How To Choose Socks By Material Like A PRO
Jun 14 '08 (Updated Jun 20 '08)
The Bottom Line Read this and my other reviews on How To Choose Socks and be informed of your choices.
Types of Material
First of all there is two types of material - natural and synthetic (man-made). The three most common natural fibers are cotton, silk, & wool, and they each have unique qualities about them. The most common synthetic materials are acrylic, Lycra® spandex, rubber, polypropylene, polyester, CoolMax® polyester, Thermo-lite®, elastic, nylon, & stretch nylon, and some of them having unique qualities and they all share some general qualities.
Natural Fibers
The three most common natural fibers are cotton, silk, & wool, and they each have unique qualities about them.
Cotton socks are noted for their ability to become saturated with sweat rather quickly, and have a notorious reputation for being associated with an environment for blisters to happen around the toes and the region of the heel / ankle area when sweaty. Cotton socks are not good for feet in active use especially in the heat of the day, but they are ok for rather inactive use and relatively cool temperatures (i,e. room temperature).
Silk socks are noted for their ability to wick away moisture and act as an insulator, and sometimes is blended with nylon or wool to allow for higher durability.
Wool socks are noted for their ability to absorb around thirty times their weight in sweat making them an excellent choice for the need of maintaining the feel of dry feet. And as a side note most wool socks are not itchy since they are made with Merino Wool, that is a long fiber and is almost as soft as velour.
Synthetic Materials
The most common synthetic materials are acrylic, Lycra® spandex, rubber, polypropylene, polyester, CoolMax® polyester, Thermo-lite®, elastic, nylon, & stretch nylon, and some of them having unique qualities and they all share some general qualities.
The following fabrics all have two things in common help keep your feet dry and comfortable; acrylic, Lycra® spandex, rubber, polypropylene, polyester, CoolMax® polyester, Thermo-lite®, elastic, nylon, & stretch nylon.
Thermo-lite® is a hollow core fabric designed to be like polar bear hairs to retain warmth while keeping you dry and comfortable, and is used in socks or sock liners for winter use generally.
CoolMax® polyester, nylon, acrylic, Lycra® spandex, polypropylene, & polyester are all used in socks and in various sock liners to keep your feet cool, dry, and comfortable by preventing or helping prevent blisters. Plus another benefit is that they are stretchable to a point and return to normal when taken off or at the least after being washed so they do not wear out as quickly.
Rubber, stretch nylon, and elastic is used to help keep the socks in place throughout the entire sock, generally on higher dollar socks, for instance like many of the socks I have reviewed on this site.
© June 13-14, 2008 Thanks for reading if you have further questions feel free to comment or email me.
Sock Advice
How To Choose Socks Like A PRO
How To Choose Socks By Length Like A PRO
How To Choose Socks By Material Like A PRO
Sock Advice For Warm Weather With Waterproof Boots
Socks Reviewed
Acorn Socks
Acorn 200 Weight Fleece Versa Socks -- Free to Wear All Year Long
Acorn Versa Two-Way Fleece Socks -- Free To Wear All Year Long
Adidas Socks
Adidas Cotton Quarter Socks 3-Pack Mens -- Ok Socks for Being Cotton Made
Adidas Men's Ultra Tech Running Cushion Low Cut -- High Quality & Plenty of Cushion
Adidas No Show 3 PR M --- Excellent Padding for Shock Absorption
Adidas ClimaLite Low Cut 2 PR M - Do Not Buy...Save Your Money
Asics Socks
Asics 3-Pack CoolMax Ped Sock -- Great No Show Socks
Cabela's Liner Socks
Cabela's Over-The-Calf Coolmax® Liner Socks - Free From Dampness
Cabela's Ultimate Wool Sock - Fight off blisters & foot fungus for free
Cabela's Thermolite/Merino Heavyweight Wool Socks - Free from Dampness
Cabela's Socks
Cabela's Ultimax Cool-Lite Socks -- Great Year Round Socks
Cabela’s Thermolite Merino Super Heavyweight Wool Socks -- Free from the Cold of Winter
Cabela's Wool Boot Socks - Free warmth while wet
Cabela's Military Weight Polartec Power Stretch Socks - Free from Moisture
Cabela's Wool Boot Socks -- Great Winter Time Socks
Cabela's Trail Lite Socks 6" Mini-Crew -- Comfy Mini-Crew Hiking Socks
Cabela's Socks with Built-in Liner
Cabela's Ingenius Boot Sock - Built-in Sock Liner for Free
Elder Socks
Elder Merino Wool Socks -- Free from Expensive Cost
Elder 3-Pk. Merino Wool Socks -- Great Socks For Chilly Weather
Elder Thermal Sock & Liner Sock -- Sensible & Inexpensive Solution To Keep Feet Warm
Gordini Socks
Gordini Lavawool Midweight Hiker Crew Socks -- A Good Deal?
