In the current daily life and sports, socks are always not given due attention. Socks have always been used as a foil for shoes. People have long believed that shoes are mainly used to protect feet. However, it should be noted that socks are The closest thing to the feet, if the socks are not properly chosen, the shoes will also cause direct damage to the feet.
Let’s introduce the commonly used materials for socks:
Cotton is a traditional natural fiber and a textile material with high comfort, which is still widely used today. However, for the requirements of sports, especially outdoor sports, the performance of cotton itself has great limitations. Cotton fiber has good hygroscopicity, and it absorbs moisture very quickly, but it is not enough to remove moisture. After the cotton fiber is wet, it will dry very slowly. Therefore, if there is no good logistical supply, try not to wear pure cotton socks in outdoor activities, especially for multi-day activities in rainy summer, cotton socks will be very dangerous after soaking.
Wool is also a traditional natural fiber. It is famous for its good warmth retention. However, ordinary wool is not suitable for socks, and wool with higher material must be selected, such as: Australia The MERINO WOOL (merino wool), NEW WOOL (new wool), etc., are all good materials for underwear and socks. However, many people will find that it is rare to use wool to directly make intimate clothing, and even if there is, the price is relatively expensive, which is mainly determined by the structural characteristics of wool itself. Under the microscope, it can be seen that the wool fibers have many scales, which are arranged a bit like bamboo shoot leaves, and the top of each scale has a keratinized tip. This keratinized tip can easily cause adhesion between the wool fibers. At the same time, the keratinized tip will make the wool feel itchy when it is close to the body. Therefore, if you choose wool material for close-fitting clothing such as socks, you must remove the keratinized tip. The cost is relatively high, which is one of the main reasons why the product is expensive. The characteristic of wool itself is to keep warm, and at the same time, its hygroscopicity and moisture removal are poor. After blending or weaving with other fibers, it can be made into a good winter thermal socks.
Lycra, spandex and elastic are all elastic. Lycra is a registered trademark of DuPont in the United States. In fact, it is also a kind of spandex, so it is also called Lycra spandex, but it is much better in handling than ordinary spandex. Its ductility and recovery are quite good, and it is not easy to age. , Many outdoor brands of socks use Lycra as elastic material. The rubber band is actually a rubber band. Of course, the one used to make socks is much thinner, as thin as yarn. It is woven into the socks during the manufacturing process. The rubber band is relatively easy to age. It is easy to lose the original stretch and refolding, which makes it less economical for more expensive socks such as professional sports socks for outdoor sports. However, now there is a kind of rubber band in Japan. I heard that the durability is very good, and it is still in the promotion stage.
For sports socks, especially professional sports socks for outdoor sports, there must be some special fibers added to highlight its professional functionality. Among them, COOLMAX is often used. COOLMAX is a patented fiber product of DuPont Company in the United States. It is also called four-pipe shaped polyester fiber in textiles. The cross-section of ordinary fibers is mostly solid circular or oval, while COOLMAX fibers are hollow, with ten sub-sections in cross-section, like four tubes that are juxtaposed together. This structure increases the contact area between the fiber and the air, and also ensures a lot of gaps between the fabrics. In this way, it ensures that the COOLMAX fiber has strong hygroscopicity and moisture removal. COOLMAX fiber is mixed with it. The fabric has good breathability. It should be noted that COOLMAX is a functional fiber that absorbs moisture, conducts sweat, and is breathable. It is not a thermal fiber. It is just a warm environment that allows moisture to escape and keep it as dry as possible. THERMOLITE is a special thermal fiber, and THERMOLITE is also a patented fiber product of DuPont in the United States. It is a polyester fiber like COOLMAX, and the structure is also hollow. According to reports, THERMOLITE is inspired by the structure of polar bear fur. Its cross-section is round and the middle is empty, like a tube, which can improve the bulkiness of the fiber and thus achieve warmth. This principle is somewhat similar to the thermal insulation principle of down. The thermal insulation effect of THERMOLITE is very good, and it also has a good perspiration effect. It is an ideal material for winter thermal socks. (It should be noted here that COOLMAX and THERMOLITE mainly use short fibers as the material of socks. During the wearing process, pilling is inevitable. The tighter the structure of the socks, the less pilling will be. Use COOLMAX And THERMOLITE long fiber will not pilling, but the socks feel hard, not suitable for thick socks, thin single-function socks are good.)
