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Reviews > Clothing > Socks > ODLO Primaloft Crew Hike socks > Test Report by Nancy Griffith

ODLO CERAMICOOL MICRO CREW HIKE SOCKS
TEST SERIES BY NANCY GRIFFITH
LONG-TERM REPORT
April 23, 2022

CLICK HERE TO SKIP TO THE FIELD REPORT
CLICK HERE TO SKIP TO THE LONG-TERM REPORT

TESTER INFORMATION

NAME: Nancy Griffith
EMAIL: bkpkrgirlATyahooDOTcom
AGE: 56
LOCATION: Foothills outside Sacramento, California
GENDER: F
HEIGHT: 5' 6" (1.68 m)
WEIGHT: 130 lb (59.00 kg)
SHOE SIZE 39 (8.5M)

My outdoor experience began in high school with a co-ed scout group which made a 10-day canoe voyage through the Quebec wilds. I've been backpacking since college in Pennsylvania. I have hiked 1/4 of the Appalachian Trail and 2/3 of the Pacific Crest Trail. My typical trip is in the Sierra Nevada from a few days to a few weeks long. My base weight is lightweight at 15 lb (6.8 kg) while still using a tent, stove and quilt. Longer mileage summer trips are now stoveless.


INITIAL REPORT

PRODUCT INFORMATION & SPECIFICATIONS

package frontpackage backManufacturer: ODLO International AG
Year of Manufacture: 2022
Manufacturer's Website: http://www.odlo.com
MSRP: $30 US

Listed Weight: Not Listed
Measured Weight: 2.2 oz (62 g) for pair

Color Tested: Black
Other Colors Available: Deep Depths (green)

Size Tested (needed): M 39-41
Other Sizes Available: S 36-38, L 42-44 (received), XL 45-47

Made in Italy

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

sock pairelastic zonesThe Primaloft Crew Hike Socks are made of 55% polyester, 26% polyamide (nylon), 17% polypropylene and 2% elastane. The polyester Primaloft fabric is treated with a bacteria and scent-resistant product called ZeroScent. The toe has a flat seamless construction. The top cuff is wide and has the ODLO logo. Inside the back of the cuff is the sock size which is really nice if members of a household have the same sock in different sizes. On the sock toes is an indication of R (right) and L (left). The socks also have the ODLO logo on the outside of the top cuff so that is also an indicator and a much easier one to see for me.

The colors and striped pattern on the socks indicate different zones. The gray areas have added cushion in the high-impact areas like the heel and toe but also including the ankle bones (nice!). The striped areas under the toes and on the sides of the top foot have more stretch presumably for a better fit.

ODLO has an excellent chart on their website that shows at what temperatures the garment will be comfortable while sitting vs. walking vs. being active. These socks are in their WARM category which is listed as ideal for all winter activities.
Temperature ranges are as follows:
-10 to 15 C (14 to 59 F) Standing still
-15 to 0 C (5 to 32 F) Walking
-25 to -15 C (-13 to 5 F) Active

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS & TRYING THEM OUT

My initial impression was that these are a nice-looking pair of socks which also feel like they are very well-constructed. Next, I noticed that I was sent a L (44-46) size instead of a M (39-41) and the fit was too large for me. I consulted the ODLO website and found an email for Customer Service. No phone number was posted. I contacted ODLO via their email. I immediately received a canned reply saying they got my email. Customer Service has contacted me saying that they have forwarded my info to the appropriate people, so I'll report back on what happens. I can't wait to have the correct size and start wearing them!

READING THE INSTRUCTIONS

Washing instructions say to machine wash warm with like colors. No fabric softener is to be used. The socks should not be tumble dried, ironed or dry cleaned.

Machine Wash Warm
Do Not Bleach
Do Not Tumble Dry
Do Not Iron
Do Not Dry Clean

SUMMARY

The ODLO Primaloft Crew Hike Socks are a well-constructed pair of warm socks.

Initial Likes:
Nice looking
Cushion zones
Stretch zones

Initial Concern:
Obtaining correct size


LONG-TERM REPORT

CUSTOMER SERVICE - SOCK REPLACEMENT

package frontpackage backIn my IR I mentioned that I was awaiting a replacement of a medium sock size and had contacted ODLO Customer Service via their email on the website. Just three days after ODLO Customer Service responded to me saying that they had forwarded my information to the responsible department, I received a new pair of socks delivered to my door. Wow, that was very quick. The socks are in my correct size 39-41 and are a slightly different type than the original pair. I will just identify those things that are different from what is in my Initial Report.

fr pairCERAMICOOL MICRO CREW HIKE SOCKS (UNISEX)
MSRP: $20 USD
Measured Weight (pair): 1.4 oz (40 g)
Size: EUR 39-41
Color: Climbing Ivy

Height is micro crew which is slightly shorter than crew height. Construction is 39% polyamide (nylon), 31% polyester, 26% polypropylene and 4% elastane which is different in percentage content of the same materials.

