Coolmax Socks
Posted on 15. Jan, 2010 by admin.
Coolmax socks are an example of something that is on the one hand incredibly useful and awesome, but on the other almost scary in how effectively they work. With a technology stolen from outdoorsmen jackets, these magic socks draw the moisture from your foot and send it to an additional layer on top of your foot. This allows for the moisture to evaporate quickly, effectively controlling the temperature of your feet.
These socks are good news for anyone who has had to suffer through uncomfortably hot feet. It helps control the sweat, keeping away the stench every person fears when they take off their shoes out of respect of a friend’s carpet. Also, they don’t become damp, avoiding awkward wet spots on your socks are you walk into the living room to meet your girlfriend’s parents for the first time.
These socks can even come with cushioned heels, keeping your soles dry and comfortable no matter how active you are. The cushion also helps support your feet, stopping them from getting sore as you walk or run for an extended period of time. Amazing how much a simple sock can do.
Due to popular demand (most people sport a healthy fear of sweaty feet) they come in all shapes and colors, allowing you to coordinate your Coolmax socks around your outfit, instead of your outfit around your socks.
Though these socks represent a technology that is a little intimidating, they are also incredibly useful, not only in foot management, but in avoiding socially awkward situations. Being able to control the temperature of your foot and avoid excessive sweating is every person’s dream come true, especially those who live in the south but still love being active outdoors.
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Socks for Men
Posted on 11. Jan, 2010 by admin.
Any wife who does her husband’s laundry knows how important a man’s socks are. They not only protect his feet from uncomfortable shoes, but also protect the rest of the world from the inevitable stench of a sweaty high school locker room that plagues even the most dignified fifty-year-old man.
There are two types of essential socks for men. The first is the sturdy white cotton work out sock. This sock is worn with sneakers when the man is at the gym, mowing the lawn, or taking the kids to little league. It can be any height, depending on the shoe-pants combination, and allows for high breath-ability, helping the man deal with sweat as he enjoys his weekend.
Then there is the business sock. Whether argyle, polyester, cotton, spandex or some “perfect” combination of all of the above, these socks are much more sophisticated. Though they are always worn with dress shoes and long pants (and therefore never seen) they are worn on business occasions. Whether they are worn to the office every day or to the big yearly conference, these socks show how professional a man is. They come in a variety of somber colors and designs, reflecting how serious the man’s business is. The men will not sweat as much at work so sweat containment is not as large of a factor, though it is still an important aspect.
Men do not need brightly colored socks for fun, or patterned socks for every occasion. If you give your man a Christmas-themed pair of socks in December he will merely grit his teeth and hope he never has to wear them. Men are more straightforward when it comes to their socks: they have to fit, be functional, and they have to help keep the stench at bay.
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Pop Socks
Posted on 05. Jan, 2010 by admin.
A pop sock is a hybrid. Part stocking, part pantyhose and part sock, it is the unglamorous but oh so comfortable staple in the working woman’s wardrobe.
Pop socks are basically a sock made of pantyhose nylon and they normally come in two styles: the anklet, which protect the shoe and the foot from making new and interesting blends of smelly bacteria, and the knee-high version, which usually go under trousers when the footwear does not allow for dress socks.
It is the perfect way for a delicate high heel to be worn well with trouser suits, but a pop sock is definitely not the kind of thing that a woman would really want to be seen in. The pop sock is the woman’s equivalent of a man’s dress sock. Perfect when peeping discreetly from under a trouser cuff, but hilarious when seen on an otherwise bare set of legs.
The tip here for a woman is the same as for a man. When in intimate situations, make sure the sock is removed first – or forever risk being seen in the same light as your grandparents. This goes double for the woman who mistakenly thinks that her skirt is long enough to cover the thick elasticated top of the knee-high pop sock. A nun’s habit is not long enough to cover this – the wind seems to know when a woman is wearing a pop sock with skirt and will always find a way to lift the hem just enough to doom the poor girl to reveal her secret fondness for ‘Nana socks.’
The pop sock is best worn in discreet colors. In fact, it is impossible to find a pop sock in any color but black, tan, and occasionally white. The pop sock is built to be the indispensable but shadowy partner in the well-dressed businesswoman’s ensemble. We all know they are there, we all know they are wonderful, and we all know they should never be revealed or spoken of. Pop socks, you’ve been warned.
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The White Sock
Posted on 23. Dec, 2009 by admin.
Wearing a white sock can be seen as a bit of a fashion faux pas unless you are actually playing sport. The white sock is a gamble, but it seems that its a gamble most people are prepared to take.
White is the most highly sold color of sock sold anywhere in the world. We love them and we just keep coming back for more: One town in Wales (the unpronounceable Merthy Tydfil) report sales of around 200 pairs a day. For a town of only a few thousand people, it’s worth wondering where all these socks are going.
