Reviewer  information

Name	Marie-Noëlle Augendre	I started backpacking nine years ago, day-hiking in Ile-de-France all year round, and doing several one or two-week trips in more mountainous regions (Corsica, Pyrénées, Cévennes, Lubéron, etc.) each year. In the past three years, I have gradually lightened my pack load as I changed to a hammock, an alcohol stove, a light pack and running shoes instead of boots. Nowadays, I am more and more attracted to the outdoor way of living, to the point I have moved to northern Quebec a couple of months ago in order to spend as much time as possible not only backpacking, but also kayaking, canoeing, snowshoeing, dog-sledding, etc.
Age	48
Gender	Female
Height	about 5 ft 2 in (1.57 m)
Weight	170 lb (77 kg)
Email address	augendre.bgt@gmail.com
City, Country	Lac-Kenogami (QC), Canada

Product information Manufacturer Injinji URL http://www.injinji.com MSRP $16.00 Size S Length Quarter Weight (actual) 1.76 oz (50 g)

Product description The Outdoor Tetratsok socks are made of 70% "natural wicking wool" and are said to "provide exceptional comfort and performance unlike any other athletic wool sock". They featured: a dual welt band a 3-ply construction arch support, non slipping and supposed to promote circulation a precision stitched "vector heel", anti-slipping and providing accurate sizing but their typical feature is the "anatomical 5 toe design", that is said to: prevent skin on skin friction prevent blistering effectively wicks away moisture in between toes and enable natural movement from heel to five toes

First impressions Apart from the 5 toe feature, that makes the Tetratsok look like some glove for feet, these socks don't seem to be different from ordinary thin wool socks. I put them on for a couple of hours on a cool evening, and noticed a couple of things: the socks are quite easy to put on (at least on dry feet) once I found this little trick: sliding one finger between two toes is sufficient to put toes in their "normal" place the fabric is comfortable, but it seems strange to feel layers between the toes though I was staying inside, my feet didn't warm very quickly; so I am wondering whether the Tetratsok could be less warm than "normal" socks, the same way gloves are usually less warm than mittens when I took them off, I noticed they've pilled quite a lot, though I only wore them for a short time and without putting them through much stress: I more or less spent a quite evening, reading in an armchair and wandering about in the house!

Testing plan

During the four-month testing period, I intend to use the Tetratsok when I need to wear shoes for hiking, backpacking or any other activity. But I will also wear them with my Chaco Z2 sandals (the ones you can’t usually wear socks with, as there is a strap around the big toe) when the weather tends to cool or if I need protection from biting insects (and that’s often, unfortunately). Due to its five-toes specificity, I’ll probably end up wearing them much more often than I would have “ordinary” socks.

I intend to spend quite a lot of time exploring the trails and lakes of the region Saguenay – Lac St Jean (province of Quebec) I’ve just settled in. The terrain is mainly composed of forests with plenty of lakes and rivers. Altitudes usually remain under 1475 ft (450 m), but can sometimes reach 2950 ft (900 m) in some hilly areas. As for now, the weather conditions are very variable, still rather warm (more than 77°F / 25°C during the day) but with frequent heavy showers and/or quite strong winds.; however, the evenings are already getting cooler (down to 55°F / 13°C) and I expect we'll get freezing temperatures and snow before the testing period ends. Provided they'll be compatible with the temperatures encountered, I will probably use the Injinji Tetratsok Outdoor socks for all my outings, either backpacking, kayaking or canoeing, and even car-camping.

When testing the Injinji Tetratsok socks, I intend to address the following issues:

 

1) Fit and comfort:

Are the Tetratsoks still easy to put on, with wet feet? Do they feel comfortable, especially with these unusual layers between the toes? How do they fit? Are the toes long/large enough? Without awkward creases that might cause blisters?

Is the fabric comfortable against the skin? Does it scratch?

Are they cool when it is warm? Warm enough when the weather is cold? Do they wick the moisture properly? (My feet tend to perspire heavily) When damp or wet, do they dry quickly? If washed at the end of a hiking day, will it be possible to wear them on the following day?

 

2) Maintenance and care:

During the testing period, I will wash and dry the Tetratsoks according to the manufacturer specifications. A couple of things will been given special consideration: will they tend to shrink, mat or pill?

 

3) Durability:

I’ll expect the Tetrasok socks to bear nicely with the whole four-month test period, but I’ll check any possible wearing sign: will the fabric tend to thin, especially at the heels or the end of the toes, where they will rub a lot against the shoes?

 

 

In addition, I will report on anything else I might observe that could be useful for a potential user / buyer of the Injinji Tetrasok.

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I would like to thank Injinji and BackpackGearTest for giving me the opportunity to test the Tetratsok Outdoor socks.