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Reviews > Clothing > Socks > Teko EcoMerino Wool UL Crew Socks > Owner Review by Jennifer Estrella

Teko EcoMerino Wool Women's Ultra-Light Crew Socks
Owner Review
Jennifer Koles
July
10, 2007

Personal Information

Name:  Jennifer Koles
Age:  32
Gender:  Female
Height:  5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)
Weight: 140 lb (64 kg)
Email address: jennksnowy at yahoo dot com
City, State, and Country:  Salt Lake City, Utah, United States

Backpacking Background

I started taking overnight backpacking trips four years ago in the Uinta Mountain Range in Utah. I found myself taking entirely too much gear. I am finding out slowly how to minimize my needs and not require extra luxuries. My previous outdoor experiences consisted of 4-wheel-drive camping in primitive areas and day hiking. I use a four season convertible tent or a three season tent for my shelter. I plan to take more trips, increase my duration, and reduce my two to three day backpack base weight from 17 lb (8 kg).

Product Information

Manufacturer: Teko
Year of Manufacture: 2006
Model: EcoMerino Wool Women's Ultra-Light Crew Sock. These socks are also available in a men's version.
Manufacturer Website: www.tekosocks.com
Colors Available: Apple, Natural, and Charcoal
Color Reviewed: Apple
Sizes Available: SM (4-6), MED (6-10), LG (10-12)
Size Reviewed: MED (6-10)
Manufacturer's Listed Measurements: None listed on website.
Actual Measurements: 9 in (23 cm) (This is the height of the socks measured from the bottom of the heel to the top of the cuff.)
Manufacturer's Stated Weight: None indicated on website.
Measured Weight: 1.95 oz (55 g) (for both socks)
Warranty: One year guarantee
MSRP: $16.95 USD

Teko Socks

Product Description

Teko claims to produce socks with recycled products and with wool that is grown, farmed, processed, and finished with leading environmental and social practices.

The manufacturer claims that the farms are committed to holistically sustainable farming. The land is supposed to be maintained without the use of pesticides or herbicides. Teko claims that their Tasmanian wool fibers have an increased length which translates to socks that are strong, have less pilling, and have less itching.

All the socks produced by this company are made in the United States. All materials except for the Tasmanian EcoMerino wool are sourced in the United States.

The Teko EcoMerino Wool Women's Ultra-Light Crew Sock is designed more specifically for women. The design has a narrower heel, tapered toe, and a more open cuff.

The socks are thinner than the backpacking socks I traditionally wore in the past. However, they provide me ample support and comfort for a thin type of socks. By no means are these thin like a silk sock liner. They are just not a heavy thick wool sock.

The socks are constructed of 76% EcoMerino Wool. This wool is claimed to be shrink resistant and dyed with non-toxic dyes. This wool is also supposed to be soft, durable, and comfortable. Ecopoly Recycled Polyester makes up 13% of the content of the socks. Ecopoly is made from 100% recycled polyester. The manufacturer's claimed qualities of the Ecopoly include: moisture transfer, super-soft hand, and durability. The remaining content of the socks include 8% nylon and 3% Lycra.

The Ecopoly fibers are used as reinforcement to the the toe, heel, and the back of the foot. The seams constructing the toe and the cuff area are flat. The arch bands of the socks are constructed of Lycra. I can feel the support of the Lycra in this area while I am wearing the socks. There are air vents located on the medial and lateral aspect of the foot .I believe that these vents are designed for breathability. These air vents are triangular shaped with what appears as a lighter blend of fibers in the area. There are no large air vent holes. The vents are not noticeable except for the triangular pattern in the fabric. The socks have interwoven Lycra. The manufacturer claims that the interwoven Lycra is designed for support and to decrease sock bunching. There is a Lycra holding rib near the ankle. I believe that this rib is for increased sock support. The cuff of the socks are anti-welt double cuffs designed by the manufacturer for comfort and fit. The outside of the cuff has the Teko logo stitched in black and the inside of the cuff has "teko w-m" stitched in black. I am assuming that suggests it is a women's medium sock.

The manufacturer suggests to care for these socks by machine washing with warm water, inside-out, tumble dry low, no iron, and no bleach.

