Smartwool Socks - Hiking Medium Crew
[SW-HMCG]

Can you have too much luxury in your life? Not me. These are very comfortable socks.

I've had problems in the past with socks, such as the issue ones, that don't stay in place and tend to ruck up under my heels which is very uncomfortable. I've solved this problem with very technical socks that have cross over bands and all sorts of other mysterious ways of staying in place. They're great but they are expensive. The Smartwool socks manage to do the same trick and although at about £12 they're not cheap but they're not expensive for what you get.

They're made of 71% wool, 28% Nylon and 1% Elastic and according to Smartwool are suitable for machine washing and drying with warm water and tumble on a low heat. I thought Her Majesty's finest mobile laundry had killed them by boil washing and blast drying as they looked a bit sorry when they came out of the string bag but they sprang back into life when given a little stretch.

Smartwool's technical blurb says that what you get is a Medium-full cushioned leg and foot. 3 x l rib leg with elastic that holds the sock up and in place. Flat knit side panels which reduce bunching and give maximum ventilation. Elastic arch braces for enhanced fit and support. Flat knit toe seams for increased comfort and durability. I can attest that they are telling the truth.

They also claim that they allow wicking and will regulate temperature and are odour (sic) free. Having tried them in June I can't make any comments about their performance in the cold but my feet remained comfortable even when the temperature was in the 30's. I also wore them for a sweaty 24 hours and there was no whiff.

All in all I liked these socks and will certainly be buying more of them although I may go for the their slightly lighter cousins.

Date Added: 12/07/2011 by Arrse Reviews