Thorlos is a small company with a big turnout of socks specifically designed for certain activities. I had used there combat boot socks in the past but wanted to see what else Thorlos had to offer. I spoke with the director of military sales for Thorlos regarding their products and I had a few sent to me for testing. Since I generally wear around a size 8.5 or 9, depending on the footwear, I tested out a large and medium in each pair of socks tested due to the fact that medium goes up to a size 8.5 and large starts at size 9.
One pair of socks that I have been wearing for several months are the Thorlos Anti-fatigue socks. These socks are designed to enhance mobility & maintain foot health during prolonged standing or walking. They are also designed to help protect your feet from your boots by adding padding in critical areas. I just so happen to be on my feet quite a bit, so it was a good test for the comfort and performance of the socks.
Since I've already talked about sizing I'll cover that first. Here's an idea of my foot size by what size I wear in certain footwear... Altama jungle boots size 7.5, New Balance size 9, 5.11 footwear size 9, Bates size 8.5. In this particular pair of socks, both were comfortable and a decent fit, although I would say that the medium did fit a little bit better. No matter what size you get these socks are a tall sock that will come up close to the knee. They're designed with the combat/tactical boot in mind. I generally will fold them down once unless its extremely cold out and I need some extra insulation.
Another aspect of sizing is proper fitting of the sock and the boot you plan on wearing. It's always suggested that when you try on the boots you should wear the socks that you'll be wearing on a day to day basis and try on the new boots toward the end of the day. The reason for this is that your feet swell during the day and you want to try on new footwear when your feet are swollen from the days activities. You may need to wear a slightly larger size boot when wearing these socks due to the protective padding of the socks. Always make sure there is enough room in the toe area as well to promote good circulation to keep your feet warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
Initially I was wearing an older pair of boots when I got the socks, but then I got a new pair of boots and wore these socks when I went to get the new boots. In both cases I had no issues with sizing with these socks. This style of Thorlos have moderate cushioning, which doesn't make a large difference in sizing of the boot.
Over several months I've worn these socks I can say that they've made a big improvement in the comfort of my older boots and have really helped with fatigue. I don't know how it works, but it seems to make a difference...especially when wearing them with older boots...the difference in that case was extremely noticeable. Thorlos seem to protect my feet from my boot. This protection seems to give incredible comfort to my feet.
One thing that Thorlos was really concerned with is people not properly fitting the boot with the sock and having the cushioning of the sock fitted in a tight boot cause overheating and sweating of the feet. Since this is a medium weight sock,and the sizing of the boot wasn't effected by the cushioning and I had no problems with overheating. That's not to say my feet didn't sweat a little, but no more than normal...and in fact they seemed either to sweat less or the fabric in the socks wicked the sweat away. I wore these socks in extremely hot and cold environments with no problems.
I'll get to a list of the properties of this sock now...
My pet peeve of socks is that annoying seam at the end of the toes. Thorlo has made their socks with a flat seam...a big plus in my book and a big plus in comfort.
The Thorlon yarn is very durable and wicks moisture from the feet. I have noticed that the socks have shown very little wear during the testing so far and my feet are fairly dry at the end of the day. My feet sweat and these socks keep them dry in the summer to prevent foot fungus and in the winter to prevent cold feet. Traditional cotton socks keep my feet wet, these don't. This yarn also promotes circulation and stays in place. You won't find this sock slouching or bunching up under your foot.
X-static silver fiber knitted into the foot area. This fiber provides permanent anti-microbial & anti-odor protection. This really works as advertised. After a 12 hour day, wearing my boots the whole time, my feet usually wreak. But with these socks there's barely a faint odor...this silver fiber really works great. Plus, it keeps my boots from smelling also.
Moderate cushioning in the ball/heel. This reduces shock, impact, and the rubbing and friction that causes blisters.
Flat stitching at the instep and thin cushioning in the arch improves fit and prevents bunching.
30 day money back no risk trial. This shows the company's confidence in their product.
I really like these socks. They really perform well and are soft, comfortable, and durable. They add cushion and protection to the foot without too much bulk. I'll be wearing these for years, I'm sure!
Care tips:
Use liquid fabric softener.
Turn the socks inside out when washing & drying to "fluff" the padding.
Do not use bleach.
Materials:
82% Thorlon Acrylic
9% Nylon
5% Spandex
4% X-static
Colors: Black, desert sand
Sizes: Medium, Large, X-Large
MSRP: $17.99
Great review, I want some of those now.
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