Rapha Pro Team Winter Socks

The Rapha Pro Team Winter Socks are designed to be warm without excess bulk, made from a merino wool blend, with reinforced heel and toe areas and a longer cuff. The overall performance is good, but they aren't as warm as some of a similar thickness.

Any sock designed for winter use has the tough job of trying to keep one of the most exposed and least protected areas of your body warm through a wide temperature range. Merino wool has become a very popular choice, with its natural ability to hold warmth even when wet – which can be quite frequent if you ride through a full British winter.

> Buy now: Rapha Pro Team Winter Socks for £22 from Rapha

These Pro Team Winter socks are made with 60% merino and 40% nylon, a common blend for socks.

I used them in a variety of conditions, usually without overshoes to give a better indication of warmth and performance. At 3°C, the coldest temperature I wore them, my feet were cold, especially my toes. While Rapha says the toe box is reinforced, the extra bulk is quite minimal compared with some winter socks I've used, such as the Galibier Fire Feet 2, where the extra bulk in the toe is more noticeable.

Rapha might call it a winter sock, but to my mind unless you wear them with an overshoe they are more spring/summer socks. It's not such a concern at the moment perhaps, but Rapha does also produce a Deep Winter sock, for £27, which might be better for full-on winter conditions.

Their ability to stay warm when wet is also limited – they certainly didn't retain as much warmth as my personal favourite Surly merino socks when wet.

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The Pro Team socks still perform well compared with some, though, and the balance of warmth to thickness is quite good. I didn't find my feet too compressed wearing my normal all-year round shoes.

I found the socks very comfortable, with a soft feel, and with five sizes on offer, each one covering just two UK shoes sizes (or three EU), you should be able to find a good close fit. They were also true to size.

Value

While £22 might seem expensive for a pair of socks, £18 to £22 is quite typical. The Albion Winter Socks, for example, are £20, as are Monton's Pro Suutu socks (still reduced to £12), while Giro's HRC+ Merino socks are £21.99, and MAAP's Alt_Road Merino socks are £25.

Overall

There are warmer socks available, especially if you have enough space in your shoes to accommodate a thicker design, but overall the Pro Team Winter socks offer warmth with minimal extra bulk, and with plenty of sizes to choose from you should be able to achieve a good fit for comfort.

Verdict

Comfortable and well made, if not as warm as some