It's not the socks, it's your feet

[LillFilly]

This is still haunting me, mainly because the heels of my socks keep wearing-out. I am on my feet a lot and do a lot of walking for work, and in my hobbies.

This last holiday there was a sock stand where I work. They looked like nice socks, I picked the Nolyn (some new blend, keeps your feet dry) all the same size, and bought about 4-packs of 3. These were $18 a pack.

Well, I broke-open a pack and started wearing them (note: I wash stuff on cold and dry low-heat). After no less than 3-wearings, every pair of socks wore holes through the heels. NEVER have my socks worn through so fast. I've had socks from the dollar store for over a year with no wear. This happened when I was wearing one pair of boots. So I switched to another pair, with a new pair of socks. Socks got holes again.

I found the stand in another location and spoke to them, hoping for replacements. Their response: I must have narrow heels and the friction is causing the holes. Funny, because I have wide feet. Oh no, I'm told that you can have wide feet but narrow heels, and that there must be too much movement in my shoes. I don't buy that, but what am I going to do? They don't seem ready to stand-up for their '100% satisfaction gauranteed' policy. And the sellers were the owners, so no luck there.

Holes in 3-days on $18 socks, when year-old cheap socks are still perfectly good. But the problem is OBVIOUSLY with my feet. Hmmmmm.

[Geek King]

The next step I would take is to complain to the company directly. See if they have a web presence and a contact point.

If that doesn't work out, I would put up polite negative reviews on every review site you can find and never buy them again. Not a lot you can do past that.

[Aethian]

I have wide feet and narrow heels so I get holes in the same place. Best thing I have found is wearing men's socks with the extra althletic padding for the heels and toes.

Other then that I like Geek King's post.

[Yfandes]

I've gotten to the point in my life that I feel I deserve really good socks. Ive become a fan of the SmartWool brand or anything on sale in the REI Hiking Socks

[Ironclad Alibi]

I bought some socks once that started pilling on the bottom when I wore them. I exchanged them and had the same thing happen. Then I realised it was the label on the insole of my shoe. I removed the label and had no more problems. Why the label didn't affect the socks I had earlier, I don't know. (I googled "fabric pilling" and found out man-made fabrics are more subject to pilling than natural fabrics.)

[tropicsgoddess]

I agree with Geek King's post, but a good pair of (the athletic kind) cotton socks always work.

[freeatlast]

I have wide feet (or square feet as my mom says) and narrow heels. My socks don't wear at the heels, but I wear holes in my athletic shoes from the inside out.

[Skeksin]

I see myself holding a pair of thick, woolen socks...One can never have enough socks

[Seshat]

Complaining Without Being Sucky


I learned to knit socks. It takes some doing, but it can be worthwhile. To make a tougher heel, you knit the heel on needles one size smaller than you knit the rest of the sock.

[LillFilly]

I usually do wear cotton socks, but when they get damp they tend to wrinkle under my arch. That's why I really liked those new socks, cause they pulled the moisture away from my feet.

I guess I can go back to cotton and just keep a spare to change into half-way through the day.

Thanks for the advice!

[Kheldarson]

I'd suggest going to an athletic company like Nike or Underarmour and buying socks from them. They're coming out with moisture control socks now so the feets, they are all happy.

[PepperElf]

my favorite long lasting socks... those hiking socks, or 511 brand socks