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Reviews > Clothing > Socks > FITS Medium Hiker Crew Socks > Owner Review by Kathleen Waters

FITS MEDIUM HIKER CREW SOCKS
BY KATHLEEN WATERS
IMAGE 1
April 7, 2011

OWNER REVIEW

TESTER INFORMATION

NAME: Kathleen Waters
EMAIL: kathy@backpackgeartest.com
AGE: 60
LOCATION: Canon City, Colorado, USA
GENDER: F
HEIGHT: 5' 4" (1.60 m)
WEIGHT: 125 lb (56.70 kg)

Living in Colorado and being self-employed, I have ample opportunities to backpack. There are over 700,000 acres/280,000 hectares of public land bordering my 71-acre/29-hectare "backyard" in addition to all the other gorgeous locations which abound in Colorado. Over the past 15 years, my husband John and I have also had the good fortune to hike/snowshoe glaciers, rain forests, mountains and deserts in exotic locations, including New Zealand, Iceland, Costa Rica, Slovenia and Death Valley. My hiking style is comfortable, aiming for lightweight. I use a tent (rainfly if needed). Current pack averages 25 lb (11 kg) excluding food and water.

PRODUCT INFORMATION

Manufacturer: FITS Sock Company
Year of Manufacture: 2010
Manufacturer's Website: http://www.fitssock.com
MSRP: US $20.99
Listed Weight: N/A
Measured Weight: 3.5 oz (99 g) per pair (M)
Sizes Available: S, M, L, XL, XXL Unisex
Size Reviewed: Medium
My Boot Size: 8 women's
Colors Available: Coal, Navy, Brown & Stone
Color Reviewed: Brown

Other details: (from the manufacturer's website)

• Crew Length – just below calf
• F3 Tech – FIT, FEEL, FUNCTION
• Overall even FIT
• Sculpted Shape
• Deep Heel Pocket –Shaped like your heel to lock the sock in place.
• Engineered Toe Pocket – Allows room where you need it without bunching
• Highest quality materials ensure amazing feel, stretch, and recovery.
• Mid-weight design with cushioning surrounding your entire foot , ankle, and lower calf
• Double-welted top so the sock always stays up and doesn’t bind or slip.
• Color-coded seam on toe and indicator inside welt so you won’t forget your size or style.
• White “FITS” in toe to distinguish from Light Hiker.
• Contents: Wool 70%, Nylon 22%, Polyester 6%, Lycra Spandex 2%
• MADE IN THE USA
IMAGE 2

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

In describing the medium-weight Fits crew Socks (hereafter called "FITS" or the "Socks") I would first note they are thicker than many of my other medium weight socks. The shaped leg of the Sock is 8 inches (20 cm) from the set-in well-defined heel of the Sock to the top of the 1.5 inch (4 cm) slightly thinner ribbed cuff. The heel of the Sock is shaped rather than flat and is a contrasting color - in my Socks; the heel is dark brown while the body of the Sock is a lighter, heather brown. The high-spliced heel pocket covers my Achilles tendon.

A bright blue flat toe seam bisects the toe box which is also a solid dark brown. The toe box of the Sock extends well beyond my toes, covering the medial cuneiform bone - the bone that is at the base of the big toe (I learned something new today!). Across this toe box, in white letters, is "FITS". The white lettering indicates full-cushioning in the toe box; colored lettering, half-cushioning.
Size marker in Cuff
Size "Medium" all right! Style?

Inside the Socks, the material feels almost like a stretchy terry cloth and I can see a support band around the arch. Hidden inside the Sock cuff is a size and style identifier and while I can definitely see the size, my poor eyes can't distinguish what the style is. No worry, I already know!

FIELD USE AND PERFORMANCE

Up until February, I had been experiencing an unseasonably warm and dry winter. While the west slope mountains of the Rockies got pounded with snow, the east side (Front Range) experienced record lows in precipitation. We experienced only one snowfall which measured less than 6 inches (15 cm). In order to find snow for our annual family Christmas Snowshoe, we had to drive into the mountains. Even on Mt. Evans, a 14,000+ ft (4300 m) peak, at 10,000 ft (3000 m), there wasn't enough snow! We ended up just hiking in winter boots but I digress.

I spent the last two weeks of February in Estes Park, Colorado where I did short (2-3 hours) dayhikes everyday. Estes Park is the eastern gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park, so the terrain is mountainous, heavily forested and begins at an elevation of 7522 ft (2293 m). While it was very sunny, it never hit the freezing mark and the winds were harsh averaging 10-15 mph (16-24 kph) with gusts up to 50 mph (81 kph). Humidity levels were higher than I'm used to in Colorado - about 41-45%.

To counter the winter conditions of Colorado, I traveled down to Palm City, Florida for three weeks where I immediately was shocked with temperatures ranging from 56-84 F (13-29 C) and humidity levels upwards of 45%. My beach walking time was limited, but I still managed to get out there 3 times for several hours.



