Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Topic: SOCKS











You wouldn’t think it matters very much what type of sock you wear or what it’s made of. People usually think of sock as disposable clothing, therefore it doesn’t make sense to spend a lot of money on them, right? Especially when you can get them in packs of 6 for ten bucks.
Socks can serve many purposes, and can dramatically improve your comfort level when you have the right one per the activity/footwear.

MATERIALS –
Myth
: Cotton socks are the best.
Truth: Not unless you’re allergic to microfiber and/or wool materials.

Cotton is only breathable when it’s exposed. If you’re enclosing it into a shoe, or trapping it between your foot and the ground/shoe sole, it is no longer breathable.
Cotton naturally absorbs moisture. The average foot puts out ½ pint of body oils in a day. Much more if you’re active.
The socks will absorb this moisture, and then what? It holds the moisture against your foot. The socks start losing their shape because they’re wet, and you keep having to pull at them as they’re sliding down your leg and bunching up in your shoe. Now you start to get blisters and corns, which are the result of the combination of moisture and pressure/friction. The other downfall to cotton is that, because of the moisture it holds, it starts to break your shoes down pretty fast.
Now you wouldn’t think that synthetics would be any better. Nylon blends and Rayon blends aren’t very good. Microfiber/Acrylic is the best material for socks, with marino wool coming in second. Microfiber and Wool grabs the moisture that your foot puts out and shoves it out towards the shoe. Get into a really good brand like Thorlo, Smartwool, Feetures, Aetrex. These socks will outlast all your other socks, plus they hold their shape without fail. They’ll cost you a little more money, but they’re worth every cent. You can find some of these brands at the Foot Solutions stores. The Denver location can order in whatever styles you desire in each brand.

ACTIVITY -
A lot of socks come in padding levels. Some are specifically designed to pad the spots on the feet that are affected by the activity that you’re doing. There are socks for Skiing, Hiking, Running, Walking, Golfing, Fishing, Snowboarding, Basketball, Tennis, Dress and many other activities. The brands I’m thinking of that have the most variety are Smartwool and Thorlo.

CONDITIONS -
There are even socks for medical conditions, like Diabetes. These socks are always microfiber blends, in order to keep the feet dry and blister free. They are also designed without seams, and usually with more built-in padding to protect the bottoms of the feet. The best Diabetic socks come in low-compression styles, or even ultra-low compression for the wider calf. Low compression socks are knit a lot more loosely, so that they don’t leave ridges in your feet or legs like most other socks do. It’s very important not to wear things that fit tightly when you are a Diabetic. That is, with the exception of your doctor stating otherwise.
Another condition or two that is affected by socks is Toe Fungus or Athletes foot. The moisture that you get from your feet every day feeds the bacteria and fungus growing under your nails and between your toes. You need the moisture control that wicking socks provide, and you should definitely not be in a synthetically made shoe either. All-leather uppers and/or mesh will allow the trapped moisture escape.

Synthetic socks will also help with temperature control with your feet if you have poor circulation and have cold feet all the time, or if you have sweaty stinky feet no matter what you do.

TIP -
A tip for fighting moisture in your shoes is to put some cedar balls/shoe trees in them when you take them off at night. Wear an entirely different pair of shoes the next day and let the cedar sit in your shoes for the whole day. By the following day, your shoes will be nice and dry, and the cedar balls/shoe trees will have absorbed a great deal of foot odors, moisture, and bacteria growing in your shoes (which is the natural result of normal wear). This, in addition to wearing Microfiber or Wool socks, will make a huge difference to the shoes preservation.

In a nut shell, materials that hold moisture are bad for the skin on your feet, your socks, and your shoes. Find the socks that most suite your lifestyle and enjoy your new sock-induced foot health.