I just use knee-highs. Wal-Mart has a box of six pairs for about a buck and a half here. They don't last as long as the skimmer socks and I don't think they're quite as fine a mesh, but I get a week or so out of each and my wife picks them up at the grocery instead of us having to make a special trip to a pool store (though I think some Wal-Marts carry the skimmer socks).