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Reviews > Clothing > Socks > Fox River PrimaHike Crew Socks > Test Report by Theresa Lawrence

WOMEN'S FOX RIVER PRIMAHIKE SOCKS
Test Series by Theresa Lawrence

Initial Report - February 20, 2017

Long Term Report - June 29, 2017

TESTER INFORMATION

Name: Theresa Lawrence
Email: theresa_newell AT yahoo DOT com
Age: 39
Location: Sparwood, British Columbia, Canada
Gender: Female
Height: 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Weight: 130 lb (59 kg)
Shoe Size:8.5-9

I have more than 20 years of backpacking experience. Day hikes and 2-3 day backpacking trips take place on most weekends throughout the year while longer trips are only occasional. I backpack predominantly in mountain terrain (Coast Range, Cascades and Canadian Rockies) with the goal of summiting peaks. Activities I use my gear with include mountaineering, ski touring, rock climbing, kayaking, biking, trail running, Search and Rescue and overseas travel. I like my gear to be reasonably light, convenient and simple to use though I would not claim to be a lightweight hiker.

Initial Report - February 20, 2017



Images from manufacturer's website

PRODUCT INFORMATION


Manufacturer: Fox River Mills, Inc.
Manufacturer's URL: www.foxsox.com
Year of Manufacture: 2016
Made in: USA

MSRP: $16.00 USD
Sizes Available:
Size Tested:
Measured Weight:
Small (men's 3-5.5, women's 4-6.5) and Medium (men's 6-8.5, women's 7-9.5)
Medium
63 g (2.22 oz)
Colors Available:
Colors Tested:
Khaki, Black, Charcoal, Black/Fig, Navy, Purple
Black/Fig, Navy and Purple
Materials:  41% nylon, 26% PrimaLoft acrylic, 26% merino wool, 4% NanoGLIDE nylon, 3% spandex
Recommended Care Instructions: Machine wash in warm water inside out. Tumble dry on low.
Guarantee:Guaranteed against manufacturing defects for one year
 

DESCRIPTION & FEATURES        
                                                                          

I received three pairs of Fox River PrimaHike medium weight crew hiking socks. They are foot specific with an L and R to label the left and the right. The packaging it came with explains all the features and the website expands further. Firstly, the sock is fully cushioned with PrimaLoft and merino wool for comfort and warmth. The manufacturer indicates that the merino wool naturally reduces odor and helps to regulate temperature. Secondly, the heel and toe are reinforced with NanoGlide nylon for added durability. Thirdly, the knit and spandex at the arch help to keep shape and hold the sock in place. Fourthly, there are vented panels in various places that help remove moisture. Lastly, the manufacturer uses a Wick Dry Technology, which helps keep feet dry to avoid hot spots and blisters. This technology uses spiral channels made of hydrophobic and hydrophilic yarn. The manufacturer's website also mentions their URfit system (Ultimate Response fit system), which provides a personalized fit through the use of memory knit compression, contoured rib top and spandex compression zones.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS & TRYING IT OUT 

My first impressions when picking up these socks is that they are made with good quality materials and are really soft to the touch. I noticed the various features within the sock such as the vented panels, moisture wicking channels and reinforced areas. The only thing that strikes me as a possible issue is that there is a fairly hard seam across the top of the toe. I'll be interested to see if this are rubs on top of my toes. When I tried the socks on, the material felt soft, the sock seamed to hug my foot nicely and I didn't notice any seams. They come up to just below my calf, which I find is a nice length for hiking. The toe box appears a bit on the roomy side with some extra material on each side of my first and fifth toes. I'll be interested to see if this becomes a problem in any way or if instead they find a way to conform to my foot when hiking. 

SUMMARY

So far I'm impressed with the look and feel of the PrimaHike socks. I feel they have some good engineering designs and I will be taking them in to the field to test their claims. My only concerns at this point involve the toe seam across the top of my toes and the corners of same seam where there is extra material that my feet don't fill out. Over the next few months I will be using them for snowshoeing, hiking and scrambling in alpine terrain. My results will be posted in approximately four months.





                         
Sock turned inside out                          
  

Long Term Report - June 29, 2017

FIELD CONDITIONS     

Early on in the test period I was mainly using ski socks for my ski-touring trips and so these were just brought along for when I was at the hut and camp. Once ski season ended, the socks took off with a 50 km (32 mi) day backcountry snowshoe trip, a 3 day hiking and scrambling trip with snow shoes and trail crampons, then onto a few day hikes and scrambles. The socks were also used for a 2 day ground search task for Search & Rescue where I had to bushwhack through dense foliage and forest for long hours. The final weekend just past resulted in another 63 km (39 mi) over three days to round out the miles in these socks. All said and done these socks were trampled in for over 200 km (124 mi) throughout the above trips. Temperatures during this time ranged from -5 C to 25 C (23 F to 77 F). Weather encountered included every season including rain, hail, sleet, wet and heavy snow, gale force winds and beautiful calm sunny days.

COMFORT & FIT     

The PrimaHike socks fit fairly well. If anything, I would say there is a bit more room in the toe box than I would prefer and a bit long in length. Though over time after each washing they seem to fit my fit more and more perfectly. They are soft and comfortable and very warm. They were great for the colder temperatures I encountered. The padding around them provided extra cushioning for my full shank hiking boots, which I appreciated.

PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD      

In the warmer temperatures, the socks made my feet very warm and sweaty, however, they did wick well. I did get some blisters on steeper hikes. However, my boots are still quite new, so that could just be some break-in time with the boots. The last 3 day trip gave no blisters, though the hike did not have many steep inclines. The socks always stayed put, I never had to pull them up as there was no sliding down in my boot. 

DURABILITY     

While they have held up well from all the miles of hiking that I did, wear is evident. In the photos presented one can see how the toe has been worn, though not all the way through. I think this shows how thick they are. They've been through a hell of a long season and I mainly wore just the one pink pair, so I'd say they did really well. And I feel I can continue to wear them for quite some time to come. Aside from the big toes, there is no other evidence of wearing. I always washed the socks in warm water and put them in the dryer to dry. I think they shrunk slightly, which was actually to my liking as they were a tad big to begin with. They did not stretch out or lose their shape, which I am pleased with.

SUMMARY      

The PrimaHike socks have been great to wear throughout the colder months. As we got into warmer temperatures they felt a bit hot and sweaty, but they did seam to wick well. I would highly recommend them in the winter and cooler shoulder season months. The extra cushioning was appreciative. They felt a bit over sized at first, but shrunk to fit over time. I plan to continue wearing these socks for a long time to come. While I may put them aside for the summer, I will be looking forward to them again come fall.

Likes
- maintained warmth for cold weather
- lots of cushioning
- shrunk to fit

Dislikes
- nothing

I'd like to thank Fox River Mills, Inc. and BackpackGearTest.org for allowing me to take part in this test series.
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Reviews > Clothing > Socks > Fox River PrimaHike Crew Socks > Test Report by Theresa Lawrence



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