[pct-l] socks

[Jeffrey Olson]

  My experience with socks started in the late 60s when I started hiking 
on my own.  10" leather boots with vibram soles and cotton socks.  I 
graduated quickly to ragg wool socks, and used those until the early 90s 
when I added thin polypro socks underneath the wool.  In 1994 when I 
started wearing running shoes I continued with thin and thick socks, 
until I gulped and spent $12 on a pair of coolmesh somethings, ankle high.

My philosophy changed, but based on experience.  I got blisters with two 
pairs of socks.  I got blisters with the thin socks alone, and the wool 
socks alone - in different places.

The coolmesh socks had different toe and heel material from the top and 
arch.  The thin, almost tube polypro socks would get a little fold in 
them, and it only took 10 minutes to develop a blister.  The thicker 
wool socks would ride with the shoe and my foot would rub up and down - 
heel blisters.

The coolmesh socks I bought were almost too small, and since then I've 
tried larger ones to match my shoes size, the but the smaller size works 
better.  The sock adheres to my foot with sweat, and it rubs up and down 
on the heel of the shoe.  No blister.  I also put a piece of duct tape 
on the inside of the heel part of the shoes upper.  What rubbing there 
is generates less heat.  That makes the shoe last longer than 500 miles, 
as that's where I wear out my shoes.  That and where the toe works 
through...

Just some thoughts as I put syllabi together for another schoolyear...

Jeffrey Olson
martin, SD