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Reviews > Clothing > Socks > Injinji Outdoor Series Socks > Test Report by Thomas VickersInjinji
Tetrasok Outdoor
Series Sock
|
Thomas Vickers |
Tester Background:
I grew up in the piney woods of southeast Texas. Camping was a quick
trip into the
mosquito-infested woods behind the house. My style has evolved and over
the last 4 or 5
years, I have begun to take a lighter weight approach to hiking gear (I
still use sleeping
bags and tents, just lighter versions). While I have flirted with
lightweight hiking, I
feel that I am more of a mid-weight hiker now. My philosophy is one of
comfort, while
carrying the lightest load possible.
Initial Report
October 31, 2009
Manufacturer
Information: Manufacturer: Injinji Website: http://www.injinji.com Year Manufactured: 2009 MSRP: $ 16.00 US |
Information
From Tester: (all measurements approximate) Color/pattern: Slate Weight: Left foot: 1.15 oz (33 g) Right foot: 1.15 oz (33 g) Size received: Medium (mens 8-10.5 US) Tester's shoe size: 10.5 US |
Initial tester expectations:
The Injinji website was interesting to visit. It was just what
I prefer in a
website that involves clothing. It was easy to navigate, full of good
pictures, the
information was easy to understand, and very important to me the sizing
information was
easy to find and understand. Accurate sizing is apparently very
important to a good
fit with these socks and the Injinji website makes sure that I came
away pretty well
informed about what these socks were and their sizing was like.
This was a good
informative website.
Manufacturer's description:
"As your feet face the elements, the Outdoor Series tetratsok is an
interface
system specifically designed to perform and adapt to any type of
terrain. Engineered with
AIS:technology and constructed with Injinji’s exclusive natural
wicking
Nüwool™, the tetratsok provides exceptional comfort and
performance unlike any other
athletic wool sock. Anatomical Interface System (AIS) is engineered to
separate your toes
with a thin, anti-friction membrane that is both lightweight and
breathable. Seamless in
construction, the tetratsok forms to every contour of your foot. This
allows for true
restriction free movement from your heel to five toes, encourages
healthy circulation, and
eliminates skin on skin contact between your toes to prevent blisters
from
developing."
Tester's Description:
The Injinji Tetrasok Outdoor Series socks are toe socks.
Each toe gets its
own individual toe sleeve and this makes the Tetrasok more like
gloves for my feet rather than the typical
"mitten" type
socks. The fabric is very soft and slippery and nothing like I would
have expected from a
wool sock. It almost feels as if it is 'polished' in some way, but I do
like the slinky
feel that these socks have.
The construction is good with no loose threads and the seams are very
well
constructed/hidden on these socks. Not only do they look and feel
different, but they are
put together pretty well. There is an "Injinji" label sewn into
the
outside, top edge of each sock's cuff. I do not know how I feel about
labels on socks, but
I will say that the location of this one keeps it out of the way and
puts it in a spot
where it has no chance of rubbing or chafing. I also think the labels
serve a more
important purpose after inspecting the socks once again. The labels
should be facing out
on each sock, so that if I grab a sock, all I have to do is make sure
that the label is on
the 'outside' edge/side of my foot I will know that I have the correct
sock for that foot.
Initial thoughts:
I tried the Injinji Tetrasoks on and wore them around the house to see
just what they were
like before I wrote this report. Getting them on is a bit tricky,
but the
instructions have it right. I have to make sure every toe is aligned
correctly before I
pull them all the way on my feet, but once I get the toes lined up,
they are easy to pull
on and adjust. I was also a bit surprised about the heel. The
Tetrasoks seem to be
constructed with a heel in them rather than as a straight 'tube' type
sock like so many
other athletic and hiking socks are.
They are slippery to wear on floors like I have (tile and laminate),
but the socks felt
great on my feet. The fabric seems very light weight and form
fitting and at times
it was easy to forget that I was even wearing socks. From looking at
them on the scale I
realized that these might also be the lightest weight pair of socks I
own. Both socks
together weigh in at under 3 ounces (85 grams).