The humble white sock is not an easy item to wear. Worn with suits they are a serious breach of fashion etiquette, in intimate situations they are by far the silliest color sock for a self-respecting man to be seen dressed solely in, and even on the playing field they are considered a bit old-school.
So why do we love them so much? It’s all down to the psychology of buying a new white sock. Psychologists say that the color white summons up feelings of purity and calm, and opening a new packet of socks is something of a metaphor for a new beginning. Really.
There’s one other theory to explain the popularity of the white sock, and its much the same as the one that explains the popularity of the black sock. When all of your socks are the same color, it is so much easier to make up for the ‘lost sock phenomenon’ by taking one from another pair. Apparently, the simple daily stresses of things like lost socks actually reduce your life expectancy, so buying all of your socks in the same style and color can eliminate this killer stress.
Who would have thought that a white sock could be so good for your health?
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Slipper Socks
Posted on 14. Dec, 2009 by admin.
Slipper socks are the ultimate in inelegant lounge-wear. Scorned by those who have never tried a pair, and secretly loved by everyone who has, the slipper sock has its origins in Eastern Europe and Asia.
Traditional Balkan footwear was a highly decorated soft leather boot, and this has been translated into knitted socks with a soft leather sole. Not hardy enough to go hiking in, but certainly tough enough to cope with the average back yard. The slipper sock is an item that every Eastern European owns: Usually knitted by a loving grandmother, these highly colorful and heavily patterned pull-on slippers are a godsend on cold winter nights, even if they aren’t the most attractive item in the wardrobe.
The Asian influence of slipper socks passed through Afghanistan, where, in the 1970s an enterprising fellow took the traditional pattern of the boots worn by indigenous Afghanis and added a softer sole. They sold like hot cakes on the American market, to those who were looking for something high enough to keep the chill out of shins but sturdy enough to cope with the odd sojourn out the back door.
Now slipper socks are seen in the traditional patterns as well as some bright and blingy new designs. They’re especially popular with parent of young children, and are available in some teeny-tiny sizes as well as festooned with cartoon characters, glitter and fur (fake of course).
The traditional knee-high slipper sock has also given way to the slightly more manageable ankle and calf-height. Unlike ordinary slippers, the leg tube usually incorporates a stretch fabric so that the knitted section clings snugly to the leg. Toasty!
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Socks UK
Posted on 09. Dec, 2009 by admin.
Ever wondered where that one sock from each pair goes? Well if you live in the Loughborough area in the United Kingdom, we may have an answer for you.
The owners of Henry, a sock-loving cat, have been forced to mount a major leaflet campaign in their neighborhood to notify the community that their foot fetishist feline has been stealing socks. So far, he has brought home a total of fifty seven, and nothing is dissuading him from adding to his collection.
The family printed hundreds of leaflets to let their neighbors know that if they have a noticeable decrease in their home’s total sock numbers, they should present themselves to the Brandon’s home to claim the missing items.
The Brandons are baffled as to where Henry is finding these socks, and according to Louise Brandon, the thought of him stealing from people’s washing lines is “embarrassing enough” but the idea that Henry is sneaking into people’s homes to take socks straight out of their drawer – now that would put this cat burglar into a different class of criminal.
Henry has been spotted loitering on the walls of neighbors gardens each evening, prompting the Brandons to impose a night-time curfew on him.
Unfortunately, it hasn’t worked. Eloise Brandon, the nine-year old daughter of the Brandon family, has reported that Henry is still managing to steal at least one sock each day. And these are only the thefts that have been discovered.
Residents of Loughborough are encouraged to contact the Brandons to identify and claim their missing footwear, although no responsibility has been taken by Henry for any missing Loughborough pens or lighters. The disappearance of these items are a separate mystery.
Henry was not available for comment.
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Golf Socks
Posted on 03. Dec, 2009 by admin.
There is really no difference between a golf sock and any other kind of athletic sock, until you get to the patterns.
There is something about the sport of golf that brings out a designer’s sense of the ridiculous, and the crazy apparel does not end at the ankles. Argyle and plaid are hugely popular choices for golf socks, and golf devotees will wear these eye-bleeding color and pattern combinations with pride. We say go for it – playing golf is the one sport in which you can let your inner kitsch run free.
There are respectable golf socks available. These have a lot in common with the technical running sock: They are made of a highly balanced combination of natural and synthetic fibers, they cushion and cradle the feet, moisture is wicked away from the skin but held away from the absorbent in-sole of the shoe, and in some cases the socks are designed to fit left and right feet individually. They are also found in much less outrageous colors – white is a favorite, usually with a discreet logo.
