outdoors 16
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2022-10-19 15:39:39
outdoors 16
Sports socks
In outdoor sports, some people think that as long as the socks are worn thick, at least two pairs of cotton socks can provide adequate protection for the feet. This is reasonable, because two pairs of socks can be better attached to the feet, which reduces the friction between feet and socks and turns into friction between socks and shoes. However, in this way, another problem is ignored. After long distance walking, people's feet will swell by 7% - 8%, and two pairs of socks will be tightly bound to the whole foot, even the part above the ankle will be covered, which will lead to poor blood circulation of the foot and cause some foot diseases. In winter or extremely cold areas, unnecessary frostbite will be caused， sports fitness .
So, what are socks specially designed for feet? Let's start with the structure of socks.
First of all, there must be a cushion. That is, there must be a circle like a towel at the bottom of the sock, so it is also called a terry. The main function of the terry is to increase the elasticity between the shoes and feet. At the same time, it also fully increases the area of the sock material in contact with the air, so that it has better moisture absorption and perspiration. Of course, the embodiment of moisture absorption and perspiration has a lot to do with the materials. For different intensity sports, the height, density and position of the terry should be different. In high-altitude mountaineering or extremely long distance walking, there should be loops on the soles and surfaces of the feet, and the height and density of the loops are the highest, so that you can better protect your feet in all directions. In middle and long distance walking and middle and low altitude mountaineering, it is enough to add terry at the sole of the foot for general socks, but the height and density of the terry should be the highest. Only in short distance walking and walking with abundant logistics supplies, such as special tourism and ordinary tourism, the height and density of the terry can be relatively low, but it must not be absent. Socks should also have terry even in general physical exercise.
Secondly, there must be a circle of elastic fixation at the arch of the socks, so that the socks can be well attached to the feet. In the past, it often happened that after walking for a while, all the socks on the feet ran to the front, or the socks turned sideways, and the sole of the foot ran to the side of the foot, making the feet uncomfortable. This is because the socks and feet have poor adhesion. Therefore, the elastic fixation on the arch of the foot can avoid this kind of thing as much as possible. When the sole of a person's foot touches the ground, if it is normal, the arch of the foot contacts the ground at the least. When walking, the arch of the foot receives the least friction. At the same time, this is the middle of the entire sole of the foot. It is most appropriate to add fixation to this part. Elastic fixation shall not be too tight. Tight fixation will affect blood circulation, and it shall not be too loose, otherwise it will not play a role in fixation, and socks will run on the feet.
Moreover, the toes and heels of socks must be thickened. The heel is the most stressed part, and the toes are relatively weak. Special protection is necessary. The joint between the sock tip and the sock foot must be flat, and there must be no edges. This is the toe position on the foot. If the joint is edge, it is easy to wear the foot.
These are the main parts of the sock body, and the part above the ankle, which is basically exposed outside the shoes (boots). However, there are also certain special requirements.
Let's start with the ankle. This part is generally the position of the upper, and it is necessary to add a pad with a terry. However, since this part is the first place where the foot contacts the air, the breathable function must be reflected in the structure. Generally, the front of the ankle and the place where the shoe tongue contacts are corrugated structures that are slightly thinner than the terry structure, and at the same time, elastic materials are added. Because the inner layer of the tongue is mostly made of foam elastic material, which is softer than the material in other parts of the shoe and has less friction, the corrugated structure selected in this position will not cause damage to the foot. The ankle is also the most active place of the foot itself. Adding elastic materials can ensure that the normal activities of the foot will not have too much sense of bondage.
This is the basic structure of socks, and then introduce the materials related to socks.
Cotton is a traditional natural fiber and a textile material with high comfort, which is still widely used today. However, for the requirements of sports, especially outdoor sports, the performance of cotton itself has great limitations. The moisture absorption of cotton fiber is very good, and the moisture absorption speed is very fast, but the moisture discharge is not good. After the cotton fiber is wet, it will dry slowly. Therefore, if there is no good logistics supply, try not to wear cotton socks in outdoor activities, especially in rainy summer for many days. Cotton socks will be very dangerous after being soaked.