These socks are in their LIGHT category which is listed as ideal for all weather conditions.
Temperature ranges are as follows:
15 to 25 C (59 to 77 F) Standing still
5 to 15 C (41 to 59 F) Walking
-10 to 10 C (14 to 50 F) Active

LONG-TERM TEST LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS

snowshoe shellI wore the ODLO Ceramicool Micro Crew Hike Socks on one overnight snowshoe backpacking trip, one snowshoeing day trip, eight day hikes along with five softball games, four morning runs and probably eight other days for just working in the yard or around town. In total I'd guess that I wore them on twenty-eight days and washed them twelve times.

Snowshoeing/Backpacking:
Shadow Lake, Sierra Nevada, California: overnight trip of 10 mi (16 km); 6,327 to 7,264 ft (1,928 to 2,214 m); 28 to 42 F (-2 to 6 C); sunny and clear

Coldstream Valley, Northern Sierra Nevada, California: 4.8 mi (7.7 km); 5,935 to 6,236 ft (1,809 to 1,901 m) elevation; 21 to 24 F (-6 to -4 C); partly cloudy and breezy

Hiking:
Two hikes on El Dorado Trail, Sierra Nevada, California: 4 mi (6 km) and 5.8 mi (9.3 km); 1,630 to 1,900 ft (500 to 580 m) elevation; 48 to 53 F (9 to 12 C) and 64 F (18 C)

Brown's Ravine Trail, Folsom Lake, California: 4 mi (6 km); 490 to 600 ft (149 to 183 m) elevation; 42 F (6 C)

Monroe Ridge Trail, Sierra Nevada, California; 5.5 mi (8.9 km); 743 to 1,262 ft (226 to 385 m) elevation; 45 to 52 F (7 to 11 C)

Sleeping Giant Trail, Kauai, Hawaii; 4 mi (6 km); 200 to 1,137 ft (61 to 347 m) elevation; 73 F (23 C); partly cloudy

Beek's Bight, Folsom Lake, California: 5 mi (8 km); 472 to 527 ft (144 to 161 m) elevation; 66 F (19 C); partly cloudy

Gerle Loop in the Auburn Recreation Area, California: 3.5 mi (5.6 km); 764 to 921 ft (233 to 281 m) elevation; 64 F (18 C)

Off-trail Sierra Nevada Foothills, California: 2 mi (3 km); 1,890 to 1,950 ft (576 to 594 m) elevation; 45 F (7 C); steady rain in light winds

PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD

base layer
Fit with base layer
I wore the socks during the day on one overnight snowshoe backpacking trip. My base layer pants managed to cover the tops of the sock height (crew) just barely. The height of the socks is just barely tall enough to keep out any draft between the sock and the base layer pants. This combination worked fine for hiking and running with no draft coming through. Since these socks are in the 'light' category for warmth, they worked well for activity in colder conditions but not as well when stationary. For instance, on the overnight trip, as soon as I got into camp, I donned much warmer taller knee socks in order to keep warm while not hiking. This is as expected given the light rating.

ltr condition
Final Condition
I wore the socks on a hike in rain where it had been raining all day and there was water running everywhere and puddling. I wanted to test out my waterproof shoes, so I spent much of the hike walking in the puddles and rivulets. When I finished, I could feel coolness on my outer foot and found that the water had gotten in at one spot. The sock did a good job of not becoming saturated with water or spreading it to other parts of the sock and it dried quickly once I removed the shoes.

I tried to wear the socks multiple times between washings to check out the odor resistance. The most consecutive days was three wearings before a wash which I did on three different occasions. The socks did well to resist odor although I admit that the temperatures weren't very high, so I wasn't as sweaty as I will be in the summer. Overall, I washed the socks twelve times and can see some pilling and slight wear. The cushy interior is slightly squashed at the heel and ball. Generally, the socks still really look great and are holding up well.

I like the left (L) and right (R) marking on the socks. Those markings along with the ODLO name being on the outside of either sock allowed me to always know which sock was which and to don them correctly the first time.

SUMMARY

The ODLO Ceramicool Micro Crew Hike Socks area a well-constructed pair of lightweight socks.

Thumbs Up:
Great Customer Service
Quick-drying
Tall enough with base layer
Odor-resistant

Thumbs Down:
Nothing at all

This concludes my Long-Term Report and this test series. Thanks to ODLO and BackpackGearTest.org for allowing me to test these socks.

This report was created with the BackpackGearTest.org Report Writer Version 1. Copyright 2022. All rights reserved.

Read more reviews of ODLO International AG gear
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