’s twice the amount of wears. Your mileage may vary depending on how sweaty your feet are and/or if you’re using foot powder. Again, from a travel perspective, these may not be the most optimal choice if you’re maximizing the use of each pair.

It’s hard to ignore the number of loose threads and pilling the socks have gathered over time. We’re afraid the durability just isn’t there for those looking for it, and that includes us. It’s a shame since we like the comfort so much.

That’s not to say all bamboo-based socks are made equal in terms of durability. The material is definitely promising for those who, for one reason or another, can’t go with Merino wool. So while these particular bamboo socks may be a no-go for us, we’ll keep an eye out for the next ones.