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Reviews > Clothing > Socks > WrightSock Double-Layer Coolmesh Crew > Owner Review by Kara Stanley

WRIGHTSOCK DOUBLE-LAYER COOLMESH CREW
BY KARA STANLEY
OWNER REVIEW
June 16, 2008

TESTER INFORMATION

NAME: Kara Stanley
EMAIL: karguo (at) yahoo dot com
AGE: 25
LOCATION: Washington, DC
GENDER: F
HEIGHT: 5' 10" (1.78 m)
WEIGHT: 170 lb (77.10 kg)
SHOE SIZE US 11 EUR 41/42

I backpacked for the first time in 2006 and am now hooked on it. I have hiked most of my life, though growing up the in South most of my hikes were on flat land or small hills. Since moving to the DC area I have really gotten into hiking, doing both day hikes and multi-day backpacking trips, but warm weather hikes only! Since I am on a tight budget I tend to have heavier gear, but am hoping to covert to a lighter hiking style as money permits. My base pack weight is around 25 lb (11 kg) since I am currently carrying a 2-man tent on all my trips.

PRODUCT INFORMATION

Manufacturer: WrightSock
Year of Manufacture: 2008
Manufacturer's Website: WrightSock
MSRP: US$ 9.50
Listed Weight: n/a
Measured Weight: 3 oz (85 g)

Product Description

I purchased the WrightSocks in size L and found that they fit well. The socks also have color coded seams across the toes, which I did not notice until reading another review. This would be helpful in a household with more then once size of WrightSock. Please see the sizing chart below:

IMAGE 5
Sizing Chart from WrightSocks website



Dual layer crew socks made to reduce/eliminate blisters and hotspots. They are made from a mix of Dri-WRIGHT™ polyester and nylon with a touch of Lycra® in the outer layer to keep them in place. The outer layer is grey with darker toes and heals. The front panel is a fine checkered pattern of dark and light grey and 'allows for maximum “wicking” action away from the foot, keeping you drier and cooler than other socks' according to the website. There is no elastic in the cuff but the Lycra keeps them up just fine. The inner layer is white which I think was done to keep potentially irritating dyes away from sensitive feet. Also the white layer shows whether or not all the dirt has been washed out of the socks. The double layer system was designed to allow each layer to move freely to reduce friction and help prevent blisters and hotspots.

IMAGE 1
Cool Mesh Crew Sock (From WrightSock's webpage)

IMAGE 2
From WrightSocks website




FIELD USE

I bought these socks for use during the One Day Hike (ODH), which is a 100 km (62.1 mi) hike along the C & O Canal from Washington, DC to Harper's Ferry, West Virginia with an elevation gain of about 350' (107 m). I first heard about WrightSocks from a backpacker in Montana who suggested them for my hiking partner who was having blister troubles. They were again recommended to me by a fellow hiker in my ODH training group. I purchased a pair to test out on a 35 mi (40.25 km) training hike with plans to get a second pair if I like them enough to use for the ODH. It did take me a bit to get use to wearing the WrightSocks due to the slipping between the layers. As the hike progressed I no longer noticed the slipping and was pleased that I did not develop any blisters or hotspots except between my toes, which the socks could not have prevented. I didn't wash the socks before wearing them the first time and was pleased that they did not shrink noticable after machine-washing and drying them.

For the actual ODH I used two pairs of WrightSocks, changing socks after 35 mi (40.25 km). Overall the socks performed well during the hike, which was done in temperatures ranging from about 55 F to 80 F (31 C to 44 C). It did rain the last 2.5 hrs of the hike and my feet got wet but still I did not get any blisters the socks could have prevented. I did not notice that my feet were wet, but I also had lost some of the feeling in my feet due to swelling and constant motion for over 17 hrs at the time it started raining. One thing that did bother me about the socks was that they started pilling at the ball and sides of my feet. At first I thought that I had sand in the bottom of my shoes so I removed the insoles only to realize at the next stop that it was the pilling that was causing the irritation and not anything in my shoe. That being said, this did not cause blisters but was annoying enough that I did pick the piles off before continuing on, which cost me valuable time.

IMAGE 3
After approx. 70 mi (113 km) of walking

IMAGE 4
Close-up of wear patch

SUMMARY

Overall they deliver as promised, I did not develop any blisters that the socks could have prevented. They do not provide any additional cushioning so I would consider using them with a padded hiking sock when wearing lightly padded footwear. This is a sock that I would suggest to my friends if they were prone to blisters and needed something for an endurance event such as the ODH or a marathon. I would not recommend this pair for long distance hikes since one pair is already wore out after only 70 miles and worn out socks are useless in the backcountry. I would be willing to try a pair made out of a different type of material, such as merino wool, but I haven't been able to find a pair in crew cut since I wear mid height hiking books. The bottom line is they prevent blisters but wear out fast.

THINGS I LIKE

Reduce blisters and hotspots
White inner layer shows that the socks have been washed properly
Keeps feet feeling dry while sweating

THINGS I DON'T LIKE

Pilling on the ball of the foot is annoying and takes time to remove
Sock was worn out after two long walks totaling about 70 mi (113 km)
WrightSock only offers the crew cut in this material type, I would have liked to tried a crew cut WrightSock made out of merino wool

This report was created with the BackpackGearTest.org Report Writer Version 1. Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.

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