I’ve never reviewed a pair of socks before. Well, there was that pair of anti-blister socks a few months back but they were different – all high-tech and sciencey and what-not. When I found out that Wilderness Wear were sending me these ones I was freaking out a little bit, because what on earth do you say about socks?

So I have to say I was pretty relieved once I donned them for the first time… I believe my first words were “OH MY GOD IT’S LIKE THERE’S A PARTY IN MY SHOES AND EVERYONE’S INVITED”.

As I wrote when I introduced Wilderness Wear’s giveaway last month, I go through socks like nobody’s business. I mean, I’m 33 years old, so I’d have worn a heck of a lot of socks by now even without all that hiking. But I am deadly serious when I say that I have never felt socks like these before. They feel like the eyelashes of a million baby unicorns fluttering all over your feet.

Yes, really.

I’ve realised as I’m writing this that I’ve actually never worn any other merino fleece socks before. Perhaps this is what they all feel like. I obviously can’t say. All I know is that I’m now on the hunt for merino fleece boxer shorts.

The benefits of merino wool as a fabric for outdoor adventure clothing are pretty well known. It’s supposed to wick moisture away from the skin and keep you warm even when it gets wet.

I’ve worn these socks at least a dozen times now and, although it’s mostly been to work, I’ve had some busy days where I’ve done a heck of a lot of walking. As someone who suffers from hyperhidrosis, my feet sweat buckets when I do a lot of walking. This is one of these reasons that I don’t generally wear thick woolen socks, but I can confirm that these do their job. I’ve never once felt like my feet were wet while wearing them.

I haven’t experienced any issues with my sweaty feet sliding around in them either, which is something I get with all of my socks once the sweat starts to flow. I’m not sure whether this is because of the moisture wicking or the “Y-Gore seem” on the heel (not sure exactly what that is, but it sounds like it could be the reason).

Cappuccino Marle - Wilderness Wear Merino Socks

As for the warmth factor, I’ve had less of a chance to test that out. Melbourne weather has continued to be all Melbourney (if you don’t know what I mean then think back to the lyrics of a certain Crowded House song), but it’s still been warm enough that cold feet hasn’t been a concern. I’ll have to wear them on a soggy hike when the winter weather returns (ie. in March) and report back on my findings then.

The other reason I don’t usually wear thick woolen socks, or long socks in general, is that I get itchy ankles. I don’t know why it happens, but it’s very annoying. Anyway, doesn’t happen with these glorious things.

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m a big fan of Wilderness Wear. They’re a local (especially local to me) company that makes their gear with ethics and sustainability in mind. They make everything, including their socks, in Australia and from Australian materials.

The real test for any pair of socks is how well they wear and maintain their shape. These use a small amount of nylon (15%) to reinforce the high-abrasion areas, which gives me hope. That’s another thing I might have to report back to you on though, further down the track. If you’re reading this in late 2015 and I haven’t written an update, leave me a comment to remind me.

Wilderness Wear’s Merino Fleece Adventure Sport Socks can be purchased online, directly from Wilderness Wear. They come in Jet Black, Black Marle, Cappuccino Marle, Green Marle, and Navy Marle.

 

Wilderness Wear provided me with a pair of Merino Fleece Adventure Sport Socks to test out. The above link for purchasing is an affiliate link.This has no influence on the opinions I put forward in my review.

 

If there’s anything I’ve missed that you want to know, or if you’ve got anything at all to say about the Wilderness Wear Merino Fleece Adventure Sport Socks, please do so in the comments section below.