Socks are never the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about ski gear, but cold, wet feet can easily ruin a ski day. Thankfully, ski socks have come a long way since the scratchy wool of childhood.
Lorpen is a company that for years has been on the forefront of making high-performance socks. New this year are hiking and multisport socks with new Tri Layer technology. According to Lorpen, they knit three layers of different materials together for ultimate performance and comfort.
The first layer, against the skin, is made from Primaloft Eco-Polyester that insulates and keeps feet dry. The second layer is made from Merino Wool, which wicks and stores moisture away from the skin. The third outer layer is nylon, which is highly durable so the sock doesn’t wear out too fast. Lorpen showed off these new sock at the Outdoor Retailer 2010 Winter Market in Salt Lake City, and demonstrated how water is physically moved from the inside of the sock to the outer layer.
Lorpen gave me a pair of their Tri Layer ski socks to test out on the slopes, and I used them for the past month both in the resorts and while touring the backcountry. Overall, they performed really well. I usually have a problem with cold toes when I ski in-bounds, even on warmer days. But wearing the Lorpen ski socks kept my toes cozy and dry, more so than any other socks I own. In the backcountry, all that skinning uphill makes my feet sweat. But with the Lorpen socks, I could feel them wick the moisture away which kept my feet dry and warm for when it was time to point my tips downhill.
Talking about ski socks made with three layers of material makes them sound like they’re really thick, but that’s not the case at all. Lorpen has all different types of Tri Layer socks available, from thick socks for beginners (or skiers with packed out boot liners) to thin socks for anyone looking for the ultimate performance in stiff, custom liners.
Lorpen also makes socks for any outdoor activity, including hiking, biking, walking, hunting and more. To find them all, you can shop for Lorpen socks at Backcountry.com