Your Friends Swear by Them. Your Podcast Might Depend on Them. How Good Are Bombas Socks, Really? (2024)

For Millennials of a certain age, Bombas socks feel as much a fact of life as death and taxes. The direct-to-consumer hosiery company launched in 2013 with a simple, laudable mission: make really good socks, and do a little good on the side in the process. For each pair of beehive-adorned socks sold, Bombas donates another pair to those in need—over 100 million to date, per the brand’s tally, distributed with the help of thousands of partners across the country.

Bombas’ ubiquity is a byproduct of far more than its charitable slant. Sure, the brand's vision of altruistic capitalism was pleasantly lofty in a post-Obama sort of way, but its route to market dominance was also plenty savvy. In the company’s infancy, Bombas advertised in classic DTC fashion; if the first time you heard of the brand was in the middle of your favorite podcast, you’re not alone.

A little over a decade after the brand was founded, those Spotify ad-reads have really paid off. Even though Bombas peddles socks for $13 a pair (and some cases even more), they're still able to keep inventory moving faster than an ice cream truck in July. Which begs the question: Just how good are those socks, anyway? Answer: Good enough to be some of our favorite socks on the market.

Spending over $10 on a single pair can seem exorbitant given how frequently they go missing in the laundry machine, but considering Bombas’ pedigree, success, and dizzying array of options, we figured there had to be an X factor. So we put the brand’s catalog to the test, trusting our dogs (our feet, not our sock-hungry pets) to help us suss out what differentiates the brand from the competition. Here’s what we found.

The Best Bombas Socks, According to GQ

• Bombas No Show Socks, $13 (Read more here)
• Bombas Calf Socks, $16 (Read more here)
• Bombas Ankle Socks, $13 (Read more here)
• Bombas Half Calf Socks, $14 (Read more here)
• Bombas Quarter Socks, $14 (Read more here)

Bombas No Show Socks

Types: Lightweight, Cushioned, Low-Cut, Performance, Merino | Sizes: M (6-9), L (9.5-13), XL (13.5-16) | Colors: 6+ | Packs: 3, 4, 6, 8, 12

If you’ve never considered socks especially divisive, ask a group of GQ staffers what they think about no-shows. For years, this very website wantonly advocated in their favor—until they were declared dead, anathema to all that is stylish and sacrosanct. All of which is to say: no-show socks are laughably contentious—but if you’re reading this, blissfully unaware of the discourse surrounding them, don’t bother educating yourself. So you dig no-show socks. Big whoop! Do you, king. We’re not here to cast aspersions—we’re here to help you ID the absolute best product for your particular needs, and, as it happens, Bombas makes our favorite no-show socks.

For anyone familiar with the silhouette, wearing no-shows can be a constant struggle to keep them from falling off your heels and from peeking out beneath your kicks. After weeks of heavy wear, Bombas’ no-shows remained tight enough to stay up without feeling too present, all while providing enough coverage to prevent blisters, another telltale no-show pitfall.

In full disclosure, we only tested the lightweight version, which left a little to be desired in terms of cushioning, and proved a touch too sheer at the toe for our liking. Also important to note: Bombas’ no-shows come without the brand’s patented honeycomb-inspired arch support, a standout feature of each of the socks below.

Bombas Solid Ankle Socks

Types: Solids, Running, All-Purpose Performance, Marl, Performance Compression, Merino, Golf, Lightweight, Compression | Sizes: M (6-9), L (9.5-13), XL (13.5-16) | Colors: 16+ | Packs: 3, 4, 6, 8, 12

Can’t bear the thought—let alone the reality—of exposing your entire ankles for the world to see? Fine. Opt for an ankle sock, the hot dog of sandwiches. Allow us to explain. Bombas’ ankle sock, for example, sits higher than a no-show but nowhere near as high as a quarter sock (more on those immediately below). If you’re wearing the right sneakers, someone facing you head-on might not be able to see them at all. From behind, though, they’ll catch a glimpse of the telltale blister tab, a raised, arch-shaped piece of fabric attached to the heel and designed to cover the area of the Achilles no-shows leave exposed. (Think of it like a pillow for your foot.)

