SMARTWOOL PhD Medium Crew (£16.95)

SMARTWOOL PhD Medium Crew (£16.95)

By Chris Townsend

December 04 2009

TGO Rating 3.5 stars

Smartwool appears to have caught a bad case of hi-tech jargon and design with these socks, which feature a “4 degree fit system” and “WOW technology”.

The first means that the socks have four stretchy compression bands and flex zones – one at the ankle, one under the arch and two over the instep – for a good fit, not that I’ve found simpler Smartwool designs to fit poorly. “WOW” stands for “wool on wool” and simply means denser wool in the heel and toes. The socks have dense terry loops in the foot and leg except for four mesh areas on the foot designed to maximise ventilation. As the socks are quite warm and suitable for cold weather I can’t see the point of the latter. I haven’t noticed cold spots due to them but I haven’t noticed any less dampness either. The socks also have an offset toe seam, Y heel gore and an elastic cuff. I’ve found the socks warm and comfortable but I think the design is unnecessarily complicated and the price is high.

Technical Spec

Materials: 79% wool, 20% nylon, 1% elastic
Weight: 102g (Large)
Sizes: S,M,L,XL
Likes: warm, comfortable
Dislikes: expensive

SmartWool Europe
01753 497190
www.smartwool.com

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