I love socks. A good pair of socks can make a difference in your attitude on an otherwise miserable day. And there’s a tear in my eye when an old favorite pair finally blows out and goes to the old sock home.
Way up in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, somebody had a good idea for our feet. Two somebodies, actually. Peter and Patty Duke have been busy all summer, giving away promotional pairs of socks from Point6, an on-line purveyor of merino wool foot coverings.
Peter, the founder of Smartwool, started Point6 in 2008 with the idea of making a sock that would keep your foot at its favorite temperature (98.6, hence the name “Point6″), wear like iron, and give merino’s wonderful sensuous feeling against your skin.
Point6 makes all sorts of socks, for all sorts of activities from running to skiing to cycling to just hanging out. And because Point6 only sells their socks online, they cut out the middle man and his 30% markup, meaning you can have your wool and save enough dough for a latte later.
It’s a challenge to make a cycling sock that isn’t too bulky but still maintains your foot temperature in the comfy zone. Cycling feet always seem to be sweltering in the summer and ice blocks in the winter. We got to test the cycling socks in the fall weather this month and they win the “Smart Buy” award for Fall 08. The Point6 Cycling Light 3/4 crew sock has that nifty arch brace knit into the middle of the sock that somehow makes your feet feel sort of lively, even when the rest of you is tired (have you guys thought about making merino garments that brace other parts of the body – merino compression wear?). There’s another compressing brace across your Achilles tendon, too.
One complaint with lots of wool socks out there is the tendency to start disintegrating at the toe or heel after a season of wear/washing. Now, I haven’t been wearing the Point6 socks for a season, but after some washing, there’s no sign of wear at all, thanks to the nylon content (60% merino, 40% nylon/spandex in the socks I tried) and the fine-gauge of the knit. And my feet feel all happy, like they’re sitting on mom’s lap listening to a Pooh Bear story.
Favorite nifty feature: unique little color dots in the inside cuff for every style and size, so you can match your various Point6 socks as they come out of the wash. No more dashing around with mismatched socks.
Whether you’re a “foot-punishing” athlete or you just want to curl up on the couch and watch “Moonstruck” one more time, you are going to love these socks!
Point6 socks – you can only buy them online at Point6.com. The Crew Light cycling socks go for $11.16. A bargain, really.
