In this day of technical outdoor clothing the humble sock has largely been ignored. There are some socks out there that claim to be really good inside the climbing boot or running shoe. However the SealSkinz sock has got a whole lot more going for it .
There is little doubt that in the world of the serious runner the feet takes the brunt of all our efforts. In mountain and fell running this is multiplied by twisting, bogs, wet, stones and boulders and dust.. In short a lot more pressure is pushed on the feet. than in road running. In summer feet can stay dry and largely clean, they also stay quite cool. Many runners use either thin socks or none at all. Most fell shoes allow the water to drain out too. In winter the bogs are either at freezing point or frozen. If your feet get wet they stay wet, very uncomfortable, and potentially dangerous, because you lose your ability to accurately place them because they have gone numb! Tripping and stumbling can occur. Wet feet tend to blister too, but its not something that happens to me thankfully!
Sealskinz claim to prevent a lot of these difficulties by making their socks waterproof and breathable, seems like a contradiction. The innermost layer is Merino wool. This is very soft to the touch, quite springy. It is finer than "traditional" wool and exhibits antibacterial properties. It however has a high lanolin content which is a warning for those with lanolin allegies. The middle layer comprises of a membrane made of Porelle. This is microporous. This does not allow the larger water droplets through (or mud and sheep poo!) but does allow water vapour or sweat out. The outermost layer on these socks is black and somewhat rubbery. This is a mix of acrylic and elastane. This adds a toughness to the sock that does not seem to exist in other socks.
First impressions, they are shaped to fit and feel quite rough to the touch. The inside is almost white, quite a coarse knit but really quite soft. They feel as they don't give quite as much as you would like them to.
Putting them on my views changed somewhat. They fit well and they are instantly warm. The top of the sock grips the leg and will prevent the ingress of water and mud. There seemed to be a softening of the sock which helped it fit better than before. There didn't seem to be any bunching round the toes which can happen in other socks.
The test for these socks was the 25 mile, 2 Crosses challenge walk/run on the Pennines close to Bolton in the middle of January. The weather was OK not raining anyway. It however had rained continuously for a fortnight before, so underfoot it was completely sodden. I'm a slow starter(and finisher!)so I got sucked into the mud right from the off. I tried to find a less muddy way but after the first mile I gave up and just ran in the mud. That awful really cold wet feeling in the feet just did not seem to happen. After a few miles the feet still seemed OK. My running shoes were absolutely black and mud caked as well as my legs to the knees. They felt cold even though I was using thermal tracksters.
I normally don't change after an event but this time I did. I pulled my socks off expecting the usual black sludge in my socks but there was none. The feet were clean, they were quite damp, but not overly so. There were no blisters either. My feet had felt fine, but not warm for the whole 6 hours. I was very impressed!
Had the socks survived; difficult to tell, the outside indestructible layer was absolutely filthy. After washing and washing and washing in warm water - more about this later! they were fairly clean and less smelly. A check over the outside revealed no apparent wear. I was impressed again. I turned the socks inside out and filled them with water. No leaks. That was good too.
Advantages. Lots of different sizes and and heights. Keep your feet fairly dry in the wet. Stop water and grot getting in. Soft inside and fit well Probably a size to fit Hats and gloves available too Quite light
Disadvantages Huge price £22 inc P&P Get fiendishly dirty Have to be washed carefully or they come apart, less than 40 degrees C. Take a long time to dry Will wear out if not careful Too heavy if you are a serious racer
Would I buy another pair? If they lasted 100 mile + of serious fell racing then they are worth it - they are that good.
I obtained these socks from www.game6sport.com via ebay. The service that this company offered is exceptional. I will order from them again.
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£22 approx
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