NYLON (nylon), some The ingredient label is also called nylon, which is specially used in outdoor sports socks to strengthen the firmness. Why does the addition of nylon prolong the service life of the socks and is not easy to damage.
Thermolite and coolmax are both moisture wicking fibers. Thermolite is also known as a hollow thermal fiber. While wicking sweat, it focuses on the function of keeping warm, and the price is relatively expensive.
COOLMAX socks can be roughly divided into full coolmax socks, and coolmax/cotton blended socks: it is almost impossible for socks to achieve 100% coolmax. When producing socks, spandex yarn needs to be added. Generally, the content of all coolmax socks is 70%-85%. For coolmax/cotton blended socks, the total content of coolmax and cotton accounts for about 70%-85%, and if it is a 50/50 ratio, coolmax accounts for 35-43%. In theory, the higher the coolmax content, the better the moisture wicking function.
In outdoor sports, some people think that as long as the socks are thick, wearing at least two pairs of cotton socks can fully protect the feet. This is reasonable, because the two pairs are put together. The sock can be better attached to the foot, which weakens the friction between the foot and the sock and converts it into the friction between the sock and the shoe. However, in this way, another problem is ignored. After a long walk, the foot will expand by 7%–8%, and the two pairs of socks will be tightly bound on the entire foot, even above the ankle. The parts of the feet are also wrapped, resulting in poor blood circulation in the feet, which can cause some foot diseases. In winter or extremely cold regions, it can cause unnecessary frostbite.
So, what are socks specifically designed for feet? This is to understand the structure of socks:
First of all, there must be a pad, that is, there should be a towel-like loop at the bottom of the sock, so it is also called a loop. The main function of the terry is to increase the elasticity between the shoe and the foot. At the same time, it also fully increases the contact area between the sock material and the air, so that it has better moisture absorption and perspiration. The material also has a lot to do with it. For different intensities of exercise, the height, density and position of the loops should be different. In high-altitude mountaineering or extremely long-distance walking, there should be loops on the soles and insteps of the feet, and the height and density of the loops are the highest, so that the feet can be better in all directions. Protect. In medium-to-long-distance walking and low-altitude mountaineering, generally socks only need to add terry to the bottom of the foot. However, the height and density of the terry are still the highest requirements. Only in short-distance walking and walking with abundant logistical supplies, such as special tourism and ordinary tourism, the height and density of the terry can be relatively low, but it is absolutely necessary. Even for general physical exercise, socks should still have terry.
Secondly, there must be a ring of elastic fixation on the arch of the socks so that the socks can fit well on the feet. In the past, this often happened: after walking for a while, all the socks on the feet ran to the front, or the socks were turned sideways, and the soles of the feet ran to the sides of the feet, making the feet very uncomfortable. It is because of the poor adhesion between socks and feet, so adding elastic fixation to the arch of the foot can avoid such things as much as possible. When the soles of people’s feet touch the ground, normally, the arch of the foot contacts the ground the least, and when walking, the arch of the foot suffers the least friction. At the same time, this is the middle of the entire sole of the foot, and it is most appropriate to add a fixation to this part. The elastic fixation cannot be too tight. If it is too tight, it will affect blood circulation, and it should not be too loose. Otherwise, it will not have a fixed effect, and the socks will run on the feet.
In addition, the toes and heels of socks must be thickened, the force of the heel is the largest, and the toes are relatively weak, so special protection is necessary. The splicing of the toe and the instep of the sock must be flat, and there must be no edges. This place is the position of the toes on the instep. If the seam is edged, it is easy to wear the feet.
These are the main parts of the sock body, and there is the part above the ankle, which is basically exposed outside the shoes (boots), but there are also certain special requirements.