In between the Colorado and Florida extremes, I visited family in New Jersey for two weeks where it rained almost every day. The temperatures were pretty constantly about freezing.

Other than the two above listed trips, all of my outdoor activities have been in the mountains of Colorado, mostly south central Colorado in the Fremont, Cooper and Wet mountain ranges.

During this time period, I wore the FITS Socks at least once a week, two days in a row, for a total of 16 days of wear. I wore them with mid-height leather boots whenever I was out walking, be it on trails, dirt roads or about town. On downtimes around the house/RV, I wore them with my current favorite lightweight trail shoes. And in Florida, I actually attempted to wear them with hiking sandals, but found them too warm.

First off, these Socks fit great from the get-go and have retained that great fit after 6-7 machine washing. (More about washing below.)

Pulling the Socks on for the first time, I immediately felt the warmth, cushioning and support of the merino wool construction. Snug, but not constricting. I walked around barefooted for a while, enjoying the slight sponginess of the soles of the Socks. I liked the length - mid-calf - and I liked the roomy toe box.

Two months later, I still feel the same way.
Picture of feet in Fits
Film of Feet in FITS


Even in the coldest weather I've encountered, the Socks kept my feet warm. I never even wore my usual silk liner socks with them and actually because of the "huggy" fit of the Socks, when I tried liners, my tootsies felt too confined. But no need, the Socks were totally up to task in the temperature control department. Conversely, even in humid, tropical Florida, when I and my feet were sweating, the Socks wicked the moisture away and my skin stayed dry (can't say that about the rest of me!).

Minor Fuzz
Film of FITS Fuzz
Since I always made it a point to wear the Socks at least two days in a row, with all that boot-wearing and sweating going on, odor was a definite possibility. However, other than the occasional whiff of damp wool, I never had anyone faint when I removed my shoes or boots. That's a good thing, no?

When I broke down - I hate to go to the laundromat - and washed the Socks, I did so in cold water in a mesh bag (to keep my socks separate from my sock-stealing hubby) using a liquid "tech" detergent, no bleach or liquid fabric softener. The Socks were always turned inside out and on the rare occasion when I didn't air dry them, I did not use fabric softener dryer sheets.

I'm happy to say, the Socks did not shrink, get distorted, fade or pick up any other colors. There is just a minor bit of fuzzing where one pair of my boots seems to rub my socks the wrong way.

I consider socks to be an important component of my footwear support system. I expect my socks to have a good measure of padding and some sort of technical construction to give that little bit of extra support to my ankle and arch. FITS Socks add that cushion and I did not notice any (additional) foot fatigue after several hours of hiking and/or snowshoeing.

I mostly hike/snowshoe on mountainous terrain with lots of stone from pea-sized to house-sized boulders. It's a hard surface to be sure and very hard on an unprotected foot, especially when carrying a pack. My pack weight when wearing the Socks varied from a pound or two (0.5 to 1 kg) to 25 lb (11 kg).

When I'm out on the trails, I don't want to be aware of my clothing. If I notice something, it means I'm not comfortable. I rarely think "oh, these socks are keeping me warm" or "wow, my socks are staying up nicely on my calves". No, I only am aware of my socks when my toes are numb or I have to bend down and pull them up. These past two months, I've been blissfully unaware of my socks when wearing the FITS Socks! Even after several hours on the trail, I wasn't bothered by the Socks inching downward into my boots and wadding up around my ankles. Did they slide at all? Sure, but never more than a just a bit!

That stay-put quality, plus the support around my ankles and around my arch, are what makes the FITS Socks a "perfect fit" for me.
Heel to Toe View
Film of FITS on Foot

STAR ATTRACTIONS

1.) They FIT! Perfectly!
2.) Like Goldilocks once said, the Socks are "not too hot and not too cold, but just right."
3.) No sagging around the ankles, the FITS Socks hold up all day.

MINOR DISTRACTIONS

1.) Some fuzzing where my boot top rubs against the Socks.

SUMMARY

I have several pairs of these FITS Socks now and I love them! I've even given them as gifts to my son and daughter-in-law who are also backpackers and they love them too. The only problem with that is making sure we all get the proper number pairs back when we share a washer!

FITS Socks felt great and looked great, right out of the packaging. And they've stayed that way. No shrinking, undue pilling or worn spots after 2 months of wear with all kinds of trail shoes and boots.

The Socks kept my feet warm, but not too warm and when it was warm out, my feet stayed dry. And most importantly, the Socks stayed in place, no inching their way downward into my boots! Oh, and I forgot, the Socks are very supportive with good padding to keep my tootsies from getting bruised when pounding the trails.

Thanks FITS Sock Company for making such a quality product!

Kathleen (Kathy) Waters

This report was created with the BackpackGearTest.org Report Writer Version 1.5 Copyright 2011. All rights reserved.

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