Difficult to advise others because their feet are attached to them.

But.. I have always used X-Socks Trekking and X-Socks trekking light.
Single pair of socks, and even when wet, they dry quickly.
I carry 3 pairs although last 3 challenges I only used 2.

X-Socks

Thanks for asking this John. I'm doing the same this challenge & have chosen my trail shoes & am also looking at sock options just now. X socks are what I am thinking of trying as Andy suggests but have always been a two layers
in boots so am uncertain but I'll try them out on a walk & see how they go. I think it'll be a case of trial and error on walks leading up to the challenge. Looking forward to comparing experiences at the end of the challenge or en route if we meet!

I always use a 2 layer in a boot.
Thin liner sock and then warmer smartwool sock.

But in shoes I have found them to be MUCH better with the single skin socks.
X-Socks are anatomically shaped to each foot.
Very little wear.

With shoes and x-socks I have not had a blister yet.
OK, some hot spots I then treat as soon as I feel them with Micropore tape to stop rubbing.

All that said, you need to try oput the combinations on a 3 or 4 day trip prior to the Chally with big pack to make sure it works for you.

Well, you should anyway, I just went for it in NEW SOCKS with NEW shoes and I guess I was lucky.

i use two sets of inner soles . 1. thick for dry/road walking 2. thinner non water absorbent for wet days . socks then as required eg waterproof for wet , soft thick and woolly for dry hard surfaces.

One pair best quality doolen socks do it for me, every time.

Teko or Bridgedale.

Fresh pair every day and a couple of spares for the days when they get sodden and I want to change (yes, I know it's a lot of pack weight ... but you've gotta look after your feet).

Whenever I hit the roads for any length of time, i will switch from my trail shoes to sandals.

And a little tip I picked up from Chris Townsend in 2009, when I was battling on with feet shot to pieces after getting the shoe / sock combo wrong (in my defence I had got on very late in the day from number 60 on the standby list; they were new shoes and I had had little or no time for testing / experimentation - and i DID throw away th esocks I was carrying and replace them with 7 pairs of Tekos at the first opportunity) is that if your feet start to get sore, remove the footbeds from your shoes and walk for a day without them. Sure it will rub ... but it will rub in DIFFERENT places, so your body will have a chance to repair the damage some.

One pair of Smartwool light socks to wear and one pair to change.

What Gordon said - and Andrew too. Smartwool and X-Socks are excellent.

JJ

I use Bridgedale liner socks and X socks - never had a blister. With shoes, you need to avoid grit in socks and liners are easy to rinse and get all the grit out. Also, can be used on their own if very hot.

Another vote for X-sock Exped trekking light.
Don't forget the Gehwol Extra.

Gewhol Extra foot cream, two pairs of X-socks (one pair for day and one pair dry for night) and inov8 debris gaiters to keep out stones and heather etc.
The day socks need rinsing out daily as do the shoes to get rid of the silt and grit that builds up during the day.
Now you too can enjoy putting on wet socks and shoes in the morning and just hope the laces haven't frozen solid overnight.

Last year: Terroc 330, Smartwool socks and some wonderful blisters

This year: Proper leather boots again

Alan got blisters with Terrocs and smartwool socks.
They trap grit.

That's why I use x-socks..

My thoughts on feet, footcare & footwear, for what they're worth, are HERE.

From time to time I experiment with various options, but on the Challenge I stick with what I know works - and am the happier for it.

X Socks on their own. Brilliant but smelly! I wear one pair, carry a spare and stick a third pair in a resupply box to Braemar, posting home a dead set to my poor wife.

I find it a little worrying Judith that you wanted such intimate details of David's socks. (More worryingly, I already knew about the stinky postal gift to his wife...)