Injinji Tetrasoks

At the Winter OR show last month, I had the opportunity to check out a lot of really cool products. One of the more surprising things I encountered at the OR show was the Injinji Sock Company. Injinji socks are toe socks, aimed to be performance oriented socks for hiking, skiing and running. I know what you're thinking- Toe socks? Really? The last time I wore toe socks, they were knee high, rainbow patterned, and worn with flip flops and shorts, and worn on my swim teams "Silly Spirit" days in high school. Functional toe socks? I was skeptical, to say the least. However, I got a hold of a few pairs, and gave them a shot. Injinji Socks Comes in 2 basic material- Coolmax, a synthetic material great for wicking sweat and warm weather activities, and NuWool, a merino wool great for winter weather activities. After running in them for a few long runs, I think that I can, in fact, tell a difference from a normal sock. The biggest difference for me was the absence of "swamp foot," where the whole toe section of my normal socks becomes a small pond of sweat. I'm sure you've all experienced a similar condition known as swamp butt... The individual toes kept the sweat pooling from becoming an issue. Disadvantage to individual toes- you lose that warmth and insulation of having your toes next to each other when you're out in the cold. Even in the wool pair, my toes felt a bit chilly when isolated like that (like the gloves vs. mittens difference for fingers). I went for a 2 hr hike in the snow with 1 regular sock and 1 tetrasok, and the normal sock was definitely a bit warmer. Best feature, hands down- CHACO COMPATIBLE! I have a pair of the z2 chacos and wear them year round, regardless of the weather. I now own socks that I can wear with my chacos! Yes, I'm aware that I look ridiculous but my feet are warm and I don't feel constricted within shoes. Love it. Bottom line- great for warmer weather and year round Chaco wearers! I will certainly be picking up a few more pairs. Buy Now! Injinji Performance Socks