I have been wearing Thorlos Boot Sock for several months. These socks have moderate cushioning to help enhance mobility by maintaining foot health and comfort during field training and combat conditions. They help protect your feet from your boots by adding padding in critical areas.
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. They are a medium height sock that extends a few inches above a 8 inch combat boot(mid-calf). They're designed with the combat/tactical boot in mind.
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.
Thorlos seem to protect my feet from my boot, which is how they were designed. This protection seems to give added 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 excessive problems with overheating. That's not to say my feet didn't sweat a little, but no more than normal.
I'll get to a list of the properties of this sock now...
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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. With these socks there's barely a faint odor...this silver fiber really works great. Plus, it keeps my boots from smelling also.
4. Moderate cushioning in the ball/heel. This reduces shock, impact, and the rubbing and friction that causes blisters.
5. Thin cushioning in the arch improves fit and prevents bunching. There is also thin cushioning in the instep to help prevent the laces of a combat boot from biting in. I love this added cushion. I've had combat boots in the past that "bite" in the instep area and this makes the boots extremely uncomfortable to wear.
6. Ventilation panel up the sides of the foot to help wicking and keeping the feet cool and dry.
7. 30 day money back no risk trial. This shows the company's confidence in their product.
Below you'll see pictures I took of the socks inside out. I did this to show the padding that these socks have.
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. If you wear boots for a living, these are a pair of socks to look into.
Care tips:
1. Use liquid fabric softener.
2. Turn the socks inside out when washing & drying to "fluff" the padding.
3. Do not use bleach.
Materials:
77% Thorlon Acrylic
17% Nylon
1% Spandex
5% X-static
Colors: Black, desert sand
Sizes: Medium, Large, X-Large
Made in the USA!!
MSRP: $17.99
Mate,
ReplyDeleteThat is the most in depth review about socks I've ever seen!
Good job.