Page 71 - Southern Oregon Magazine Fall 2021

SOCKS ARE MORE
IMPORTANT THAN YOU THINK!

bryant helgeland

ike most people who aren’t total sock geeks, I took them for
granted too. Then I became a sock geek and my feet have been
happy ever since! While making the transition to good socks
Lmy wallet wasn’t as happy as my feet, but in the end, making
the change was worth it. But what are the “right” kind of socks? What
sock is right for you might not be same socks as your partner, parent,
or child. We are all human, but every human has different physiology.

Years ago, I attended a boot fitting weekend training workshop. To my
surprise we spent half of the first day discussing socks, not shoes or
boots. Until that day I, like most people, figured socks are socks. They
go on your feet before you put your feet in your shoes. That is true but
there is much more to the story!

A thicker sock will generally be warmer than a thinner one. A thicker
sock will generally provide more cushion as well, but beyond that the
thickness of your socks will primarily only affect the way your shoes
fit as in a thicker one will make your shoes tighter.

Other factors in sock construction will make some socks fit bet-
ter than others. These include the toe seam construction and stitch
method, the heel fit, and the amount of stretch and/or compression.
A flatlock stitched toe seam that’s moved to the top of the sock and
back about an inch will be more comfortable than a standard seam
at the end of the toes. This is because the standard to seam at the
end of the sock tends to bunch at the sides of the sock in your shoes.
You’ll feel that extra fabric bunching next to your big toe and pinky
toe. That usually leads to blisters when hiking and blisters are no fun.
Similarly, a “Y” seam at the heel provides a better fit than a single
straight seam forming the heel cup. With that said, both a “Y” seam
and a standard straight seam are better than a tube sock that has no
defined heel cup at all.

Further, more terry loops and a higher stitch count mean better and
more resilient cushioning. They also mean a significantly more dura-
ble sock. So much so that brands such as Darn Tough guarantee that
you won’t wear their socks out. If you do manage to wear them out,
take them to your local retailer who will swap them out for a new
pair. True, they cost about $20 per pair but I have some that are over
10 years old and can swap them for a new pair when they finally die.

By far, the biggest factor to consider when picking out socks is what
they are made from. I, like most people, started out wearing the com-
monly available six-pack of cotton tube socks. My feet were always
cold. I thought it was a circulation issue. It wasn’t. It was a moisture

fall 2021 | www.southernoregonmagazine.com 69