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Where Do Your Walking Socks Take You

October 22, 2024

Where do your GS walking socks take you? Although our socks are designed for warmth and comfort while out walking in the hills, they’re all the perfect footwear for day to day wear. We’ve asked four friends of the brand who are dedicated wearers of our merino wool walking socks where and how they wear them. From an author whose socks are swept up in memories of the Pembrokeshire coast, to a woodworker whose feet they keep cosy in her studio, read on to discover the stories behind our socks.

Alice Vincent, Author & Podcast Host

Could you share any stories of how, when or where you have worn your GS socks?

The last time I wore them somewhere fun was when I was walking on the Pembrokeshire coastal path in August. It was a glorious summer’s day – I wore them with shorts and a thin shirt. That part of Wales has a great resonance with my husband, as he spent his childhood holidays growing up there, and this is the first time we had taken our son to that part of the country. We’d been invited there by our incredibly dear friends. Our son is a toddler and can’t walk very far, so I had him strapped to my back and he fell asleep for the entire walk. It’s a place that’s almost impossible to photograph properly as (on a good day) it has a beauty and aliveness to it that I find really eludes the camera. You’ve got gorgeous sunshine, salt in the air and blackberries to pick en route, and we were in the company of some of our favourite people in the world. The distant sounds of the sea and birdsong – just very, very peaceful. I wore my trusty Danner walking boots and GS socks and not a foot pain in sight!

We’re looking forward to reading your new book Hark: How Women Listen next Spring. Did your GS socks accompany you in your writing hut while you were writing the book?

I’ve been working on the book for a couple of years (almost exactly two years) and it’s been in fits and starts due to having a baby in that time. The hut where I write is like this bastion of cosiness. I have a specific pair of slippers to wear there, there are a lot of soft furnishings, I spend a lot of my time there in various layers of knitwear. I have a hut version of myself and a public facing version of myself and they are two extremely different things. When I think of cosiness, it has got to have a good sock involved! So yes, GS socks absolutely. They’re thick, cosy, and jolly when you look down at your feet. I basically lived in them out there! They’re basically the only item of my writing wardrobe that I can confidently walk outside of the house in. 

Do you wear your GS socks all year round?

Yes, I wear them all year round. We’re currently in early September and this week alone I have worn them under Birkenstocks to do the nursery run and go to the lido. As the lido isn’t heated, your body gets quite cold after swimming so they are the first thing I put on when I get out of the pool to try and get some warmth in the extremities.


Sam Binstead, Photographer

We’d love to hear how you wear your GS while at work?

I rock them both out on location and in the studio. They keep my toes really toasty on blustery January photoshoots atop the Dorset coast, and paired with a shameful pair of Crocs they’re the comfiest a foot can be for a day in the studio. 


Sophie Sellu, Artist & Woodworker (Grain & Knot)

Could you share any stories of how, when or where you have worn your GS socks?

Every day starts with a long dog walk, so I’ve worn my GS socks to keep my feet cosy while out with Stanley.  

Do you/will you be wearing your GS socks in your workshop/studio?

Yes! I’m a creature of comfort so being warm is my top priority. When I’m busy in my workshop it’s no different. I’m usually on my feet all day so it’s been really nice to be extra cosy. It also gets quite cold in there, so layering up in knitwear is usually my go to.

Will you wear your GS socks all year round?

Yes! I’m a trainers-in-summer, boots-in-the-winter kind of person, so both pair well with snuggly socks. 


Emma Lavelle, Travel Writer & Photographer

Could you share any stories of how, when or where you have worn your GS socks?

I travel a lot for work, and no matter where I’m going I always pack at least one pair of warm, cosy socks. I travelled around the Bernese Alps in a camper van at the beginning of the summer, where the weather fluctuated between 30 degrees and sunshine and 15 degrees and torrential rain. My GS socks came in handy on those colder days snuggled up in the van, as well as warming up my feet when I emerged from wild swims in icy cold glacial lakes. I also wore them with my hiking boots on a recent three-day walking holiday in Scotland – they were incredibly comfortable for 15 km hikes up mountains while also keeping my feet sweat-free in the surprisingly balmy temperatures. 

As a travel photographer and writer, you’re constantly on the go. Which destinations have your GS socks accompanied you to?

I’ve had my GS socks since June and they’ve already travelled with me to Switzerland, the Yorkshire Dales, the Lake District, Scotland and North Wales. I’ll be bringing them along with me on an upcoming trip to Cornwall and Devon later this month (where they’ll be especially welcome on the nights we are camping) and I’ll even be packing them for a shoot in Spain in October (it may still be warm during the days, but I’m sure I’ll need them for evenings on the beach).

Do you wear your GS socks all year round?

I’ve worn them all through the summer, and am looking forward to them keeping my feet cosy throughout the upcoming autumn and winter. 


Genevieve Sweeney, Founder.

Could you share any stories of how, when or where you have worn your GS socks?

I designed these walking socks as I loved to walk and wanted something that kept you comfortable throughout a walk, I spent a year designing and developing the walking socks. As a family, whether hikes in the Lake District, rambles in Tuscany, Hikes up mountains in the Brecon Beacons or a post-lunch walk, collecting leaves with the kids to see our neighbour’s alpacas. 

Sometimes it is just my husband and I walking, this is where he tests me and my socks… last March we walked up the Black Mountain in Wales in snow up to our knees, total only did we leave at 5 am in total darkness, the routes were so hard to read. Fast forward to 1pm the same day, my feet were kept warm, dry and comfortable throughout. The walk ended at a pub where we sat by a fire, I took off my boots, but not my walking socks. They stayed on, cosy yet cool as if the morning had not happened, suddenly they became a lounge sock.

Do you also wear your GS walking socks at home and in the studio?

I wear my walking socks at home, like a slipper. The double sole makes it the perfect padded sole that keeps your feet warm and comfortable when walking on a cold kitchen floor and perfectly cosy when working from home or snuggled on the sofa.At the studio I wear my sparkly socks and merino wool socks, I love the colours and sparkle peeking over the top of my boots. 

Do you wear your GS socks all year round? 

Yes, I do! As merino wool is a natural fibre, the socks really keep your feet cool in the warmer months and is moist wick so stops your feet from sweating and causing blisters. I love that these socks have multiple use as a lounge, slipper sock too, I often see friends kids wearing them around the house as slippers too.  For the gym I love the Cotton walking socks as they are the perfect weight to wear with trainers!

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