I do a lot of outdoor stuff, especially these days. So keeping my feet warm in the cold weather is something I really care about. But traditional wool can be so itchy, my skin can’t stand it. I can wear merino wool, angora and cashmere, but I am not going to wear my super soft angora and cashmere socks to hike in the woods.
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A few years ago at the Topsfield Fair, Jeff bought me a winter hat made from alpaca yarn. I love it because it is not only warm but also soft and not the least bit itchy.
As usual, the siren song of ads on Facebook got to me. I saw an ad with the face of an adorable alpaca on my feed. I love alpacas and llamas. A farm near where I go hiking has alpacas and llamas, and I can always see them from the road when I drive by. I intend to stop and visit them before it gets too cold (for me, not for them!). And we always visit the alpacas and llamas at the Topsfield Fair, though sadly, this year we missed them because of the pandemic.
So the FB ad with the cute alpaca got me to stop and read it. The name of the brand is Pacas. They tell the story that alpaca fleece was highly valued by the Incas. In fact, Pacas claims that the Incas in Peru valued it more than gold. Wearing alpaca was reserved for Inca royalty!
Pacas began, as a company, when the folks who started it were looking for a more comfy type of socks to give to the children staying at a local pediatric cancer hospital. After investigating a number of different materials, alpaca fleece was chosen for its excellent characteristics. They continue to give a percentage of their profits to make sure children staying at different children’s hospitals are outfitted with Pacas socks to make their stay as comfy as possible. Right now, they are sending Pacas socks to the kids at Children’s Hospital of Chicago.
Pacas describes their socks as “buttery soft”, and I agree, they are very soft and superbly comfortable. They are not as thick and bulky as wool can be, but they are toasty warm. There are no annoying seams, even at the toes. They are so comfortable to wear with boots because they feel warm and cushiony, and my feet don’t sweat in them.
Alpaca fibers are different from sheep’s wool because alpaca fibers have a hollow core. That hollow core allows the fibers to be more insulating because they are able to trap more heat than regular wool. The hollow fibers are also better at wicking moisture which is why there’s no sweaty feet when you wear alpaca socks.
The socks are made from a blend of all natural alpaca fleece along with acrylic, nylon and spandex for a perfect fit. Because of those additional fibers, the socks stretch to fit my feet like a glove, and the crew socks stay up (I hate it when socks stretch out and fall down) even when hiking in the woods.
Pacas makes both crew socks and low cut socks for men, women and children. They also make super soft scarves, throw blankets and wraps/shawls. The socks come in packs of two, three, four, six, eight, and twelve. Some of the packs have socks that are all the same color, while others have color combinations. I bought the 4 pack of women’s crew socks, and I chose the neutral colors: black, white, grey, and camel.
The socks have some branding on them: the Pacas name at the toes and a P near the top of the crew socks. They also have zigzag designs near the top, available in different colors.
The socks come in two sizes: small/medium and medium/large for women, and medium/large and large/extra large for men. The kids socks come in two sizes: youth and toddler. The youth socks are adorable with a line drawing of an alpaca head and long neck along the top of the crew socks.
Here’s a closeup of the toe area of the black socks I was wearing yesterday. They seem to be a little thicker at the toes. Also, even though it looks like there’s a seam at the beginning of the toe box, it isn’t really a seam but maybe a bit of extra reinforcing stitching that’s still soft and rather smooth.
The prices vary according to which socks you buy and the size of the pack. When I bought mine, I got 20% off for signing up for their emails. My 4 pack ended up costing about $46 with free shipping, less than $12 a pair. Well worth it!
So if you’re on the hunt for comfy cold weather socks, or if you’re looking for nice stocking stuffers for the holidays, check out Pacas. While you’re at their website, check out their live feed with cute pix of the alpacas.
P.S. Like sheep, alpacas need to be sheared. No alpacas are hurt in the making of Pacas socks.
P.P.S. Since I bought my Pacas socks in November 2020, I have heard from a number of women who have had bad customer service experiences with Pacas. Pacas does not have a customer service phone number, and the company has not been getting back to customers who tried to contact the company with problems, returns or questions. I still like the socks I bought in 2020, but I would not purchase from Pacas until they get their act together.
Hi Allison – I’m considering buying these socks. My feet are always freezing during the winter. How well do the socks wear – especially at the toes? Are the toes reinforced? I always end up with a hole in my socks at the big toe. Thanks, Liz
Liz, there appears to be some extra padding to reinforce the toes. Since I can’t add a photo here in the comments, I will add a closeup to the post in a minute or two. I haven’t had any issues with wear at the toes so far, but then I seldom have that problem in a thick sock. Here’s the guarantee: “You may exchange or return any Pacas Socks you have purchased through our website for a full refund within 30 days of delivery. With our comfort guarantee, a customer service agent will assist you in returning or exchanging your Pacas at no cost to you. When returning any Pacas Socks please include a brief explanation which includes your full name, order number, and the reason for return or exchange. We can only exchange items that are of an equal or lesser cost that the original item purchased. In the event you would like to exchange for a more costly item, we will refund your order and you will need to place a new order with the desired products. We do not take responsibility for any items lost during the return shipping. A member from our team will process your return request as quickly as possible.” I think it would be worth it for you to contact them: support@pacas.us and ask them about it. They don’t have a phone number posted. I’m sorry I can’t be more helpful, Liz!
