Reviews > Clothing > Socks > Bridgedale X-Hale > Jennifer Pope > Initial Report

Initial Impressions (back to top)

Bridgedale provided female testers with both the women's X-Hale and the regular men's X-Hale in the appropriate size. I tried on both pairs to compare how they felt on my feet. So far both pairs of socks feel snug around my feet and slightly cushier on the bottom.

Product Description (back to top)

The socks I'm testing are light gray with pink accents. The socks are low cut- the cuff hitting just above my ankle bone. The men's sock fits very similarly. The toe box of the women's socks feels slightly slimmer; but only slightly. The padding on the sock is also positioned slightly different. This is visible in the picture on the left and also in the picture below. From my initial wearing of the socks in my living room, I like the placement in the women's sock. In this sock the padding completely covers the sides of my feet at the balls of my feet; which is also the widest part of my feet. So far I find this more comfortable. Where there isn't padding (the colored parts of the socks) the material is very thin. This is supposed to allow the user's feet to cool; I will pay attention to this throughout the test period. The seams are flat; but the toe seam on the pink women's sock sticks out on the end of my toes as can be see in the front view of me wearing one of each sock. I'll have to pay attention to whether this will be a problem while I'm wearing the socks. I don't notice the same issue on the men's socks.

The women's sock appears to be cut slightly thinner through the middle of the foot (see picture above). I guess if I really think about it, it feels slightly tighter. I'll pay more attention to this during the testing period.

These socks use a technology called WoolFusion. After watching a little demo on the website, this looks pretty cool. Each thread of wool has a thread of wicking, synthetic thread wrapped around it. This wicking, synthetic thread is supposed to pull moisture away from the user's feet. I have no idea if this technology is specific to Bridgedale socks but I will pay attention to how well it works throughout the test period.

Workmanship

I've noticed that there's some extra thread on the inside of the socks if I turn them inside out. Although when I wear the socks I can't feel this extra thread; it doesn't look attractive though (although I'm not sure how attractive the inside of a sock needs to be). In addition, there's also a small snag in the cuff area of the women's sock (see below). I can see that this was caused by the plastic tag that connected the socks to their cardboard packaging. This was not a problem with the men's socks because this plastic piece went through the thin gray fabric rather than the thicker colored part. This is a small snag but I don't think you should start out wearing a brand new sock with a snag. I'd like to see Bridgedale do away with this plastic connector or place it so it won't snag the socks.

Washing Instructions

According to the sock packaging the socks should be washed at 40 C (104 F) or in warm water. For best results the socks should be washed inside out. The socks should not be cleaning with fabric softener, dry cleaned or ironed.

Summary (back to top)

So far I have no complaints about the socks. They fit well and snuggly. They are comfortable. Without any performance use I slightly prefer the fit of the women's sock.

Field Testing Information (back to top)

During the spring and early summer I will be taking trips into the San Bernardino and Angeles National Forests (other areas in Southern CA aren't off limits either). These generally aren't planned far in advance, but I'll likely be out a weekend each month. Temperatures on all these trips should be fairly mild ranging from the 30s to 90 F (0 to 30 C). Weather should be fairly mild as well with an always looming possibility of rain. Elevations range from 4,000 to over 10,000 feet (1,200 to 3,000 m).

Depending on what happens the rest of the winter (i.e. how much snow there is); the Sierras might be a destination in the Long Term test period. Weather and elevations during the test period are similar to those in the Angeles National Forrest (listed above). However, the terrain in the Sierras can be more rocky and rough.

I will also likely be going to the desert again before it gets too warm. Elevations can be up to about 4,000 ft (1,200 m) and the terrain is usually rough, dry and sandy. I will likely be going there while the temperatures are still reasonable; perhaps between 30 to 75 F (0 to 25 C).

The coastal areas north of Los Angeles are also a likely destination. Elevations should be less than 4,000 ft (1,200 m). The terrain is usually rocky and chaparral-covered. Temperatures usually range from 50 to 70 F (10 to 20 C).

This watch will also be used on day hikes (usually of less than 6 miles/9.7 km) in the Los Angeles area. These areas are usually dry and chaparral-covered. I will also likely wear the watch as my casual weekend watch. Though not a real “field test” the watch could come in contact with ocean salt water and beach sand.

I want to thank BackpackGearTest.org and Bridgedale for giving me the opportunity to test this item.


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Reviews > Clothing > Socks > Bridgedale X-Hale > Jennifer Pope > Initial Report