Lin Socks
Lin CoolMax Pure Energy Socks -- Biking on SunShine
Nike Socks
Nike Total 90 Gameday Soccer Sock -- Excellent Soccer Sock Double As Sock Liner
Rei Socks
REI Merino Wool Light Hiker II Socks - Amazing Bargain
REI Silk One Liner Socks - Natural Fibers Are Not Just For Hippies
REI Dry One Polypro Liner Socks - First Class Quality
SmartWool Socks
SmartWool Merino Wool Liner Socks -- Finest Touch Of Wool Keeping Feet Dry
SmartWool Light Cushion Ski Socks - Good For Avoiding Ticks & Fleas
Smartwool Light Hiker Crew -- Smart Choice Of High Quality Socks
Smartwool Snowboard Socks -- Not Just For Snowboarding
Smartwool Expedition Trekking Sock -- Socks That Are Worth Their Weight In Gold
Smartwool Mountaineer Sock -- Great Socks for Fall & Winter
Smartwool Expedition Trekking Socks -- One of the Best Socks Yet
Surplus Socks
New Swede Brown/Grey Wool Socks - Itch Free Wool Socks
New Norwegian Mil. Wool Socks
Norweger Schafwolle - Norwegian Wool Socks
U.S. Military Army Socks -- Affordable Excellent Wool Sock
Thorlo Socks
Thorlo LRMXM Lite Running Mini-Crew Mens Socks -- Please Get Me This For Christmas!!!
Thorlo Wool Hiker Socks -- Excellent Blister Free Socks
Thorlo WLTH Lite Hiker Wool/Silk Crew Mens Socks -- Keep you comfortable and dry
Thorlo LRXM Lite Running CoolMax Crew Mens Socks - Free From Wetness
Thorlo LTH Lite Hiker Coolmax Crew Mens Socks - Free to Pick From 4 Colors
Thorlo LWXM Lite Walking CoolMax Crew Mens Socks - Free from Wetness
Thorlo LWMXM Lite Walking CoolMax Mini-Crew Mens Socks - Free from Wetness
Thorlo Rolltop Tennis Sock -- Great for Badminton and Walking
Thorlo Walking Crew Socks -- Excellent Socks To Help Walk Away Weight
Thorlo KX Hiker Crew Mens Socks -- Excellent Hiking Socks
Thorlo Running Mini-Crew -- Need Relief From Feet Pain Or Neuropathy Gives These A Try
Thorlo Women's Light Hiker Mini-Crew -- Oops I Forgot My Thorlos At Home
Opinion
Thorlo Backpacking Socks -- Backpacking Is Fun Again With These Comfy Socks
Thorlo Ultra Thin Ski Socks -- Great For Keeping Feet Warm On/Off The Slope
Wigwam Socks
Wigwam Ultimax Lightweight Ski Sock -- Not Just for Skiing
Wigwam Bombshell Sock --- Weird Science Lady?
Wigwam Journey II Crew Socks -- Excellent Merino Wool Itch Free
Wigwam All Terrain Crew Socks -- Excellent All Purpose Sock
Wigwam Ultimax Cool Lite Hiker Sock -- Excellent Hiking Socks
Wigwam Liner Socks
Wigwam Gobi Liner -- Excellent Summer Moisture Wicking Liner Sock
Wigwam Mills Thermolite Liner F2163 -- Excellent Winter Moisture Wicking Liner Sock
Wigwam Gobi Plus Liner Socks F2154 -- Great Year Round Sock Liner
Wigwam Gobi Polypro Liners -- Keep Feet Warm & Dry
Wigwam Dry Foot Liner Socks F2152 -- Excellent Liner Keeping Feet Free From Wetness
Wigwam CoolMax Tech Ped Socks -- Great No Show Socks
Woolrich Socks
Woolrich Pine Creek Two Pack Sock - Soft Itch Free Warmth of Wool
Woolrich Ten-Mile Over The Calf Socks -- Keeping Your Calves Warm While in the Outdoors
Woolrich Day Hiker Sock - Soft Itch Free Warmth of Wool
WrightSock
WrightSock Double Layer Cool Mesh Low Socks -- Blister Free - Guaranteed
WrightSock Coolmesh Quarters Socks -- Free Central Air For Feet
WrightSock Double-Layer CoolMesh Ankle Socks -- Free from Dampness
WrightSock Double-Layer CoolMesh Quarter Socks -- Free From Dampness
WrightSock Elite Quarter Athletic Socks -- Decent Athletic Socks
WrightSock Ultra-Thin Low Liner Socks -- Excellent Liner Socks
WrightSock Ultra-Thin Quarter Liner Socks -- Excellent Liner Socks
WrightSock Walking Crew Socks - Great Walking Sock for Dry Comfy Feet
Wyoming Wear
Wyoming Wear Teewinot Print Fleece Socks - Free To Wear All Year Long
Wyoming Wear Cirque Fleece Socks -- Perfect for Winter Expeditions
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Member: Engel
Location: Greater Pensacola Area, FL, USA
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