Great review. I had never heard of these socks. Right now I wear Bombas. I really like them but always up for a change. When I am in the market for new socks I will definitely buy these.
Pacas alpaca socks were new to me too. I still haven’t tried Bombas, though I think they would be great to wear for running. In the winter, I am always looking for socks that don’t itch. I have been buying a pair of angora socks from a woman who spins the yarn from her rabbits when we go to the Topsfield Fair every year, but there is none this year. Also, I wouldn’t wear angora socks to hike in the woods, so these alpaca socks are great! Worth considering in the future!
These sound absolutely amazing, and so warm and cozy for the winter! I might have to buy some of them!
Pacas US makes excellent socks. They may be too warm for the temps that LA has been seeing, but if it cools down…
My feet are always so cold in the winter. I’d be a customer for these. Which size did you buy?
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Marcia, I wear a size 6.5 shoe, so I chose a small/medium
I can’t get them to send my order. Is this site a scam? They won’t reply to anything! What can you tell me ?
Parker, I am so sorry to hear that Pacas is ignoring you! I had the same problem with customer service around Cyber Monday. I was trying to buy more socks coz I love them, and they sent me a promotion with 20% off and free shipping. I couldn’t get the 2 things to work together so I tried getting in touch. I sent a message, got a useless canned reply but never got a reply from a human. A few days ago, I got a survey asking how satisfied I was with the customer service reply. That was pretty funny. I think they have maybe grown too fast and don’t have enough infrastructure to deal with their business primetime. Can you contact your credit card and get them to cancel the transaction? I know AMEX used to be good at doing stuff like that for me in the past, and their pressure on a retailer usually worked. My bank did the same thing for me when I inadvertently bought from a real scam company. Pacas isn’t a scam. I think they are in over their heads. I am sorry about this. Unfortunately I don’t have a relationship with them. I just discovered them online and I love the socks. LMK what happens and good luck 🍀🙏🏻🤞🏻
I too ordered $75 worth of socks for Xmas presents. I haven’t received the email they said I would stating that my order shipped. I’ve sent them 2 emails. No reply. My PayPal account already paid them and I know nothing. Not sure what measure to take from here. Xmas is net week.
Cynthia I wrote you a long reply on my phone, and it disappeared. I am so sorry that you are getting “the cold shoulder” from Pacas. Like I told Parker, I don’t have any relationship with Pacas. I’m just another customer. But I will add an addendum to my post warning people about shopping with them since there customer service is terrible. When I ordered in early October, it took between 2-3 weeks for me to get my socks. I got an initial email saying my order was confirmed, but nothing after that. Also, when I tried to take advantage of their 20% off plus free shipping Black Friday-Cyber Monday offer, I couldn’t get it to work and I tried contacting them and never got a reply. I would contact PayPal if I were you and tell them what has happened and see if you can get your money back. The socks are wonderful, but if the company doesn’t care about their customers, it’s not worth it. LMK what happens. Good luck
I’m an unhappy customer who has been ignored for months. There has been no response from customer service, I’m being ignored. No phone number to discuss issues. I’m reporting them to the better business bureau. This is a ridiculous way to conduct a business!! I hate Pacas socks
Lunda, I guess I was lucky when I bought 3 pairs of Pacas socks over a year ago. The socks fit me well, and I wear them for hiking during cold weather. I remember I did have to email customer service about something, and they did respond within a day or two. At a later time, I tried to contact customer service to get some info about using a discount code, and in that instance, they didn’t get back to me either. I’m sorry you had a bad experience with Pacas. Someone else commented that they also never got a reply from customer service. I will update my post and add something about “buyer beware because their customer service is nonexistent”.
Allison I know this is an old post and you’ve added an update but this is one of the first links that pops up when you google the company. Somehow they are still getting away with their scam-not sending out orders and no replies from customer service. They only post positive reviews and delete negative customer comments to cover the truth. CHECK BBB BEFORE ORDERING!
Jac, I am so sorry you had a bad experience with Pacas. I was lucky because I had no problem with my orders. And I really like the socks. But a number of people had a problem last year. The company sent me an apologetic email with a discount code, but I have a lot of socks and didn’t order this year. I’m very sorry that you got stiffed by them. Clearly, Pacas shouldn’t be in business if they take money from consumers and don’t send the products. I will alter my old review and add a warning about the company. Thanks for letting me know.