But that’s not the only place Bombas’ ankle socks delivered big-time cushioning. In our testing, they proved to be pleasantly cushy all over, a heckuva an upgrade from their no-show counterparts. Ultimately, whether you spring for these or decide to go up a tier in the socks hierarchy depends on your comfort with the little visible spoiler on the back. Convenient, for sure (no one likes blisters), but kind of an eyesore.

Bombas Quarter Socks

Types: Solids, Modern Rib, Running, Merino, All-Purpose Performance, Golf, Hiking, Roll-Top | Sizes: M (6-9), L (9.5-13), XL (13.5-16) | Colors: 6+ | Packs: 3, 4, 6, 8, 12

Congratulations: you’ve officially begun your ascent up Sock Olympus. Let’s take stock of the peaks along the way, shall we? In order of height, you’ve got the no-show, the ankle, and now, the quarter, the most forgotten hosiery silhouette of all—and, in our humble opinion, perhaps the best of the bunch for short kings across the land. For most fellas, the quarter sock isn’t exactly top of mind; if you’re sock-shopping at a department store or Target, you’re apt to find plenty of calf and ankle socks, but very few options between.

But ignore it at your own peril. Because, in our experience, quarter socks really do make the vertically challenged among us look taller—especially when they’re equipped with Bombas’ proprietary Sure-Fit cuff, a nifty flourish that ensures they stay securely attached to your legs, no matter how chicken-like. It’s tough to beat the benefits of looking a little taller, but the cushioning and built-in arch support came pretty darn close.

Therein lies the appeal of the oft-overlooked quarter sock, even for fellas with inches to spare in the height department: when your entire foot is cradled by this much extra-long staple cotton, why bother with the ankle-only coverage ever again?

The Bombas Half Calf Socks

Types: Original, Solids, Vintage | Sizes: M (6-9), L (9.5-13), XL (13.5-16) | Colors: 6+ | Packs: 3, 4, 6, 8, 12

Looking for the most practical, down-the-middle, no-BS sock Bombas makes? The half calf is it. As expected, it’s about a third shorter than its full-calf counterpart (see below), on par with other calf socks we’ve known and loved—if not a smidge lower. But, and this is crucial: it gets there without rumpling or ruching. We’ve tried plenty of calf socks that start tall and tight, only to gradually end the day half-slunk down our legs. But Bombas’ half calf stayed at full mast (sorry) until we peeled ‘em off, thanks to the brand’s signature Sure-Fit cuff.

This version doubles down on both the cushioning and the support, too, which had our dogs barking for joy by the time happy hour hit. Even in the most ill-advised footwear we own (and still insist on wearing, like something might magically change), our feet felt good, dry, and blessedly blister-free.

The Bombas Calf Socks

Types: Solids, Summer Slub, Running, Dress, Stripes, Jacquard Dress, Modern Rib, Marl, Chunky Ragg, All-Purpose Performance, Hiking, Reflec-Tec, Merino, Gripper, Originals, Plush Terry, Vintage, Textured Lightweight | Sizes: M (6-9), L (9.5-13), XL (13.5-16) | Colors: 12+ | Packs: 3, 4, 6, 8, 12

And now, the Granddaddy of Bombas hosiery: the full-sized calf sock. Technically speaking, it isn’t Bombas’ tallest sock—that’s the knee high—but unless your doctor explicitly instructed you to seek out extra compression (or you fly…a lot), you’re probably okay stopping right here. Heck, these suckers might still be too much for some folks. At full mast, they split the G on our proverbial Guinness glass, meaning they hit smack-dab in the center of our calves, a not-inconspicuous sight when paired with sub-7-inch shorts. We found them ideal for mildly strenuous activities— pickup hoops, anyone?—or colder weather, but they felt a little excessive on warmer days (and when worn with low-top sneakers).

That’s about the only knock against them, though, because, man, are they comfortable. For sock fans, the first slip on will be damn-near euphoric—the exact opposite of how a snake must feel when it sheds its skin. The first step is quite the follow-up, too: you can literally feel the compression work its way from the Achilles down into the heel, followed by a squish of cushioning from the heel all the way to the forefoot.