Beside the socks we had a chance to evaluate, we thought our readers would appreciate reading a little about some other socks we heard about. This list is not exhaustive, but just meant to give you a place to start your sock quest. These were either pointed out as worthy footwear by our Grunt network or are new socks with promising features. Either way, we hope to get some miles in each and give you a non-blistering report on each. Click through for a rundown on another six socks:
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Bridgedale X-hale Light Hiker
$18, 39% nylon/26% Nanoglide/17% Merino/17% polypropylene/1% elastic
Hitting the US later this year, the X-Hale Light Hiker is a tech-infused merino crew height sock with sculpted padding areas. Bridgedale‘s newest sock technology uses a new material called Nanoglide, with yarns the company says contain micron-sized super-slick particles that all but eliminate friction between foot and boot while wicking moisture.[nggallery id=213]
Thorlo MAF Anti-Fatigue Socks
$19, 82% Thorlon acrylic/9% nylon/5% Spandex/4% Xstatic
We haven’t had a chance to try Thorlos yet, but we do know they are a very popular synthetic sock. Thorlo uses its own acrylic yarn, called Thorlon, that the company says outperforms cotton, wool and common acrylic yarns. Thorlo’s pitch is tons of padding that holds up. Its acrylic wicks moisture away from the skin faster than natural fibers. The MAF sock has a silver Xstatic yarn knitted in to fight bacteria. For a fully synthetic sock, the MAF seems a bit pricey, but Thorlo’s come with a money-back guarantee promising that the socks feel better than ordinary socks, so you don’t risk much in trying them. They are also made in the USA.[nggallery id=221]
Lorpen TCL Midweight Merino Hiker
$16, 75% Merino wool/15% nylon/10% elastic
Another European brand, Lorpen mixes things up a bitby using a huge amount of elastic compared to other socks we looked at. These socks are going to stay put. The protect their wooly innards with a plated nylon exterior construction and feel quite plush. Lorpen, like a other manufactures, uses a more open weave on the top of the foot to allow circulation. The heel and toe are beefed up with a densely packed merino loops. The toe seam stands out among our sock samples for it's width. While most of the other socks pile terry loops in the toe seam to mask it, the TCL's seam looks like a huge scar across the top of the foot. There's no doubt it's strong, but it without a long term test we can't say how it affects comfort. We'll come back around on this one.[nggallery id=217]
GoodhewLight Hiker
$20/2-pack 68% Merino/30% nylon /2% Spandex
An American apparel accessory company that makes a wide range of lifestyle socks has a few good hiking socks in its product range. The classic light and medium hikers represent a great value coming in at only $10 for a merino sock knitted in the USA.[nggallery id=222]
CEP Trekking Compression Sock
$60, 84% polyamid/15% elastic/1% silver
The compression sock used to be for old folks, but somebody figured out that athletes can benefit from their use during and following activity. Compression socks theoretically increase blood circulation and provide more oxygen to muscles, which allows for improved lactic acid dissipation. A compression sock is all synthetic and doesn't offer all that much in the way of padding for a so-called trekking sock. But, with a fit this tight, blistering shouldn't be an issue provided the fibers can move moisture away fast enough. It's also worth pointing out that this is the first sock we've seen shaped for the left and right feet. There's some serious 3-D knitting voodoo here. We only tried these for a day and will come back around with a review after some foot time.[nggallery id=214]
Injini Midweight Mini-Crew Toe Sock
$16, 60% Coolmax/35% nylon/5% Lycra
Injini toe socks began in the running community as a way to reduce blisters by putting some fabric between the toes. That was back in 2004 and might well have died as a passing fad. Except, barefoot running caught on. Then Vibram FiveFingers added fuel to the free-toed fire. They may be a pain to put on, but if you're prone to toe blisters and can stand having a bunch of fabric between your toes, then you might give them a shot. The midweight cushion sock is new for Injini and should be out sometime this winter. It has more padding underfoot than the current toe socks and will come in a crew height that's more appropriate for use downrange than these cute little socks. Injini uses Coolmax yarn for hot weather performance in this sock.[nggallery id=216]
