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Reviews > Clothing > Socks > Incrediwear Hiking Socks with CBT > Test Report by Kerri Larkin
INCREDISOCKS
INITIAL REPORT - September 01, 2011
TESTER INFORMATION
I've been a car-camper and bushwalker for thirty years. Mostly I do day hikes as my passion is photography, which means I walk very slowly! I've returned to walking after some years away due to injuries and I'm learning to use Ultralight gear (and my new hammock!). I've traveled most of eastern Australia, walking in landscapes as diverse as tropical rainforest, snow fields, beaches and deserts. My fortieth birthday was spent trekking in Nepal which was a truly life changing experience. PRODUCT INFORMATION & SPECIFICATIONS
Manufacturer: Incrediwear INITIAL IMPRESSIONS
Now that's an awful lot of responsibility for a humble sock. Mine arrived looking quite unassuming and packaged pretty much like any other sock I'd buy. There's an attractive picture of bamboo on the packaging. On the back there's a thermal imaging picture of a foot both with and without the Incredisocks, claiming a 6 F (3.2 C) difference after wearing the Incredisock for just five minutes. It all sounds almost too good to be true so I was looking forward to trying out the socks. My socks are charcoal-gray in colour. They have black bands which extend around the heel and instep, and another band set just back from the toes. There's a smaller band running across the first toe joint. The literature doesn't explain what these bands are for; be it strengthening over wear areas, or whether this is the Carbonized Bamboo Technology (CBT) and Germanium (it took me a long while to realise this was elemental Germanium, not a flowery Geranium!). The socks feel lovely and soft, yet give the impression of being quite tough. Incrediwear use a patented "3D weaving system" to make the socks both comfortable and tough. There is a logo across each sock just back from the toes, but no other markings. One of the first things I noticed was that there are no major seams anywhere. It's almost like the sock is woven as a continuous cylinder. That should be great for preventing hot spots and blisters. My socks are mid-calf length and have good elasticity in all areas. The socks seem very smooth externally with nothing to suggest they will be prone to snags, although I did find a thread caught on the cracks in my heels after a couple of days. I managed to coax it back into the weave but will monitor this over the next few months. READING THE INSTRUCTIONS
I received an A4 sized page of customer testimonials with a short blurb about "The healing power of carbonized bamboo", which also shows the full range of styles available. This page also mentions the Incredibraces which are available to support specific joints. TRYING IT OUT
SUMMARY
These socks feel quite different from any socks I've worn before. As for the health benefits, I'll need to wear them a lot more to be certain. I have felt some changes in foot temperature wearing these socks, though, and will be fascinated to see if I can wear them for thirty days without them smelling, as claimed by one previous customer! FIELD LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS
I've worn the Incredisocks for a total of twenty seven days now. This has included two, two-night camps in warm, dry conditions, and two single-day walks in damp conditions. I've worn the socks most days, instead of other socks, and have used them with running shoes and walking boots. PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD
I've been very impressed with the Incredisocks since starting my testing; they seem to keep my feet comfortable virtually all the time. Normally, my feet are very hot and my preferred footwear is none, or sandals, just to keep the heat down. With the Incredisocks, my feet have been warm, but not really uncomfortably so. On one grueling walk (temps around 30 C (86 F), my feet were sore by the end but I wasn't constantly uncomfortable due to being too hot, which has often been a problem previously. I've read the literature, I've been to the web site, I've even read the original wrapper, but I can't figure out why these socks make feet feel so, well, tingly! Every time I put them on there is an almost immediate reaction where my feet start tingling. It's by no means an unpleasant sensation and is, in fact, rather nice. My feet also feel strangely cooled. It's almost like a fan blowing cool air over the skin. Again, this surprises me enormously as my feet usually start feeling hot and sweaty the moment I put socks on. It's also interesting to note that on cold days my feet have felt warm, and on hot days, my feet have felt cooler than expected. I'm sure there's plenty of science to keep the Geeks amused with this, but I'm just thrilled by the outcomes. I've machine washed the socks once with my usual level of care (toss them in the machine and close the lid), which they survived unscathed. They seemed to dry comparatively quickly and felt dry to the touch almost immediately. There has been a very slight