The Problem & The Solution

THE PROBLEM

Moisture is the Enemy

For runners, moisture is the foot’s worst enemy. Moisture causes painful, even race-ending blisters, Athlete’s Foot fungus, odor causing bacteria and over-all discomfort. Runners’ feet get wet either from sweat, puddles, wet grass, rain, snow, or by getting splashed at a race water station. In cold/freezing weather, moisture on the skin pulls heat away 23 times faster than air, reducing the temperature so rapidly that wet feet become painfully cold and much more susceptible to frostbite or Non-Freezing Cold Injury.

MARKETING HYPE CAN'T ESCAPE THE LAWS OF PHYSICS

Wicking fiber socks all claim to keep feet dry. However this is marketing hype and doesn’t change the fact that wicking fiber socks are not able to keep feet dry.

Moisture sticks to wicking fibers

Most wicking fibers are made from polyester, acrylic, nylon or wool and are Hydrophilic (water liking) because they have positive & negative charges on their surfaces. This attracts the negative & positive charges of the water or sweat molecules.

Wicking fibers get wet and hold moisture against the skin

Because wicking fibers attract moisture and are next to the skin, they hold moisture against the skin, keeping skin wet. Once wet, wicking fiber socks remain wet until well after the sweating stops and the slow process of evaporation inside a shoe takes place.

Wicking sweat across the skin

Wicking fiber sock manufacturers say their socks wick moisture “away” from the skin. This is misleading as wicking fiber socks also wick sweat across and towards the skin, which helps keep the skin wet.

Wicking fiber technology works for a shirt where the sweat can evaporate into the open air, versus a sock trapped inside a shoe where little if any evaporation can take place.