Let’s talk about the ankle first. This part is generally the position of the upper, and a pad with terry is necessary, but since this part is the position where the foot first comes into contact with the air, the function of ventilation must be reflected in the structure, usually on the front of the ankle , The place in contact with the tongue adopts a corrugated structure with a slightly sparser structure than the loop structure, and at the same time adds elastic material. Because the inner layer of the tongue is mostly made of foam elastic material, which is softer than other parts of the shoe and has less friction, the corrugated structure will not cause damage to the foot when selected in this position. The ankle is the most active part of the script body. Adding elastic material can ensure that the normal activities of the foot will not have too much restraint.
Above the ankle, if it is worn in winter or in extremely cold environments, the waist of the socks should be relatively high, some even below the knee, and have a terry structure. In other environments, choose a mid-waist. Can. However, whether it is a middle-waisted socks or a high-waisted socks, the waist part of the socks is the calf after all, so the structure of this part must adopt a structure with good elasticity, the elasticity should be moderate, and it is completely designed for the thickness of the calf.
It would be better to add OUTLAST to the material of the socks. Let??s introduce OUTLAST:
Outlast was actually created by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The patented technology developed by the NASA research project was developed by NASA for the lunar landing program. The purpose is to make lunar landing clothing for astronauts, including gloves, socks, underwear, etc., and later developed for ordinary clothing, especially It is outdoor clothing
, including ski shirts, pants, sweaters, etc.
The key to Outlast fiber technology is the use of microcapsule-encapsulated heat-sensitive phase change materials, which have the function of absorbing, storing and releasing heat in the form of latent heat. In the change of temperature, it can be transformed into solid and liquid state, so as to achieve the effect of endothermic and exothermic. The microcapsule heat-sensitive phase change material in the Outlast fiber is HYDROCARBONWAX, which can respond to the change of the external ambient temperature on the skin and has a buffering effect on the temperature change.
The key to the body’s body temperature regulation is the skin. When the wearer is cold, the capillaries that carry the blood vessels pass through the contraction and expansion of the skin, that is, vasoconstriction and relaxation, to limit and increase blood flow, thereby reducing or expanding. Increase heat loss. The phase change material of the microcapsules in the OutIast fiber is HYDROCARBONWAX, which can absorb and release heat according to the ambient temperature, respond to changes in the external ambient temperature on the skin, and have a buffering effect on temperature changes. Therefore, it has the function of climate regulation, forming a good microclimate between products such as the body and clothing.
The feet are very sensitive to cold. Use OUTLAST socks to make you feel more comfortable and not easy to stretch. Its features are:
reduces sweating
helps you stay warm
keeps you warm, not easy to stretch
more elastic , more suitable
Temperature adjustment to meet your heat needs
The end of socks purchase
Finally, Introduce the use of socks in different environments in outdoor sports. In different environments, socks of different structures and materials should be used.
In extremely cold conditions such as mountaineering, skiing, etc., the socks selected must be mainly made of wool and other thermal fibers, the structure should be higher and tighter with terry, and the waist of the socks should be long Some, even to the knees. The best material to be mixed with wool is thermal fibers such as THERMOLITE. Others include NYLON and LYCRA. The choice of socks in this extreme area is not better than COOLMAX. In order to ensure the perspiration effect, you can add a pair of COOLMAX high content. Long-fiber socks.
In winter field activities at low altitudes, such as camping, crossing, etc. (except ice climbing), socks made of wool and COOLMAX as the main material can be used. The structure depends on the intensity of the activity and the length of time For long-distance activities and activities with many days, you can choose mid-waist socks with higher terry and denser. If you have special needs for keeping warm, you can add a pair of thin long-fiber socks with high THERMOLITE content.
In spring, summer and autumn, COOLMAX cotton socks can be used for low-altitude activities. For activities with long journeys and many days, the COOLMAX content should be more, so that it is easier to take care of. For short trips with few days, you can choose socks with less COOLMAX content, and the structure still depends on the activity intensity.