I have exclusively been wearing socks similar to these for years, but a problem with the other brands is that sometimes the socks end up slightly smelling like feet after a long day, and cause my shoes to smell. I decided to look for a sock made out of thicker, more absorbent material. This sock is perfect! It is thick but not too thick for all of my shoes, comfortable, stays on my feet, and at the end of a long day of miles of walking in Europe everything still smelled fresh! I immediately purchased more.