News — hiking socks

Hiking Socks for Preventing Blisters

Hiking can provide a vast range of benefits—for your health, mindset, and overall well-being. However, it is not always good for your feet. One of the most common issues related to hiking is blistering. 

With heat, moisture, and friction, hiking creates a perfect storm for blisters on your feet and ankles. Thankfully, hiking socks can help. Using double layer technology, anti-blister hiking socks can keep your feet protected on even the most challenging treks. 

Healthy, Happy Feet

Everyone who hikes knows that it can lead to sweaty feet. Here is what you might not know: this moisture puts you at risk for several unpleasant foot problems. Sweat trapped in your socks can actually break down your skin, leading to MASD (Moisture-Associated Skin Damage). Ultimately, hiking leaves your feet vulnerable to infections like athlete’s foot and toenail fungus.

Anti-blister socks help address moisture—by wicking it away or absorbing it into the sock layers. Drier feet can help prevent skin damage, blistering, and infection risks. Do you suffer from hot, sweaty, itchy feet during or after your hikes? Are you looking for a way to prevent athlete’s foot or toenail fungus? Specialty socks may be able to help keep your feet happy and healthy. 

Kicking Feet and Shoe Odor

While we don’t always like to admit it, hiking can lead to smelly feet and boots. Why? Sweat provides a breeding ground for bacteria, which breaks down into smelly acids. 

Another pleasant side effect of hiking socks and their moisture-wicking benefits is that they can help reduce foot and shoe odor. Simply put, less sweat means fewer bacteria and the smells they create. Your hiking boots will thank you for making the switch. 

More fun - Less Discomfort

Blisters, discomfort, and other hiking inconveniences can out shadow the fun of your adventure—especially for children and those with sensitive skin. It can be challenging to look past this discomfort and enjoy the hike. After all, when your feet are hurting, you are reminded of this pain with every step.

Hiking socks can help breathe fun back into trekking and hiking. By preventing blisters and discomfort, you can enjoy the trails and spend more time focused on the great outdoors.

Some Considerations for Hiking Socks

So do hiking socks make a difference? The answer here is more complicated than it may seem. Why? Each person, sock, and adventure is unique. If you choose low-quality hiking socks, they probably will not make a difference in the comfort of your hike. Similarly, if you choose the wrong kind of hiking socks for your adventure, you might not be satisfied with the results. 

Finding the Right Hiking Socks for You

Once you find the right hiking socks for you—you are guaranteed to avoid blisters and find comfort in your journey. So here is a look at different kinds of hiking socks and how to decide if they will make a difference on your next trip: 

• Warm weather hiking socks: Hiking in the warmer weather can mean extra sweat and heat for your feet. Lightweight hiking socks with a higher thread count will provide airy comfort and sturdy protection on your warmer hikes. 
• Hiking socks for the cold: If you are hiking in the mountains during the cold winter months, you can find tall merino wool hiking crew socks that will provide a little extra warmth for your feet, ankles, and lower legs while offering the hiking support you need. 
• Long-distance hiking socks: Distance hiking and trekking require a careful balance of material. Socks that are too thick and bulky can create heat and irritation over long distances, while socks that are too thin will not provide enough protection. Lightweight cushioned hiking socks can provide the best of both worlds. 

Wrightsock: Your Source for Anti-Blister Hiking Socks

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wrightenberry Mills Forms Partnership with UNIFI to Use 70% Post-Consumer Recycled Plastic in Wrightsock Products

Leading manufacturer of socks takes major step toward sustainability with ECO-friendly materials

 BURLINGTON, NC — April 22, 2021 — Today, Wrightenberry Mills Inc., manufacturer of Wrightsock Double Layer® socks, announced that it has formed a strategic partnership with UNIFI, a leader in the recycling industry. The partnership will enable Wrightenberry Mills to start using 70% post-consumer recycled plastics in its product line. The process results in using the equivalent of two to four recyclable plastic bottles to manufacture each pair of large men’s crew socks. It represents a major move towards sustainability for the company.

 “We are at a critical point in the life of our planet where we have the opportunity to lead the way in sustainable materials, which perform and ‘wear’ as well, if not better that traditional materials,” said Joey Wrightenberry, the President and third generation Owner and Operator of Wrightenberry Mills. “Our ECO-friendly socks are a recycled, upcycled, certified and sustainable product—proudly made by our staff of over 40 experts.”

 As part of its sustainable strategy, Wrightenberry Mills has committed to utilizing REPREVE®, a thread product made of 100% post-consumer recycled plastic able to be used as a component in the manufacturing of many sorts of apparel. REPREVE® is used by over 700 companies worldwide. However, Wrightenberry Mills stands out as the first company to date committing to the use of the 100% post-consumer recycled plastic in its entire product line.

The partnership with UNIFI is expected to make a huge difference in the ecosystem and accomplishes a number of goals for the company. As Wrighenberry put it, “We are using a recycled product, plastic bottles that come straight from local landfills. We are also doing our part by being proactive and mindful of cleaning up our planet. Otherwise, those bottles stay in the form of garbage that would break down only after thousands of years.”

 The UNIFI plant which produces the post-recycled REPREVE® thread is only 40 miles away from the Wrightsock knitting facility. This proximity limits the environmental impact of transporting materials and serves to reduce the company’s carbon footprint.

 Wrightenberry Mills was founded in 1948. For the past 30 years, the company has produced Wrightsocks, a double layer sock that is guaranteed to be blister free. Years of experience and leadership in the sock industry confirm the quality of its socks known to hikers, runners, outdoor enthusiasts, commuters and families. The Wrightsock™ Double Layer® absorbs friction, which is normally transferred to the skin. The Dri-Wright® II inner layer wicks moisture off the skin as the inner and outer sock layers work together to protect feet from abrasion.

The temperature regulation, or wicking, results in more comfortable feet, which will be cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. The air trapped between layers acts as insulation from the heat and cold. The benefits of these products have made the The Wrightsock™ Double Layer® a breakthrough for runners, walkers and hikers especially now, during the Covid-19 pandemic, the most valuable long distance walking socks for necessary exercise.