Best Socks and Underwear for Big Guys
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Short answer: if your shoe is a 15, 16 or 17, start with Darn Tough's XXL. Carhartt's Force crew in XL is the work sock for men's 12 to 14.5. For underwear, Jockey's Big Man Classic boxer brief is the style that goes into a 6XL listing. The waist ranges come from retailer size charts (Target, Kohl's), not from Jockey. We have not worn these.
Socks and underwear are the cheapest things in the drawer and the first to fail when you're big. A standard crew stretches thin over a size 15 foot, slides down a thick calf, and wears through at the heel. A standard boxer brief rolls at the waist and rides up the thigh. The fix is a brand that publishes a size past the usual stop, then a listing that actually has that size in stock.
Sock sizes below come from the maker's chart or, where the maker page would not load, from a note that says to check the listing. Jockey waist ranges come from retailer size charts (Target, Kohl's), not from Jockey. Nobody here has worn them.
Sock size is a shoe size, and the charts do not match
There is no single "big sock" size. Each brand maps its letters to a shoe-size range, and the ranges stop in different places. If you are between two of a brand's rows, that brand's own advice is the one to follow.
| Sock | Size to order | Men's shoe sizes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Darn Tough Hiker Boot | XXL | 15-17 | Darn Tough size chart |
| Darn Tough Hiker Boot | XL | 12.5-14.5 | Darn Tough size chart |
| Carhartt Force crew, 3-pack | XL | 12-14.5 | Carhartt sock chart |
| Gold Toe 656S Big & Tall | Check the listing | Not on a Gold Toe page we could open | See the note on the card |
Darn Tough's men's and unisex chart puts XL at men's US 12.5 to 14.5 and XXL at 15 to 17 (Euro 50-53). The chart page says your shoe size is the indicator, and if you fall between categories, size up. Carhartt's adult sock chart on the Force 3-pack page puts XL/TG at US men's 12 to 14.5 and Euro 46 to 49. There is no XXL row on that chart. A size 15 shoe is past Carhartt's XL.
Wide feet are a separate problem. Sock charts here are about length, not width. If the issue is a 4E or 6E shoe, start with the wide-shoe guide and then match the sock to that shoe size.
1. Darn Tough Hiker Boot, full cushion: the size that goes to 17
Darn Tough's men's Hiker Boot full-cushion sock (style 1405) is on the site in S through XXL, including a black XXL. The product page calls it a full-cushion midweight hiking sock. The fiber line on the page is 66% merino wool, 32% nylon and 2% elastane. "Full cushion" is Darn Tough's terry-loop cushion, as opposed to a flat jersey knit.
XXL is the reason it is first. Most sock brands stop around a 13 or 14 shoe. Darn Tough's own chart, and a Darn Tough article on big feet, both put XXL at men's 15 to 17. If you wear a 15 and you buy an XL because that is the biggest size in the store, you are a half size under the chart's XL ceiling and a full size under where XXL starts. Buy the XXL.
The brand's guarantee page is titled "Unconditionally Guaranteed for Life." Darn Tough says if these are not the longest-lasting socks you have owned, you can return them for another pair, no receipt needed, and that a hole worn through is covered. You ship the socks back. The site also says its mills are in Vermont. That is the maker's warranty, not a promise from us.
Things to check: boot height is in the product name. If you wanted a no-show or an ankle sock, this is the wrong height. Merino can feel warm in a steel-toe boot in July. Darn Tough sells lighter weights; this pick is the midweight full-cushion boot sock.
Darn Tough Hiker Boot Sock, Full Cushion
- XXL = shoe 15-17
- Merino wool
- Full cushion
Darn Tough backs its socks with a lifetime guarantee.
Check price on AmazonPrice on Amazon. Sizes and stock vary.
2. Carhartt Force midweight crew, 3-pack: the work sock
Carhartt's Force midweight crew (model SC4223M, a 3-pack) is the everyday work sock on the clothing page. The product page says the socks are made of sweat-wicking yarn with a reinforced heel and toe, and a reinforced arch and ankle. The feature list is 98% polyester and 2% elastane, Force technology to wick sweat, dry fast and fight odor, FastDry, a mesh instep, and cushioning at the heel, arch and toe.