Final thoughts:
These socks are interesting. I am looking forward to getting on the
trail with these and
using them in several different types of activities. I have long
suffered from toe
issues on the trail and I am wondering if the Injinji socks will help
solve some of the
problems I encounter, such as toenails cutting into neighbor toes when
my feet swell after
a day of hiking. I do keep my nails trimmed, but this seems to be a
rather reoccurring
item for me and it involves the same two toes all the time. I am hoping
that having the
toes/nails separated by fabric will solve this annoying little problem.
Things I like:
1. They are soft
2. They fit very well
3. Do not feel like "wool" socks
Things I don't like:
1.They take a bit more time to put on than regular socks
2.My toes stick together and make aligning the socks difficult
Field Report
January 12, 2010
Locations: Southeast Texas
Temperatures: 19 to 70 F (-7 to 21 C)
Surfaces: hard packed dirt trails, sand, and forest floor
with debris
Activities:
Days used: 24
Trail Running: 45 miles (72 km)
Backpacking: 24 miles (39 km)
Confused:
After trying the Injinji Tetrasok on when it first arrived, I realized
that the next step
was to put them on and then put my feet into my shoes. This is
where I got a bit
confused. These socks are very low bulk and this was a new
experience for me. I
usually purchase hiking boots one shoe size larger than my normal shoe
size to accommodate
the bulk of my hiking socks. The only hiking footwear I have that are
my regular shoe size
are my trail running shoes and my hiking shoes, so I decided to start
with the hiking
shoes. After sliding my Tetrasok coated feet into my hiking
shoes , I realized
that there was too much room. The socks fit like second, very
comfortable skin, but did
not fill my shoes out very well. I was able to cinch the laces down
REALLY tight, but
after a trip around the yard I knew I had to be careful. The
Tetrasoks were very
slick and even with my laces tightened I knew that my feet were going
to slip in these
shoes unless I found a cure.
Next up were my trail running shoes. They are also my correct shoe size
and are very tight
fitting. The tight fit of the Tetrasok allowed me to slide my feet into
these shoes pretty
effortlessly, which was another new sensation for me. I usually have to
force my feet into
them, but not this time. The good news is that my feet did not feel
stuffed into the trail
running shoes, but again, there were was all that extra room. At this
point I went running
back to the Injinji website to make sure that these were not designed
to be liner socks. I
found nothing that there that indicated that these socks were not
designed to be worn all
by themselves.
My plan at this point was simple. I was going to wash them. My hope was
that they would
fluff up a bit and the fabric would be a bit less slick. So both
pairs went into a
warm wash and I let them air dry. Part of my plan worked. The
Tetrasoks were no
longer so slick. They had a nice fuzzy finish to them which I liked and
I also hoped that
it had allowed them to bulk up a bit. The bad news was that they
were just not going
to be giant bulky hiking socks. The upside though, was that the
new fluffy finish
made them much less slippery in my shoes. Now if I tightened my hiking
or running shoes
properly I could comfortably and safely wear these socks on the trail.
Getting used to them:
The Tetrasoks are different, but being different is not a bad thing.
The one thing I have
noticed about having my toes separated is that they seem to sweat less.
Or after thinking
about it, I guess it is not that my feet do not sweat as much, but my
sweaty toes do not
rub together and give me that nasty feeling. While it may not
seem like such a big
thing, but hate losing my focus during a run because my sweaty toes are
rubbing together
in a most vile feeling manner. Yes, that is an issue for me, so any
improvement in sweaty
running toes is a good thing.
Another bonus that I have discovered is that I can sleep in the
Tetrasoks. In general, I
hate to sleep in socks. On the trail this is a huge issue for me on
really cold nights and
I have to decide to lose sleep from cold feet or wearing socks. After a
couple of rather
frigid nights in my hammock I realized that I was sleeping pretty well
despite the fact I
was wearing the Tetrasoks. To test this out, I tried wearing them
to bed at home.
Once again I was able to sleep comfortably while wearing the
Tetrasoks.
I was happy. Really happy. I like these socks because they keep my feet
warm, they are
comfortable, and I can sleep in them. For most people being able
to sleep in socks
is not a big deal, but it has been a life long issue for me. Being able
to sleep in these
socks is also important because I have a big issue with wearing them
for prolonged periods
of time. This is not a Tetrasok issue as much as I have funny
feet issue. About 15
years ago I split my foot open between my second and third toes.
