Long-Term Report: 
Teko EcoMerino Wool Hiking Sock

Teko EcoMerino Wool Hiking Socks when new (upper photo) and after four months of use (lower photo).

Summary
The Teko EcoMerino Wool Hiking Sock is a heavier weight sock designed to provide plenty of cushioning and comfort for backpacking. I wore the socks in various footwear on 37 trips totaling 44 days and found they fit well and are indeed very comfortable and have a broad comfort range. During high exertion and warm weather hiking, the socks accumulate moisture and feel clammy, but simply taking them off and turning them inside out for 10 minutes dries them out. After nearly 600 miles of hiking the socks were little more than surface-pilled and stained in a few places. In my opinion, these socks will last a long time, even with heavy use.

Product Information
Product Tested: Teko EcoMerino Wool Hiking Sock
Manufacturer: Teko
Manufacturer Website: http://tekosocks.com/
Year of Manufacture: 2005
Fabric: 65% Merino wool, 23% recycled polyester, 10% nylon, 2% Lycra®
Sizes Available: Small, medium, large, x-large
Size Tested: Men’s large (fits US sizes 9-12, Euro 42-47)
Weight Listed: none
Weight as Delivered: 4.2 oz (119 g) per pair
Color Tested: “Sky with moon mist”
Warranty: One-year unconditional
MSRP: $17.95 US

Product Description
The manufacturer of Teko Socks emphasizes the company’s commitment to minimizing the ecological impacts of their manufacturing process. According to the Teko website, the advantages of merino wool are as follows:

Comfort--Merino wool cools and warms the body. Wool buffers the body's microclimate from changing temperatures, maintaining consistent comfort. Wool has the added benefit that as it absorbs moisture, the fibers release a small but perceptible amount of heat. It is the original 'intelligent' fiber.

Moisture Control and Management--Merino wool fibers have a complex structure with a hydrophilic (water-holding) interior, known as the cortex, and a hydrophobic (water-repelling) exterior, known as the cuticle. Water can be absorbed into the fiber structure; and when merino fiber is in fabric and garment form, water can also be held in the fabric structure. This means that many garments made from Merino wool can hold large amounts of water without feeling damp even when exposed to rain, moisture or sweaty conditions.

Renewable, Natural, and Ecological--Merino wool is an annually renewable, natural product. It is durable while in use, yet recyclable and biodegradable at the end of its life cycle. It is produced in free-range farming systems, which are animal and ecologically friendly.

Easy Care--Merino wool's surface properties allow spills to be easily wiped away before causing permanent staining. Additionally, soil particles don't 'stick' to the garment through electric charge. Merino's moisture absorbing characteristics contribute to excellent wrinkle recovery of fabrics and garments. Simply applying steam to the garment will naturally help restore its form.

Features of the Merino Wool Hiking Sock (according to the Teko website) are:
* Anti-welt double cuff for comfort and fit
* Interwoven Lycra for support and decreased bunching
* Lycra holding rib for superior comfort and support
* Reinforced toe and Y-heel for durability
* Air vents for breathability
* Lycra holding rib for superior comfort and support
* Medium terry cushion from heel to toe
* Lin Toe flat toe seam for smooth fit and comfort

Test Locations and Conditions
During the test period (October 2005 – January 2006), I wore the Teko EcoMerino Wool Hiking Socks in my boots for a total of 37 trips and 44 days, as follows:

All testing was in the Southern Colorado Mountains and Southeastern Utah canyon country.

Terrains included forest and desert trails, alpine tundra, sliderock, and slickrock. Hiking conditions included off-trail bushwhacking, scrambling, walking in water and mud, and hiking in snow and on frozen ground. I do a lot of off-trail backpacking in really rough, steep conditions, so the socks have been used under some challenging conditions. My estimated mileage is 600 miles (966 km).

Temperatures ranged from 20 to 75 F (17 to 24 C) during the day and 12 to 55 F (-11 to 13 C) at night. Elevations ranged from 5500 to 12,000 feet (1676 to 3658 m).

