Vara Walker Ankle Length Sock Reviewed

Vara Walker Ankle Length Sock tested

Price: £11.45

Weight: 59 grammes (pair, medium)

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.

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.

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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.

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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.

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Verdict

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.

Performance
Value

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Vara web site

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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