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Vara Walker Ankle Length Sock
tested
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Price:
£11.45
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Weight: 59 grammes (pair,
medium)
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Features: 80
per-cent merino, 16 per-cent nylon, 4 per-cent lycra. 21.5
micron merino wool, elasticised arch support, cushion sole,
toe and heel areas, odour resistant.
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Good moisture handling, comfortable, neat low cut and odour
resistant too.
Not very stretchy so size with care.
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The Concept Merino wool consists of very fine fibres so
doesn't irritate like some coarser wool. It's also great for
absorbing moisture and for odour resistance. The ankle-length Walker
is a shorter cut sock that's ideal for wearing with approach shoes
and lightweight, short-cut boots.
Features There's nothing particularly radical about the
Walker. You get loop stitch internal padding and an elasticated band
around the instep to hold things tight and in place and prevent
bunching. The main attractions are the merino wool material,
reinforced with nylon for better wear resistance and the short
length.
In Action Let's face it, you look pretty silly wearing long
socks with approach shoes or lightweight walking boots, so the neat,
ankle-length cut of the Varas is ideal for lightweight footwear. And
because the sock isn't particularly bulky, you can get away with a
closer fitting shoe.
We've been using these socks for ages now and we like them a lot.
Here's why: First, the merino wool is great at handling moisture. It
doesn't wick - if anyone tells you that merino is a high-wicking
fabric they've been mislead - what it does do is absorb a lot of
water without becoming uncomfortable. That makes it ideal for socks
which may have to deal with around half a pint of sweat each per
day... They also remain warm when wet.
A further plus is merino's odour resistance, which means you can
wear them for several days on the trot without provoking divorce
proceedings.
The design is decent enough too. Loopstitch internal padding gives
reasonable cushioning and an elasticated arch support keeps things
snug and prevents bagging under the arch.
The only real downside is that any stretch seems to be confined to
that arch support, so there's not as much give as with socks using a
higher lycra content, so you need to make sure that you get the
sizing right to start with.
Ideal for wearing with lower-cut footwear and lightweight
boots without looking like a complete plank. The merino handles
moisture and pong with composed efficiency and there's enough
cushioning for comfort but not too much bulk.
Don't be put off by the slightly school project feel of the
Chocolate
Fish web site, these are very good socks and we'd put them in
a similar bracket to Smartwool's Adrenaline, though the Varas feel
denser and slightly thinner.
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Performance
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Value
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Pushed for time
Short cut merino socks are ideal for use with approach
shoes and lower-cut boots. Great for handling moisture,
don't pong and offer cushioning without excessive
bulk.
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Know more or want to?
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product check out our user review system and post your opinions to
the world. If you have questions you can mail
us direct, ask
Richard Gear or try a posting to our
gear
forum.
