High-Quality Socks: Are Premium Socks Worth the Price Tag?
Pack of 10 white cotton footies for $15? Score! Or is it? After just 3 wears they’re stretching, sagging and have developed a little hole in the toe box, and before you know it you’re down to just 4 pairs.
Want to feel good in your shoes? It’s time to fork over a little extra cash and invest in a few good pairs of high-quality socks that protect your feet and last a lifetime! No more buying 10 packs every few months. Instead, stock up on high-quality socks and you’ll be good to go!
If you’re like most people, the majority of the socks in your drawer are probably made from cotton. While cotton socks are very popular because they’re affordable and easy to find, they’re certainly not the best choice under many circumstances. Soft and comfortable at first, cotton socks absorb moisture instead of wicking it away, leaving your feet cold, wet, clammy, smelly and probably covered with blisters.
If you’ve never tried a high-quality sock, it can be hard to believe there could be a big enough difference to justify the increase in price. Wearing is believing, friends, and you get what you pay for. When you buy good quality socks, you’re paying for better materials, better design, testing, product finishes and performance.
Legendary sock brands like Smartwool, Darn Tough, and Wigwam, along with many of our other brands sell a pair of socks for around $20. You might be thinking: what?! That’s crazy! But here’s the kicker: they last way longer than the average sock, they’re more comfortable to wear daily, they fight odor and keep your feet healthy AND the use of Merino wool means you need to wash them less frequently, saving time and water and money.
Materials
A good sock is typically constructed of high-quality fibers such as Merino wool. Merino is light, soft, insulating and has natural anti-microbial properties. Wool can actually absorb up to 30% of its own weight in moisture and still not feel wet. Wool fibers absorb moisture from your foot in your shoe and wick that moisture toward the top of your sock, where it evaporates. Wool insulates, which means it keeps your feet comfortable in any temperature. Cool in the summer, warm in the winter. It’s also a natural, renewable resource and the Merino Wool industry has a strong commitment to animal welfare and safety, so you can feel good about how the sheep are treated.
Design
Premium sock brands offer socks engineered for specific activities so you can get the most protection for your feet, no matter what you’re doing. Why wear the same socks for everything when they aren’t made to work for everything? A sock designed for hiking has extra durability and added thickness and cushioning compared to a running or walking sock. Some brands also offer gender-specific zones and ventilation to ensure optimum comfort.
Construction
The days of lumpy, scratchy, smelly wool are gone. These days each top-quality brand has their own sock technologies developed through years of research and customer feedback. Fiber blends and knit patterns are rigorously engineered and tested to create long-lasting, durable socks that protect feet from blisters and bacteria.
Inspection & Testing
Each sock made in these state of the art manufacturing facilities also go through a period of testing; a journey before yours even begins. After construction, examiners typically pull samples and look for specific knitting and sizing defects, and pairers identify potential quality concerns as they prepare for packaging. Seamers, washers, dryers, packagers, and more all handle, evaluate and test each sock before it gets to you. This way, you can be sure you’re getting a high-quality sock that will last and last.
Quality testing doesn’t stop there! After inspection, socks are worn in real life to make sure you’re satisfied when they come out of the box. Customers and sponsored athletes actually drive research and development for a multitude of sock brands, as they continue to improve their lines and work their way to the top of the industry. If you aren’t satisfied, no worries! Some brands offer lifetime guarantees and will send you a pair of new socks if you aren’t satisfied.
Listen, we know it sounds goofy to pay $20 for a pair of socks when you can run down to the mega-mart and grab a ten-pack for $10. Maybe that works for you! But if you’re on your feet all day for work, hike or run for fun, or are prone to blisters or stinky feet, you owe it to yourself to give high-quality socks a try.
Wool fibers can bend over 20,000 times, while cotton fibers start to fall apart after only 3,000 which means those $20 socks will last 6.5 times longer. Factor in your savings on less frequent replacements, the natural antimicrobial properties of wool reducing the need for frequent washing and suddenly that price tag doesn’t seem so high.
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