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FEETURES OUTDOOR QUARTER SOCKS
FIELD REPORT
by Lynne Durham
July 22, 2006
REVIEWER BIO
| Name |
Lynne Durham |
| Gender |
Female |
| Height |
5' 10" (1.78 m) |
| Weight |
157 lb (69 kg) |
| Age |
44 |
| Email |
lynnedurham AT yahoo DOT com |
| Location |
Benton Harbor,
Michigan USA |
BACKPACKING EXPERIENCE
I have hiked and car camped all of my life, mostly in
the relative flatlands of the lower and upper peninsulas of Michigan,
but also in areas east of the Continental Divide, such as South
Dakota, New England, Kentucky, Florida, Ohio, Indiana,
and more. I have been backpacking since 2002. I keep my pack weight to
25% of bodyweight. However, I am always trying to lighten my load further to enhance
my comfort and enjoyment as I like to hike big mileage.
Socks I Like
When it comes to socks for outdoor pursuits, I'm a dyed-in-the-wool lover
of wool. I use a variety of brands, but the common feature in all of my outdoor
socks (including running!) is merino wool content.
NAVIGATE THIS REPORT
PRODUCT INFORMATION
| MANUFACTURER |
Flagship Brands, LLC |
| WEB SITE |
http://www.feeturesbrand.com |
| MSRP |
USD13.99 |
| FIBER CONTENT |
35% CoolMax® polyester, 28% Merino
Wool, 18% acrylic, 17% nylon, 2% Lycra® Spandex. |
| ACTUAL WEIGHT PER PAIR |
2.2 ounces (62 g) |
| WASHING INSTRUCTIONS |
Machine wash warm. Tumble dry. No
bleach. |
| SIZES |
| As tested |
Large (fits US Men's 9-12.5 and US
Women's 10-13) |
| Also available |
Small (fits US Women's 4-6)
Medium (fits US Men's 5-8.5 and US Women's 6.5-9.5)
Extra Large ((fits US Men's 13-16) |
| COLORS |
| As tested |
Heather Gray |
| Also available |
Charcoal, Khaki |
More information about the product may be found in my initial report.
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FIELD ACTIVITIES
During this phase of testing, these socks were subjected to a variety of activities, including:
-
Trail running on well-worn, rooty, rocky trails at my local nature preserve and on the North Country Trail
-
Trail running and dayhiking on sandy, dune trails
-
Backpacking with a packweight of approximately 32 lb (14.5 kg) on the Manistee River Pathway and the North Country Trail
-
Trail maintenance in a heavy growth area with briars and wild roses dominant on the North Country Trail
-
Walking on suburban streets
- Mountain bicycling on forested trails in southwest Michigan
- Spinning classes
-
Treadmill running and walking
Overall, the socks have seen approximately 75 miles of outdoor trail
usage above and beyond all other usages to which they have been
subjected.
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FIELD CONDITIONS
During this phase of testing, these socks have encountered a variety of
weather conditions, typical to the areas in which I hike, run, ride and
backpack:
- Cool (50+ F [10+ C]), rainy conditions, including one full day of
light, persistent rain and other bouts of short, torrential downpours
- Hot (85+ F [29+ C]), humid conditions
- Warm (< 80 F[< 27 C]), relatively dry conditions
IMPRESSIONS
Overall the Feetures Outdoor Quarter socks have performed very well.
They show no signs of excessive wear. They have held their shape well.
The socks dry quickly and do not create excessive offensive odor when
worn for several days.
During the testing period, I had a variety of questions I was attempting to answer. Here are some of my discoveries.
Function
- Do the Power Bands actually offer additional support to my arches?
- The Power Bands feel
good --stretchy, slightly tighter than the surrounding material.
However, I can't say that they actually offered extra support. I
noticed no difference in how my feet felt when I wore these socks
versus any other socks.
- Do they work well with all of my shoes or are they too cushiony for some of my tighter-fitted shoes?
- The socks felt great, no matter which shoes I was wearing. The extra cushioning had no impact on shoe fit.
- Do the socks bunch up in any places? Do they shift or slip down into my shoe?
- I did not experience any sock bunching, nor did they shift or slip down into my shoe any more or less than other socks.
- How effectively does the sock wick moisture away from my foot?
- The socks did an excellent job of wicking moisture away from my
feet, whether from external sources such as rain or from my feet
sweating. My feet always felt comfortable in the socks, even when the
socks were wet.
- How comfortable are the socks when wet? Do they dry quickly after a stream crossing?
- The socks remain comfortable while wet and my feet did not feel
chilled when wet, even in cooler weather. The socks dried quickly after
stream crossings; however, "quickly" is subjective and I did not time
how long they took to dry.
- Do I develop any blisters or hot spots while wearing the socks?
- In all the miles I've used these socks, I only developed one
blister -- and that was in dune sand, which my feet simply do not
tolerate well.
- Do
the socks retain odors? Do they get smelly fast or can I wear them more
than a couple of days without offending others -- or myself?
- All socks smell after you subject them to aggressive use.
However, some smell worse than others. I was able to wear
the Feetures Outdoor Quarter for four straight days of backpacking
without becoming totally disgusted by the odor.
Durability
- How well do the socks stand up to normal laundering?
- The socks have gone through at least 11 machine washings during
the testing period. The have not shown any signs of raveling yarns or
anything that I might associate with excessive wear caused by washing.
- Do the socks hold their shape and elasticity?
- The socks have retained shape and elasticity admirably. The
elastic has not stretched out nor become tighter. The socks fit as well
today as on the day they arrived.
- Do the socks develop any fraying or holes during the testing period?
- Thus far, the socks are exhibiting no signs of wear at all.
Back to top
THIS IS COOL
- I love how these socks feel on my feet!
- Quick drying
- Comfortable over long distances
- Do not get excessively stinky with long-term use
THIS COULD BE IMPROVED
- Haven't discovered anything yet
Thank you to Feetures and BackpackGearTest.org for the chance to test
the Outdoor Quarter socks.
Read more reviews of Feetures gear
Read more gear reviews by Lynne Durham
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