Ski socks get high-tech

By COLIN MOORE

It may never have been accepted outdoors dogma that a boot is only as good as the sock that is in it. But good socks, that essential cushion between sensitive feet and an unyielding boot, are often the difference between cold feet, sore feet, blisters and happy feet.

The best boot socks I have ever owned are seamless, woollen tubes made for the New Zealand Antarctic survey. I have used them for years for tramping and skiing and there is still some life in them.

The standard criteria for ski socks used to be that they were not too thick and that they were unribbed, at least around the shin area, where under a well-tightened ski boot the ribs could leave nasty welts and even lines of broken blood vessels on the skin.

But while my old Antarctic socks may not be threadbare they are thoroughly dated. Tramping socks now come in high-tech designs for a range of uses, from easy walks to climbing Mt Everest.

They are "engineered" rather than knitted, have padding that gives support to the arch and cushions the sole and are reinforced at the heel. Many use some synthetic fibre as well as wool, particularly in hard-wearing areas.

Socks designed for skiing are even more complex. I skied in Canada this year on a pair of XSocks which are so high-tech they are marked for left and right feet.

XSocks seem more sophisticated than most ski boots and use several different fibres. The footbed is designed for left and right feet, the heel and toe protectors reduce blisters and chafing.

There is an air channel down the side which is intended to give your feet "air conditioning" in tight ski boots, a shin protector to make bending those knees less painful on your shins, and cross-over bandaging in strategic places to support your ankles.

Do they work? Well, put it this way, in two weeks' skiing in Canada I didn't get sore feet or ankles and the air-conditioning must have worked because I washed them only once and no one complained when I took my boots off.

* XSocks cost $39.90 and $45.