FALKE: The Science of Socks

1. Perfect fit: A sock must fit perfectly to the feet, especially when in a tight ski boot. A common problem is that wrinkles appear in the sock that could potentially be extremely uncomfortable and can cause nightmares when out on the slopes. To achieve the faultless fit, FALKE start by making a left and right toe box. This means that the sock is longer at the inner part of the foot and shorter on the outer part - this is how the foot is formed, so a sock should be too. They put cushioning at all pressure points to give you maximum protection, whereas the rest of the sock is as thin as possible to give you maximum contact, feeling and power transmission. FALKE create all socks in a men’s and women’s version, to guarantee a perfect fit.

2. Climate management: Even in cold conditions, the foot sweats when skiing. FALKE’s goal is to absorb the sweat and transport it as far away from the skin as possible, thus avoiding the cool feet most of us know when waiting for the chairlift or stopping for lunch. To enable this, all their socks are built in a 3Layer sandwich construction. The inner hydrophobic material transports the moisture away from the skin to the middle layer, and a very durable outer layer completes the system. The extra fine merino wool keeps the feet warm and even if it gets wet, it still has a high insulation effect.

3. Odour control: FALKE know that most skiers use a pair of socks for at least a couple of days, therefore they use a high percentage of merino wool to naturally reduce odour and refrain from using any kind of chemical treatment in the making of their socks.

4. Quality: FALKE socks are produced with the best materials and latest technology to guarantee maximum performance and comfort for several seasons. 

Functional socks are important in all sports. However, arguably skiers above all others understand the benefits of a high-quality sock because skiing requires a range of purposes.

The outside temperature can be extreme whilst the strict and hard ski boot requires a more elaborate sock for maximum comfort. Factor in that the skier normally spends several hours a day on the slopes and you can then appreciate the complexities that FALKE are faced with.

You may ask why there are so many different types of socks, surely ski socks are ski socks? The answer is because the individual needs of skiers are so different.

FALKE develop and test their socks together with the Austrian and German alpine ski team which gives them great input from professional racers. But there are also trainers, the technical team and physiotherapists and each crew have completely different demands.

As a rule, you can say the more sporty and professional the skier is, the thinner they want their sock. The very thin FALKE SK 5 gives absolute feedback, direct control and power transmission.

On the other extreme, the SK 1 supplies the ultimate in comfort, offers maximum protection and the best heat insulation of the range. Then there is the SK 2 with mid-range volume and insulation and the SK 4 that provides greater boot contact, mid-range comfort and works particularly well with foam fitted ski boots.

Unfortunately, you cannot cover the multiple needs with just one sock, similar to if you were purchasing a pair of skis. That’s why it is so important to find the right product to suit your style.

Quick tip!  You should always test ski boots and socks together as the two products create a functional unit to maximise your enjoyment when on your skis!