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Teko EcoMerino Light
Hiking Socks Initial Report
October 6, 2005
Thomas
Vickers
37 years old
Male
5 ft 11 in tall (1.8 m)
175 lb (79 kg)
redroach@pobox.com
Southeast Texas, Houston Area |
Tester Background:
I grew up in the piney woods of southeast Texas. Camping was a quick trip into the
mosquito-infested woods behind the house. My style has evolved and over the last 4 or 5
years, I have begun to take a lighter weight approach to hiking gear (I still use sleeping
bags and tents, just lighter versions). While I have flirted with lightweight hiking, I
feel that I am more of a mid-weight hiker now. My philosophy is one of comfort, while
carrying the lightest load possible.
Manufacturer Information:
Website:
http://www.tekosocks.com
Composition: 58% Merino wool, 25% Ecopoly recycled polyester,
14% nylon, 3% Lycra
Sizes: small, medium, large, extra large
Shoe size range women: 4-12
Shoe size range men: 5-15
Euro sizes: 34 - 50
Colors available: sky with moonmist, golden green with moonmist,
black with moonmist
MSRP: $ 16.95 US |
Information From Tester:
Shoe Size: 10.5
Sock size: large
Weight (per pair): 3.30 oz (94 g)
Color:black with moonmist
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Expectations:
My visit to the Teko website left me with a list of things to look at when these socks
arrived. The list of attributes is quite impressive:
- 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
I am very familiar with hiking socks and the Teko EcoMerino Light
Hiking Socks look like a full featured addition to my sock drawer. My only worry was about
the Merino Wool construction. I have never owned wool socks and I just didn't know how or
if they were going to be different from my regular synthetic hiking socks.
Arrival:
There was great happiness at my house when I tore open the package on the table
and found two pairs of the EcoMerino Light Hiking socks. Both of them were attached to
cardboard display tags that listed the socks' attributes and described how Teko socks are
an eco-friendly product. Not too much and not too little packaging for socks and
just the right amount of information for me to learn about Teko socks.
Description:
The Teko EcoMerino Light Hiking Socks are a nice black color with a gray heel and toe.
The outside of the cuff sports a gray Teko emblem and the inside of the cuff states
"Teko L", which I assume means that these are size large socks, which is what I
requested. On either side of the socks there is a triangular shaped grid pattern of
gray and black threads. According to what I read on the website, these must be the
air vents that allow these socks to vent.
The fabric of the socks is not what I expected. Instead
of 'itchy' wool the socks are soft and feel comfortable to the touch. It is not the same
feel as a synthetic sock, but it isn't something that is going to be uncomfortable on my
feet. One thing that I have noticed from casual handling is that the padding in
these socks doesn't appear to be very thick. I don't see that as a problem, but
right now I can't tell the padded portions of the socks from the non-padded portions.
Overall, I am happy with what has arrived. There were no major surprises and I am
not worried about the feel of the fabric.
TEST PLAN
Testing Location:
Southeast Texas
Altitude: Sea level to 250 feet (76 m)
Temperatures expected: 40 - 80 F (4 - 27 C).
Testing Activities:
Weekend hiking/camping trips (1-3 nights)
Day hiking
Geocaching
Work
Test Strategy:
FIT
1. How well do the size large socks fit my feet?
2. Can I wear liner socks with the Merino Wool Light Hiking socks? Is there a need to wear
liner socks with them?
3. How easy is it to get the socks on and off? Do they have enough "stretch" to
make getting them off and on easy? Do they snap back to shape after some stretching?
4. Do my feet fit my hiking boots with these socks on? I wear boots a size larger than my
shoe size to help accommodate bulky hiking socks?
COMFORT
1. Do my feet get hot in these socks? Do they make my feet sweat?
2. Do they keep my feet warm in cooler weather?
3. Is the padding heavy enough to keep my feet from getting tired/sore?
4. Is the elastic in the cuff too strong? Does it feel uncomfortable (too tight) around my
ankle?
PERFORMANCE
1. Do the socks wick moisture away from my feet?
2. How long does it take the socks to air dry when they are wet/sweaty?
3. After prolonged use without laundering, do they develop bad odors? If so, does the odor
wash out? Does the odor become permanent?
4. How well does the elastic in the cuff hold up to repeated cycles of putting on the
socks/taking off the socks?
5. How well do the side vents work? Do they cool my feet? Do they allow moisture to
escape/wick away?6. Do I develop blisters while using these
socks? (Not normally a problem, but if I start getting them, something has to be up)
7. Does the padding compress after prolonged wear?
8. Do they hold up well to normal laundry cycles?
9. What is the recommended washing/drying cycle for these socks?
Does the performance of the socks suffer if I deviate from the listed instructions? |
A big thanks to Teko Socks and Backpack Gear Testers
for allowing me the chance to test these socks.
Read more reviews of Teko gear
Read more gear reviews by Thomas Vickers
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