It had to be
sutured shut and I have never really a problem with it. Enter the
Tetrasoks. After
hiking in them for more than two hours, they begin to rub between the
second and third
toes on my right foot, directly over the spot where I had the
sutures. I have never
gotten a blister there, but it does hurt a lot when I take the socks
off.
While probably not a huge deal for other people, it is something I have
to deal with.
I can run in these socks (short periods of time, an hour or
less) or sleep in them,
but hiking in them for longer periods causes a problem.
Final thoughts:
The Tetrasoks are very different from any other socks I have worn. The
first thing I
noticed was the lack of bulk. They do not fill out my hiking shoes very
well, but that is
not a deal breaker for me. The next thing was my strange "sutured
toe
spot" that these socks rubs raw if I wear them too long while hiking.
The last is the
fact that I can sleep in them.
At this point I can see using them as my trail running socks and
sleeping socks on the
trail. They are light enough to justify as being my back
up/sleeping socks in my
pack especially because they are the only socks I have ever been able
to wear with the
flip-flops I use for camp shoes. While not the perfect use for a
pair of socks like
these, it is an important one for me.
Things I like:
1. Comfortable
2. Got rid of my sweaty running toes syndrome
3. I can sleep in them
Things I do not like:
1. Do not fill up my hiking shoes enough
2. Irritate my old foot injury
March 9, 2010
Locations: Southeast Texas
Temperatures: 25 to 70 F (-7 to 21 C)
Surfaces: hard packed dirt trails, sand, and forest floor
with debris
Activities:
Days used: 15
Trail Running: 30 miles (72 km)
Camp Socks
End of the
road:
As much as I think these are some
very cool and useful socks, I am more than a bit bummed out by the fact
that they are of limited usefulness to me. While part of this is
due to the construction of the socks, the biggest limitation on how I
use them is due to my old foot injury. So part of my problems are my
own and part of them are the socks.
I have continued to use the Injinji
socks to trail run, run in the gym and at night in camp to sleep
in. I find that wearing them for short periods of time does not
irritate my old injury and if I take care to manage how much time I
spend in them, they are great on my feet.
For running, they have removed the
nasty ‘sweaty toe’ feeling that I get after a couple of
miles of running. No more toes rubbing against each other and basting
in a nice dose of foot sweat. I am not saying my feet do not
sweat in these socks, but the nasty feeling of sweaty toes rubbing
together is gone. Definitely a plus for me.
The other major use for me has been
as ‘camp socks.’
Once I get into camp, get my hammock
pitched, and settle in, it is time to change out of my hiking socks
into a warm, dry pair of socks. This is where the Injinji socks
are wonderful. I normally carry a cheap pair of flip-flops to
wear in camp and combined with the Injinji socks I can keep my feet
warm and toasty as I go about my chores. As an extra added plus,
I sleep great in these socks, which I cannot say about any other socks
that I own.
Despite my crazy feet, the main
complaints I have about these socks are the bulk or really, the lack of
bulk. The Injinji socks feel more like liner socks than stand
alone hiking socks and this has been a problem for me. It has been almost impossible for me to
cinch my hiking shoes tight enough to get a good secure fit with these
socks on. I have managed it on several occasions, but it is something I
just did not like to attempt by the end of the test. My trail running shoes fit tightly and
these socks were such low profile I had to cinch them very tightly to
get a good fit as well. Hiking shoes are one thing, but tight
fitting running shoes are a different story in my book.
Final thoughts:
Over all, I really like these socks
and their design. They are comfortable and every easy to get on no
matter what conditions I find myself in. The fact that they are
light weight and low bulk is a blessing and a problem all in one.
This lack of bulk makes them easy to pack and convenient to carry as
camp socks, but it also makes them difficult to wear and fill out my
hiking shoes.
So far despite some pretty heavy
running use, these socks have held up to multiple washings without any
signs of wear. They are still in great shape without any thin spots or
permanent odors at all. This is definitely a sign of a pair of
socks that can take a beating but keep handling its sock chores with
ease.