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Mountaineer Classic Edition Max Cushion Second Cut Crew Socks
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With full, plush cushioning, the Classic Mountaineer Classic Edition Max Cushion Second Cut™ Crew Socks are just right for your long-distance and backpacking hikes. They’re made with our circular Second Cut™ yarn, which blends 50% recycled fibers from our sock take-back program and canister waste with 50% virgin Merino wool to create new socks. The elasticized arch brace offers a secure fit, and the flat knit toe seam helps with in-shoe comfort. No matter how long the hike, keep your feet comfortable with our thickest, warmest wool crew socks.
Second Cut™ Yarn — 50% Recycled, 50% Virgin Merino
Featuring our 2nd Cut yarn – utilizing a mix of 50% recycled fibers from a combination of our sock take back program, canister waste and 50% virgin Merino wool to create new socks. Second Cut™ is Smartwool’s circular-yarn program: fibers recovered from the sock take-back program (worn-out socks customers return) and canister waste from the yarn-spinning process are blended with fresh Merino to create new sock yarn. The sock’s headline differentiator — performance wool hike performance with half the virgin-wool input.
Max Cushion — Smartwool’s Thickest
Full, plush cushioning — our thickest, warmest wool crew socks. Max Cushion delivers the highest-density padding Smartwool makes, running through the entire foot and lower leg rather than just the sole. The cushion absorbs the repeated impact of long-distance backpacking miles, insulates the lower leg inside a hiking boot, and protects the shin from boot-bang pressure on the downhill. The right cushioning for backpacking trips, multi-day hikes, and cold-weather trekking when a lighter-cushion sock would compress to nothing by lunch.
Elasticized Arch Brace For Secure Fit
The elasticized arch brace offers a secure fit — a knit-in compression band that locks the sock into the arch of the foot so it doesn’t bunch or slip inside a hiking boot across a long hike. The arch brace is the critical fit detail on a max-cushion sock: extra fabric in the sole means extra material that wants to move, and the brace is what holds it in place against the foot for thousands of trail-pounding steps.
4 Degree™ Elite Fit System
4 Degree™ Elite Fit System offers a performance fit with strategic stretch and mesh zones to promote breathability while helping protect against blisters. Four compression bands — at the ankle, instep, arch, and upper cuff — lock the sock into the foot across the full hike. The performance fit is the dialed-in lock that defines a technical hike sock.
Flat Knit Toe Seam For In-Shoe Comfort
The flat knit toe seam helps with in-shoe comfort. A standard sock toe seam is a thick ridge across the top of the toes — inside a tight hiking boot, that ridge is pressed against the foot for hours and is the most common source of toe blisters on long hike days. The flat-knit toe seam removes the ridge, eliminating the friction point before it can start.
Circular Knit Construction
The sock is knit in a single continuous tube rather than assembled from a flat knit panel — the circular knit construction eliminates the toe seam at the tip of the closure (only the flat knit seam across the top of the toe remains) and gives the sock a more even, body-conforming fit. Less material, fewer seam points, more uniform stretch across the foot.
Crew Height — Above The Hiking Boot
Crew height rises above the ankle bone — the right height for hiking boots and mid-cut hiking shoes where a low-cut sock would expose the ankle to boot rub and trail debris. The cuff stays up under the boot’s collar without binding at the calf, and the height covers the ankle gap that no-show and micro heights leave when worn with a higher boot.
Long-Distance & Backpacking Versatility
Just right for your long-distance and backpacking hikes. Built for the multi-day backpacking trips, long-distance trail hikes, and cold-weather trekking where a lighter-cushion sock would compress to nothing and a thinner sock would let the boot rub the foot raw. The max cushion absorbs thousands of trail-pounding steps across a backpacking trip; the Merino + recycled blend manages odor across multiple wear days without daily washing.
Technology
Second Cut™ Yarn (50% Recycled + 50% Virgin Merino); 4 Degree™ Elite Fit System; Max Cushion
General
Product
Mountaineer Classic Edition Second Cut™ Crew Socks
Fit
Performance fit (4 Degree™ Elite Fit System — strategic stretch and mesh zones)
Category
Mountaineer / Max Cushion Crew
End Use
Long-Distance Hiking, Backpacking, Multi-Day Treks, Cold-Weather Trekking
Technology
Second Cut™ Yarn (50% recycled + 50% virgin Merino); 4 Degree™ Elite Fit System; Max Cushion
Gender
Unisex
Available Sizes
S, M, L, XL
Materials & Construction
Fabric Composition
41% Wool-Merino, 41% Unknown Fiber Content/Mixed Fibers (recycled), 17% Nylon, 1% Elastane
Recycled Content
50% recycled fibers (sock take-back program + canister waste), blended with 50% virgin Merino wool
Fabric Weight
Max Cushion (full, plush — Smartwool’s thickest, warmest wool crew)
Sock Height
Crew (rises above the ankle bone — hiking-boot compatible)
Knit Construction
Circular knit (single continuous tube) with elasticized arch brace
Country of Origin
Made in the USA of Imported Yarn
Washing
Machine wash on gentle cycle in warm or cool water. The recycled Merino + virgin Merino + nylon + elastane blend benefits from gentle agitation to protect the 4 Degree™ Elite Fit stretch recovery and the elasticized arch brace. Warm or cool water is fine — hot water can felt the Merino fibers (both virgin and recycled) and damage the elastane. Use a mild, technical wash; avoid fabric softeners, which coat the Merino fibers and reduce the natural odor resistance that makes the sock wearable across multi-day backpacking trips.
Drying
Tumble dry low. The max-cushion Merino + recycled blend benefits from low tumble heat to re-loft the thick cushion after washing. High heat can shrink the Merino fibers (virgin and recycled) and damage the elastane at the 4 Degree™ compression bands — keep the setting low and remove promptly.
Bleach & Iron
Do not bleach. Do not iron. Bleach breaks down Merino wool fibers (both the virgin wool and the recycled wool content from the take-back program) and degrades the nylon reinforcement. Iron heat can scorch the Merino blend and damage the elastane at the 4 Degree™ compression bands.
Dry Cleaning
Do not dry clean. The harsh solvents used in commercial dry cleaning strip the natural lanolin from Merino and degrade the nylon reinforcement and the elastane at the 4 Degree™ compression bands — both of which are core to the sock’s cushion and fit performance.
Storage
Store folded in a dry, breathable space. Merino’s natural odor resistance lets the sock cover multiple wear days between washes across a backpacking trip — folded storage preserves the max cushion and the elasticized arch brace. Avoid hanging for long periods, which can stretch the elastane out of the 4 Degree™ compression bands and the arch brace.
Shipping Policy
Components:
All component items (wheels, drivetrains, suspension, brakes, etc.) ship within 4-7 business days of purchase.
Bicycles:
Complete bikes typically ship within 2–3 weeks due to build, tuning, and inspection times. You will receive tracking information as soon as your order is ready to ship.
Riding Gear & Apparel:
Riding gear and apparel orders (helmets, jerseys, gloves, etc.) ship within 3-10 business days.
Returns & Exchanges:
If you received the wrong size or wish to exchange an item, it must be returned in original condition—unused, uninstalled, and with all packaging intact.
For full details, please see our Refund Policy before initiating a return.