Field Use

I have three different models of Teko socks that I wear depending on the trail conditions, footwear, and the length of my trips. I own multiple pairs of the same models. This pair that I am reviewing I received last August. I wore this model while backpacking, on day-hikes, and on rock climbing route approaches.

I found the socks to be very comfortable, durable, have no pilling, do not stretch, have excellent support and cushioning, and very soft to the touch. I was very impressed with the craftsmanship of the socks. The stitching is flat on the toe and the cuff with no seams to possibly give me a blister or irritation. The inner fiber loops do not look like those of a traditional wool sock. They appear as small looped threads. The inside and the outside of the socks are very soft to the touch. They do not feel at all itchy or prickly. The cuff was not too tight around my leg and it did not bunch up or slide down.

After receiving the socks I wore them on a five day backpacking trip in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. On this trip I was also wearing new boots that were barely broken in. The first day I hiked for 9 mi (14 km). I was very surprised that while wearing a new pair of socks and boots I did not have any blisters, hot spots, or feet that were damp from perspiration. I change my socks before going to bed so that I am sleeping in clean socks. When I removed the pair I was wearing there was no funky odor from my feet perspiring. Since I have two pairs of this model of socks I donned my second pair to wear to bed. The temperatures at night were below freezing but my feet stayed toasty in my 20 F (-7 C) sleeping bag and my Teko socks.

The next morning I washed out my dirty socks in stream water so that they would dry while I was hiking. They washed nicely and did not become stiff or stretched out afterwards. They dried sometime while I was hiking that day while hanging on my pack.

On this trip I completed approximately 43 mi (69 km) of hiking and I experienced no blisters, bad foot perspiration, or hot spots on my feet. My feet were very comfortable and well supported in these socks.

I completed a 32 mi (52 km) backpacking trip in Southern Utah that consisted of hiking in a river for most of the trip. I did not wear the socks with my footwear while hiking since I was wearing neoprene booties. But, I did wear them after hiking for the day and to sleep. I will say that after hiking all day in cold water my feet were still cold even though I was wearing neoprene booties. My Teko socks helped warm my feet up and kept me toasty during the night.

Some of the locations that I wore these socks include: Utah (Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Escalante Grand Staircase area, Zion National Park, Wasatch Mountain Range); Wyoming (Grand Teton National Park). The elevations ranged from 4,000 ft to 12,200 ft (1,200 m to 3,700 m). The temperatures have been above freezing to above 85 F (29 C).

Even after several washings the socks have not stretched, pilled, lost threads, lost their softness, become fuzzy, or developed holes in them. After drying them in the dryer they come out fluffy and soft. I followed the care directions and they still look like new, well sort of. They are showing some slight wear. However, I have worn these socks quite a bit. I am surprised after wearing them so much that they are still holding their shape and support. I am also surprised that the heels and the toe areas have not worn out. The heels are usually the first area to wear out in my socks. Not only do they wear out but I find they wear out prematurely.

I have worn these for many miles/kilometers since last August. If I were to give an estimate, I would say that I wore them over 200 mi (322 km). There was no need to wear sock liners with these socks since I was not prone to blisters and hot spots while wearing them. I wore these socks with my Raichle Gore-Tex hiking boots, Vasque Ion mid-hiking boots, and Vasque trail runners. I found these socks best suited for three season use, especially summer. In my geographic location they are on the thin side for use in winter.

I absolutely love these socks! I love the feel, texture, support, and the quality of the construction.

Things I Like:

  • I love these socks!
  • The superior comfort, support, and durability
  • No itching or pilling
  • Can be worn for miles and days while backpacking
  • No odor

Things That Are So So:

  • Not a thing. I wish I had more.

Summary

What can I say, I absolutely love these socks. I have three different models of Teko socks that I wear depending on the field conditions, footwear, and my trip duration. I love them all. These are the most comfortable socks that I have owned. They wash nice with no pilling, shrinking, and stretching. I have had this pair for almost a year and they still look like new.

 



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Reviews > Clothing > Socks > Teko EcoMerino Wool UL Crew Socks > Owner Review by Jennifer Estrella



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