The same page's adult chart stops at XL: men's 12 to 14.5. That covers a lot of big guys and it does not cover a 15. If your boots are 15 or bigger, use the Darn Tough XXL above instead of hoping the Carhartt XL stretches.
The Amazon listing has, in the past, also shown a "shoe size 11-15" choice that does not match this chart. Size menus on Amazon change. Read the size you click against Carhartt's chart, not against a label that might be a different pack.
For the shirts that go with a work sock, see work shirts for big and tall men. For Big versus Tall on those shirts, see Carhartt Big vs Tall.
Carhartt Force Midweight Crew Sock (3-Pack)
- XL = shoe 12-14.5
- Sweat-wicking
- Cushioned heel and toe
Carhartt's X-Large fits shoe sizes 12 to 14.5. The listing also has a Shoe Size 11-15 option, so check the size chart for your shoe size before you buy.
Check price on AmazonPrice on Amazon. Sizes and stock vary.
3. Gold Toe Big & Tall 656S: the cotton crew, with a size caveat
Gold Toe sells a Big & Tall version of its 656S cotton crew, and that is the sock on our card. goldtoe.com did not return a product page or a size chart we could quote for the 656S. We are not going to invent a shoe-size range and attribute it to Gold Toe.
The card's "12-16" line is marked with an asterisk on purpose. It comes from a sibling listing, not from this listing and not from a Gold Toe page. Open the listing, read the size it actually offers, and skip it if your shoe size is not printed there.
Use this one when you want a cotton crew and the listing shows your size. Use Darn Tough when you are past a 14.5 and you want a published chart. Use Carhartt when you want a synthetic work sock inside the 12 to 14.5 window.
Gold Toe Big & Tall 656S Cotton Crew Socks
- Big & Tall line
- Shoe sizes 12-16*
*A sibling listing states shoe sizes 12-16. Check the size on this listing.
Check price on AmazonPrice on Amazon. Sizes and stock vary.
Underwear: size it from the waist, not from your shirt
A 3XL shirt is not a 3XL boxer brief. Underwear sizes on big-man lines are waist sizes. Measure where the waistband sits, not where a tailor would put a natural-waist tape, and not your jeans tag if your jeans sit lower than the underwear.
The waist ranges printed with these briefs are 3XL at 48 to 50 inches, 4XL at 52 to 54, 5XL at 56 to 58, and 6XL at 60 to 62. Waist ranges here come from retailer size charts (Target, Kohl's), not from Jockey, so treat them as a guide. If you are at the top of a range (58 or 62 in), go up a size. Not every Jockey style comes in 6XL, so check the size list on the listing before you order.
Jockey Big Man Classic boxer brief, 2-pack
Jockey's page for the Big Man Classic 5-inch boxer brief, 2-pack, describes a 100% cotton brief with full rise and full coverage, a keyhole fly, a 5-inch inseam, StayNew (Jockey's name for reduced pilling and fading) and Staycool+ (Jockey's name for sweat-wicking). Care on that page is machine wash warm, tumble dry low. The page said the style was sold out when we opened it, so stock on Amazon is its own question. Check the size grid.
The link on the card opens the 6XL listing. A 5-inch inseam is a short leg. If boxer briefs bunch between your thighs, a longer leg (Jockey's Big and Tall page also lists Midway and full-cut boxers) may be the better cut. We have not compared those other cuts on a body, and we are not adding them until a maker page and an Amazon listing can be matched.
Jockey Big Man Classic Boxer Brief (2-Pack)
- Big Man line
- 6XL = 60-62 in waist
Waist ranges here come from retailer size charts (Target, Kohl's), not from Jockey, so treat them as a guide. If you are at the top of a range (58 or 62 in), go up a size. Not every Jockey style comes in 6XL, so check the size list on the listing before you order.