matting of the matterial since washing, but it's barely noticable and may be the beginnings of the softening process. The socks have kept their shape since washing and fit as well as when new. There are no obvious signs of wear on the socks even though I certainly haven't babied them. I'm prone to poking holes through the big toe side of my socks, but haven't felt any sign of that yet. This may be, in part, due to there being no large seam running across the toes. I believe it's also due to the acurate fit of the socks; there's no slipping and sliding when wearing them. The black bands around the socks appear to do an excellent job of keeping the sock in place and don't seem to have loosened or lost function with washing. The Incredisocks fit very well, and are some of the most comfortable socks I've worn. The socks were advertised as being suited to diabetics, so I gave a pair to my father to get his impressions of them. He generally has no feeling in his feet at all, so although he wasn't able to report on any tingling or altered temperature sensations, he did say that the top of the socks were too tight for him. This is a particular concern for a diabetic as tight socks lead to reduced blood flow and a host of problems. He is very cautious about the socks he wears for that reason. I was disappointed that he found the socks too tight as I was hoping to see what effect they would have on his circulation. SUMMARY
I love these socks! They are a breath of fresh air for my tired and aching feet, and I feel they provide both support and comfort by the truckload. I've never owned "technical" socks before and so I'm not sure whether the heating and cooling effect is purely a result of the technology in these particular socks, or if I would expect that from any technical sock. I own another brand of sock which is marketed as cooling, but it is no where near as effective as the Incredisocks. The Incredisocks look to be long lasting and fit very, very well. So far, I believe, these socks represent great value for money. The only disappointment has been that the sock tops were too tight for a diabetic to wear. This would be worth checking before purchase for a diabetic, especially one with impaired circulation or sensation. LONG-TERM TEST LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS
I've used the Incredisocks for a total of four more backpacking days since my Field Report, and another three non-hiking days (around town). Even though the Incredisocks are cooler than most socks I've worn, it's been just too darned hot too wear socks and shoes often. My hikes consisted of one overnight hike in an open forest environment (coastal) where temperatures ranged from 29 C (84 F) during the day to 21 C (70 F) overnight, and two day walks. The first day walk was in a rainforest environment with temps around 24 degrees Celsius (75 F), the second along a coastal path with temps about 18 C (64 F) and rain showers all day. In every case, the humidity was the killer and I'd estimate it was usually between 65% and 90%. As much as I would've liked to have done more multi-day trips with the socks, the weather has been too foul and unpredictable most of this summer. We've had very few fine days but when they arrive, they are scorchers. It's constantly really humid to the point where the mushrooms are getting Athlete's Foot! PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD
Nothing has changed since my Field Report with these socks - they are still just as comfortable, and still give that weird 'buzz' to the feet. As mentioned above, the socks still fit really well with no signs of bagging or slipping. There's very minor fluffing of the material, which I believe will result in a softer sock, as advertised, rather than being a defect. There's only minimal signs of wear on my two pairs of socks and the printing on the socks is pretty much as clear as ever. I've not found any loose threads or signs of worn elastic. All in all, these socks look like they will last quite some time. SUMMARY
So are the Incredisocks incredible? I believe they are. They have proven themselves to be comfortable in a range of weather conditions, and temperatures. I'm still no closer to understanding the science behind the whole Carbonized Bamboo and Germainium technology but, for my money, I believe it actually works. Certainly the socks seem to have a remarkable ability to keep my feet comfortable. Whether that's mind over matter, or not, don't matter to me - all I know is my feet have stayed at a comfortable temperature in a range of conditions, which is something very new to me! CONTINUED USE
The Incrediwear Incredisocks are now a part of my permanent gear list. They have answered every test I've given them, and done so without raising a sweat, literally. Yes, I will be continuing to use these socks until they wear out, and when they do I will be replacing them with more of the same. Read more reviews of Incrediwear gear Read more gear reviews by Kerri Larkin Reviews > Clothing > Socks > Incrediwear Hiking Socks with CBT > Test Report by Kerri Larkin |