Farm to Feet recently sent a few pairs of socks over for testing and review. I‘ve been wearing them for a couple of weeks now. At work, out hiking and on the treadmill for several miles, these socks have performed well, with quality that shows. That may be because Farm to Feet takes the phrase Made in the USA really seriously. The socks are knitted and made in Mount Airy North Carolina. All of the wool and synthetic fibers come from farmers and factories in the US as well. Farm to Feet even gets their packaging and point of sale displays from US companies, which they say makes them 100% American.
The Bend Crew Stylized Traditional Hiker is a medium-weight crew hiking sock. They come in a variety of colors to offer a bit of style. Full top-to-toe cushioning along the instep and up the shaft gives a feeling of luxury. Comfort compression from the top of the sock through the arch makes them fit great and helps support your feet. They have any airy textured feel and the seamless toe construction is super nice. The Bend socks kept my feet dry and warm, and Farm to Feet uses reinforced construction and low-stress seam placement to lengthen the life of the sock, so it will keep performing this well.
Their Greensboro 1/4 Crew is part of the Adventure Sport series. These socks use the Farm to Feet Bottom of Foot Cushion zone. At the top of the sock is two strips of thinner material incorporated into the knitting pattern, which should help allow heat to escape. The Greensboro socks have a super soft and plush feel and work great for cycling, running, and would make some really nice every day socks. Seamless toe construction is used on these and in all Farm to Feet socks.
The Damascus themed socks are a new offering in the Farm to Feet Elite Adventure Hike series. The Damascus will be offered for men and women as a light and mid-weight crew and a lightweight quarter crew. The quarter crew is not yet on the Farm to Feet website as of the date publication of this article. Farm to Feet uses their most advanced features on the Damascus socks. Micro channel circumferential ventilation provides a pathway for heat to escape and allow airflow in the shoe. Hexagonal pattern knitting is used in high impact and high abrasion areas of the sock to provide abrasion resistance. Cushioning bars with ventilation chambers between are placed under the lacing area of the shoe on the top of the foot. I‘ve never had a pair of socks with cushioning in this area and I‘ve got to say that I like it a lot. The extra padding there could give some really nice comfort with cycling shoes that have straps over the top of the foot. Seamless toe closure, comfort compression and targeted full density cushioning are all used in this sock. The Damascus socks over a plush soft feel with just the right about of compression for me. The socks stay in place well and do a superb job of managing sweat.
Farm to Feet socks are priced from $17 to $22 , so they are not inexpensive. However, I‘ve found that quality wool socks last many times longer than cotton socks. The up-front cost is there, but long term, high quality socks are more affordable than it first seems.
Many thanks go out to Farm to Feet for providing these socks for testing and review. High quality socks are a luxury item for me and hopefully everyone will find this article informative and useful in the future.
– Mark