Check price on AmazonPrice on Amazon. Sizes and stock vary.
Jockey Classic Fit Big & Tall boxer brief, 2-pack
This is a different listing from the Big Man Classic above: Classic Fit, Big & Tall, opened on the 5XL. We could not reload a Jockey product page that we were sure was this exact style, so we are not copying the Classic's 5-inch inseam or cotton content onto it. Read the fabric and the inseam on the listing. The card's waist line is the 56 to 58 inches that listing carried when it was added. The ranges we print come from retailer size charts (Target, Kohl's), not from Jockey.
Two Jockey briefs is a thin underwear set. Hanes, Fruit of the Loom and other Big Man packs are easy to find on Amazon and hard to pin to a stable maker page with the same style number. They stay off this guide until that match exists.
Jockey Classic Fit Big & Tall Boxer Brief (2-Pack)
- 5XL = 56-58 in waist
Waist ranges here come from retailer size charts (Target, Kohl's), not from Jockey, so treat them as a guide. If you are at the top of a range (58 or 62 in), go up a size. Not every Jockey style comes in 6XL, so check the size list on the listing before you order.
Check price on AmazonPrice on Amazon. Sizes and stock vary.
How to keep a big size from shrinking out of the drawer
- Match the chart, then the listing. Darn Tough's XXL and Carhartt's XL are different shoes. A "one size" pack is a guess.
- Wash the way the maker says. Darn Tough's product page says cold, gentle, inside out, no bleach, dry low or hang. Jockey's Classic page says warm wash and low dry. Cotton shrinks more than the polyester Carhartt Force sock, and a big size has less spare fabric once it shrinks.
- Longer legs fight ride-up. A 5-inch inseam is not a long-leg brief. If the leg rolls, look for a longer inseam on the next pair and check the size list on the listing.
- Replace the pair that is thin at the heel. Darn Tough's warranty is a replacement pair if you send the socks back. Carhartt and Gold Toe do not publish that same unconditional guarantee on the pages we used.
Questions
What sock size is a men's 15 shoe?
On Darn Tough's chart, a men's 15 is XXL, which runs 15 to 17. Carhartt's Force chart stops at XL, men's 12 to 14.5, so a 15 is outside that sock. Don't buy the Carhartt XL and hope.
Do big calves need a bigger sock?
The charts we used are shoe-size charts, not calf charts. A longer sock (boot height versus ankle) stays up better on a large calf than a short one does. Darn Tough's pick is a boot sock. If a crew still slides, check the listing for a taller height in the same size rather than guessing a wider letter.
Is a 3XL shirt a 3XL boxer brief?
No. Shirt letters on Carhartt track chest. Jockey's Big Man sizes track waist. Measure where the waistband sits. The Jockey ranges on this page come from retailer size charts (Target, Kohl's), not from Jockey. The shirt guide is separate: work shirts.
What if the retailer size chart and the listing disagree?
Buy the size whose waist inches match your tape. Waist ranges here come from retailer size charts (Target, Kohl's), not from Jockey, so treat them as a guide. If you are at the top of a range (58 or 62 in), go up a size. Check the size list on the listing before you order.
Has anyone here worn these?
No. Sock specs are from Darn Tough and Carhartt product or size pages, plus a Gold Toe caveat where no maker page would load. The Classic brief's fabric and care notes are from a Jockey product page. The waist ranges are from retailer size charts (Target, Kohl's), not from Jockey. Chris does not own these. If a page does not list a number, this guide does not fill one in.
The bottom line
Shoe size 15 and up: Darn Tough XXL. Shoe size 12 to 14.5 on the job: Carhartt Force XL. Cotton crew: Gold Toe Big & Tall only if the listing prints your size. Underwear: Jockey Big Man Classic when you need the 6XL listing. Check the size list before you order. The waist ranges are a guide from retailer charts, not from Jockey.
The same numbers are on the fit guide. All of the clothing is on the clothing page. Pants with a real waist size are in work pants.