How The Teko Socks Were Used
The Teko EcoMerino Wool Hiking Socks were used in Dunham Cloud Contrail mid-height hiking boots, Dunham Alcatraz water/hiking shoes, New Balance 902 trail runners, and Sorel boots with felt liners. I often wore gaiters over the tops of my boots when hiking, which kept the inside of my boots cleaner. I also tested the Spenco Backpacker Footbeds, so I wore the footbeds along with the Teko socks most of the time. I did not test the Teko socks with liner socks because liners were unnecessary (and too tight a fit with the Teko socks over them). On backpacking trips, winter car camping trips, and for elk hunting (a total of 14 nights), I wore a second (clean) pair of Teko socks in my sleeping bag to keep my feet warm.

Features and Performance
Specific factors I am evaluating the Teko Hiking Socks for are as listed below. Following is my evaluation of the Teko EcoMerino Wool Hiking Socks based on four months of testing.

Materials, Quality, And Construction—The fabric is 65% Merino wool, 23% recycled polyester, 10% nylon, and 2% Lycra®. The socks are about 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick, and have a very tight ribbed weave. They stretch in both directions, but more horizontally than vertically. The inside is looped to provide a very soft cotton fleece-like texture and feel. The heel and toe areas appear to have a different weave and blend of components for more durability (but I don’t know this for sure).

Fit—The socks are 10 inches (25 cm) high from the bottom of the heel to the top of the cuff, which is sufficient for full height boots. For my size 11.5 EEEE feet, the Teko socks in size large fit me perfectly; they conformed to my feet and had no length to spare. The stated fit range is size 9 to 12. I suspect the fit would be tight on size 12 feet, and would recommend going to size XL for a better fit. Each pair of socks was washed about eight times, and they still fit about the same as when they were new.

Usability—I wore the socks in mid and low cut hiking shoes, and also wore them in my sleeping bag to keep my feet warm. They have lots of stretch and slip on my feet easily. When on, they do not feel tight. They conform to my feet very well, so there are no folds or unfilled areas that can apply pressure to my feet and cause blisters.

Comfort—The socks are well cushioned and are definitely comfortable to wear. When I hike with these socks, the thing I notice the most is their cushiony feel. They really pad and cushion my feet well. The socks have a fairly wide comfort range. The warmest temperature I hiked in wearing the socks was about 75 F (24 C), and my feet did not feel especially hot. I have also worn the socks while hiking in sub-freezing conditions, and the socks kept my feet toasty warm.

Performance—On several high exertion hikes in warmer weather, the socks felt dry and comfortable at first, but over several hours a significant amount of moisture (from perspiration) accumulated in the socks. When they got damp from sweat, they felt clammy. On several occasions I took my boots off at breaks to dry the socks out (which is a good idea for any brand of socks). The Teko socks dried out quickly when they were turned inside out and laid in the sun. An alternative would be to carry a second pair of Teko socks and change socks at midday. When I wore the socks in my sleeping bag, they dried out quickly and my feet did not get cold.

On the trail, the socks provided plenty of cushioning. I did not have any blisters or hot spots. Their cushioning was especially appreciated when I wore low cut hiking shoes.

Durability—The socks have held up well after four months of use (43 days). There are no noticeable wear areas or thin spots on the outside. There is some residual staining on the bottom of the socks, which I consider normal. The socks have a few snags from brush and from pulling stickers out of the socks. There is also a significant amount of pilling, especially on the arch and ankle areas. The pilling is not excessive and is only cosmetic. On the inside, the pile is flattened in the toe and heel areas, but there are no signs of actual wear.

Odor Management—I wore the socks successively for 4-7 days on four occasions, and found no offensive odor at all. They seem to suppress odors.

Weight—The socks are heavy weight backpacking socks, designed to provide plenty of cushioning to help prevent blisters while carrying a backpack. The actual weight of the socks in size large is 4.2 ounces (119 g), which is on the heavy side for hiking socks.

Cleaning—The cleaning instructions are: “Machine wash warm inside-out, tumble dry low, no iron, no bleach”. They were washed several times following these instructions, except I forgot to turn them inside out, which is likely what caused the pilling. I also hand washed them several times using Woolite when I needed the socks and didn’t want to wait for the laundry.

Measurements—Bottom relaxed is 9 in (23 cm), stretched is about 12.5 in (32 cm); height relaxed is 10 in (25 cm), stretched is about 14 in (cm); top opening relaxed is 3.5 in (9 cm), stretched is about 6 in (15 cm).

Acknowledgement
I would like to thank Teko Socks and the BackpackGearTest Group for selecting me to participate in this test.

Will Rietveld