Wool is also a traditional natural fiber, which is famous for its good warmth retention. However, ordinary wool is not suitable for making socks, and wool with high material quality must be selected, such as MERINO WOOL and New WOOL in Australia, which are good materials for underwear and socks. However, many people will find that few people directly use wool as personal clothing. Even if there is, the price is relatively expensive, which is mainly determined by the structural characteristics of wool itself. Under the microscope, it can be seen that the wool fiber has many scales, which are arranged a little like bamboo shoots, and the top of each scale has a keratinized tip. This keratinized tip is easy to cause adhesion between wool fibers, also known as tacking. At the same time, this keratinized tip makes the wool feel prickly when it is close to the body. Therefore, if you choose wool materials to make socks and other personal clothing, The keratinized tip must be removed. The cost of this treatment is relatively high, which is one of the main reasons why the product is expensive. Wool itself is warm, and its moisture absorption and drainage are poor. After being blended or woven with other fibers, it can be made into good winter warm socks.
Lycra, spandex and rubber band are all elastic materials. Lycra is a registered trademark of DuPont in the United States. It is actually a kind of spandex, so it is also called Lycra spandex, but it is much better than ordinary spandex in terms of treatment. Its ductility and resilience are quite good, and it is not easy to age. Many outdoor brand socks use Lycra as elastic material. The rubber band is actually a rubber band. Of course, the rubber band used to make socks is much thinner, as thin as yarn, and is woven into socks during manufacturing. The rubber band is relatively easy to age. After being corroded by sweat or passing through the winter cold, it is easy to lose its original extensibility and reproducibility. For expensive socks such as professional outdoor sports socks, this feature makes it less economical. However, there is a kind of rubber band in Japan. It is said that it has good durability and is still in the promotion stage.
For sports socks, especially those for outdoor sports, some special fibers must be added to highlight their professional functionality. Among them, COOLMAX is often used. COOLMAX is a patented fiber product of DuPont, which is also called four pipe profiled polyester fiber. The cross section of ordinary fibers is mostly solid circular or elliptical, while COOLMAX fiber is hollow, with a cross section range of ten sub types, just like four tubes juxtaposed together. This structure increases the contact area between the fiber and the air, and at the same time ensures a lot of gaps between the fabrics. In this way, it ensures that COOLMAX fiber has strong moisture absorption and moisture removal, and the fabric mixed with COOLMAX fiber has good air permeability. It should be noted that COOLMAX is a functional fiber with moisture absorption, sweat transmission and air permeability, not a thermal fiber, but a thermal environment that keeps moisture as dry as possible.
THERMOLITE is a special thermal fiber. THERMOLITE is also a patented fiber product of DuPont. Like COOLMAX, THERMOLITE is a polyester fiber with a hollow structure. It is reported that THERMOLITE was developed inspired by the structure of polar bear's hair. Its cross section is round, and the middle is empty, like a tube. This can improve the fiber's bulkiness, so as to achieve the effect of heat preservation. This principle is somewhat similar to that of down. THERMOLITE has a good heat preservation effect, and also has a good sweat wicking effect. It is an ideal material for warm socks in winter. (It should be noted here that when used as the material of socks, COOLMAX and THERMOLITE mainly use short fibers. Pilling is inevitable in the wearing process. The tighter the structure of socks, the less pilling will occur. Using long fibers of COOLMAX and THERMOLITE will not pilling, but it feels that socks are hard and not suitable for making thick socks. It is good to make thin single function socks.)
NYLON (nylon), also called nylon on some ingredient labels, is specially used to strengthen the firmness in outdoor sports socks. How can nylon add to prolong the service life of socks and prevent them from being damaged easily.
Finally, I will introduce the use of socks in different environments in outdoor sports. In different environments, socks with different structures and materials should be used.
In extremely cold conditions such as climbing snow mountains and skiing, the socks selected must be mainly made of warm fibers such as wool. In terms of structure, the socks should have high and tight loops, and the waist should be longer, even to the knee. The best material to mix with wool is thermal fiber such as THERMOLITE. Other materials include NYLON and LYCRA. This kind of socks in extreme zone is not as good as COOLMAX. In order to ensure the sweating effect, you can add a pair of socks lined with high content of long fiber in COOLMAX.
For winter outdoor activities in low altitude areas, such as camping and crossing (except ice climbing), socks made of wool and COOLMAX can be selected. The structure depends on the intensity and duration of the activity. For long distance activities and activities with many days, socks with high and dense loops can be selected. If there is a special need for warmth, a pair of thin socks lined with long fibers with high THERMOLITE content can be added.
In spring, summer and autumn, you can choose COOLMAX cotton socks for low altitude activities. For activities with long distance and many days, the content of COOLMAX should be more, which makes it easier to take care of. For short trips with fewer days, you can choose socks with less COOLMAX content. The structure should be determined according to the activity intensity.
The materials and structures of professional sports socks for outdoor sports are basically the same as above. Generally, very professional outdoor sports socks will have instructions for use. It is better to have a clear look when purchasing.
