Visiting Norway between oktober and april; How to keep your feet warm in winter?

About ten years ago, I moved from Amsterdam to Norway. It was a gloriously warm late summer. Two months later, temperatures plummeted to minus 15 degrees, and snow piled up. I'll never forget that first Norwegian winter, it was a baptism by ice.

If you're planning to visit Norway in winter (roughly late October through early April), let me share the single most important lesson I've learnt during that first winter in Norway: it all starts with your feet.

There's No Such Thing as Bad Weather, Only Bad Clothing

This Norwegian saying isn't just a cute phrase, it's a philosophy. It means there's truly no excuse not to go outside, provided you dress properly. This attitude reveals just how central outdoor life is to Norwegian culture.

I've come to realise that the average Norwegian is rather obsessed with gear. It's not unusual for someone here to own a jacket for cross-country skiing, a jacket for running, a jacket for downhill skiing, a general winter jacket, a rain jacket, an insulated rain jacket, a hiking jacket, and a summer jacket. It might sound excessive, but it reflects how dramatically the weather can vary and how quickly it can turn.

How to keep your feet warm in winter; Norway and the power of wool

Keeping your feet warm is perhaps the most crucial element of winter comfort. Wool regulates temperature like no other material. Unlike cotton, which absorbs moisture and leaves your feet cold and clammy, wool actually keeps you warm even when it's wet. It wicks moisture away from your skin whilst maintaining insulation. When you're moving between heated indoor spaces and the freezing outdoors multiple times a day, this makes an enormous difference.

What's more, wool breathes. Those thick woollen socks aren't suffocating, they're surprisingly comfortable because the natural fibres allow air circulation. Your feet don't become sweaty and uncomfortable the way they would in synthetic materials.

Wool prevents that specific kind of winter misery we all dread. You know that horrible feeling when your toes go numb and it takes hours to warm them up again? Proper woollen socks prevent this entirely. They maintain a buffer of warmth that protects you, even during extended exposure to the cold. How to keep your feet warm in winter in Norway is a question easily answered; wool, wool, wool

The Norwegian Woollen Sock Culture

What struck me most was discovering that woollen socks in Norway aren't just practical, they're cultural. Norwegians grow up with wool. It's passed down through generations. There's a reason for this tradition: centuries of living in this climate have taught Norwegians what works.

When you see locals casually wearing woollen socks at home, layering them for mountain hikes, or even sleeping in them during particularly cold nights, you realise this isn't a fashion choice, it's survival wisdom.

What I keep in my wardrobe

After several Norwegian winters, I've learnt to build a proper woollen sock collection:

I keep thick, traditional ullsokker for serious outdoor activities, skiing, winter walks, long days of exploring. These are the heavy-duty socks that make the difference between enjoying yourself and merely enduring.

I have medium-weight woollen socks for everyday use, perfect for walking through town, running errands, or simply staying comfortable indoors when the heating doesn't quite do its job.

And yes, I've even got lighter merino wool socks for layering or for those transitional weeks in late October and March when it's still cold but not brutally cold.

The Practical Reality

Here's something nobody tells you before you visit Norway in winter: you'll walk far more than you expect. Even if you're in Oslo or Bergen, you'll constantly find yourself outside, waiting for trams, exploring Grünerløkka, Kampen or Frognerparken, visiting outdoor Christmas markets, taking spontaneous winter walks because the snow looks too beautiful to resist, or that's what I do at least.

Those experiences become magical when your feet are warm. They become absolutely miserable when they're not. It really is that simple.

I've watched tourists stumble back to their hotels, feet aching from the cold and complaining about it, missing out on evening walks through snow-covered streets because they couldn't bear to go outside again. Meanwhile, locals stride past in their woollen socks and boots, perfectly comfortable in minus fifteen and not blinking an eye.

My Advice

If you're planning a winter visit to Norway, don't make the same mistake as so many other tourists make. Don't assume your ordinary winter socks will suffice. Don't wait until your feet are frozen to invest in proper wool.

Get some proper socks

Buy good quality woollen socks before you arrive, or make your first stop a Norwegian outdoor shop. Yes, they're more expensive than regular socks, but they'll transform your entire winter experience. You'll stay outside longer, explore more comfortably, and actually enjoy those legendary Norwegian winter landscapes rather than merely surviving them.

The Norwegians have been right about this for centuries. In winter, there really is no such thing as bad weather, only bad socks.