While these are very comfortable, not to mention useful, they simply do not have the same panache as the thick argyle-type sock that reaches the hem of the Plus-4 pants, somewhere below the player’s knee. These traditional style socks are also comfortable, although they do tend to be hotter than the athletic type. This is less to do with the fabric used to manufacture them, and more to do with the sheer height of them – wearing a pair of these is a little like wearing a small sheep from foot to knee. They do go very well with the silly hats though – and if you are new to the sport, loud golf socks are a must-have.
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Tube Socks
Posted on 29. Nov, 2009 by admin.
Tube socks are the Old School sports sock. From John McEnroe to bubble-gum chewing rollergirls to pro-skateboarders who risked their lives on those narrow boards, the tube sock has left it’s Three Blue Band mark on our cultural history.
A tube sock is pretty much exactly what it sounds like – just a tube sealed at one end. They became popular during the war, when all the good folk at home were knitting life-saving feet-warmers for the boys at the Front. Not only were they fast and easy to make, which sped up production in civilian loungerooms all over the world, but they were practical: A sock with a badly fitted heel can be crippling, especially in the unsanitary conditions of the trenches.
The tube sock was born.
They were revived in the 70s as an athletic sock, but instead of being made with wool, they were machine-woven using the synthetics that that decade was crazy for. No-one really knows where the blue bands at the top came from, but they became the signifier of the true tube sock. Now they’re no longer used by serious athletes (after all, your foot is not shaped like a tube, so why should your sock be?) but they have not been forgotten by Retro Funksters. Tube socks make regular appearances in music videos (usually teamed with killer hi-tops) and on the red carpet (who would have thought that tube socks and high heels could actually work?).
For those of us who remember them the first time round, there is still a particular kind of pleasure to be had when you dig through your drawer and come up with the Compression Bandage in a sock. Nothing quite like them for watching the game.
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Cotton Socks
Posted on 21. Nov, 2009 by admin.
Cotton is the classic fabric to make a sock from. Although it is too absorbent to be used as an exercise sock, the natural fibers keep feet cool and fresh during normal daily activity.
The ideal cotton sock is one that has a little synthetic stretch in it. When these are slipped on your feet it is like you are wearing no socks at all.
For a long time, pure cotton socks fell out of favor. While the natural fibers let the foot ‘breathe’ they did nothing to prevent sweating. Sweaty feet aren’t considered the most attractive thing the human body is able to do, and the trend towards moisture-absorbing synthetic fibers continued. This is still largely the case, although there has been a slight resurgence in the popularity of pure cotton socks, mostly due to the realization that ‘moisture-absorbing’ also means ‘odor-absorbing!’ While cotton socks mean sweaty feet, they also mean less smelly feet.
There is also an increase in allergies to synthetic and over-processed fibers. Cotton is one of the culprits, so purists are instead buying their socks from manufacturers who only make their socks from organic, naturally-dyed cotton. Good for the body and good for the planet.
They’re also good for people with sensitive skin. Although the feet show more sweat when wearing cotton socks than when wearing synthetic, air is more easily able to circulate and cool the skin, relieving the heat that aggravates common skin conditions like athlete’s foot and mild eczema.
Cotton socks are extremely popular in Europe. The summer months see cotton socks out in force, for it’s breathable properties and its cachet. For the Italians in particular, cotton is cool, in more ways than one.
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Running Socks
Posted on 18. Nov, 2009 by admin.
You may remember a time when running socks were like every other sock you owned, only you moved more quickly when you wore them.
Now running socks are big business. In a sporting world measured in hundredths of seconds, the slightest advantage can mean the difference between the Hall of Fame and the Walk of Shame.
The technology used in the socks of Olympic athletes has found its way onto the street, and the average consumer has a bewildering array of running socks to choose from.
The basic characteristics of a good running sock:
It is made of a combination of cotton and synthetic fibers. Pure cotton absorbs moisture, which means it is held next to your feet when you run. This will lead to smelly feet, rashes and the most common runner’s problem, friction blisters.
There is extra padding on the sole. Whether you prefer a thin or thick running sock (usually the space in your shoe will make the decision for you) a good running sock will help to cushion the force of impact on your foot.
There is no seam along the toe. This is the sign of a well-made running sock, and a seamless toe prevents blisters and torn nails.
There is no elastic across the foot. This will lead to metatarsal pain.
In the case of technical running socks, there will be an individual shaping to the left and right foot (with these types of socks you can’t afford to lose one of the pair!)
Also in the case of technical running socks (when you read ‘technical’ you can also read ‘expensive’) the sole will contain a different kind of fabric to the rest of the sock. This will be designed to hold the moisture wicked away from the foot, but preventing it from absorbing into the shoe. This avoids bacteria buildup and smelly feet.
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