Winter socks for rowing and other sporty stuff
Dec 21st, 2012 by carswellp  
Another day, another confession. Yes, Girl on the River has been
 playing away again. This time it was skiing (and the breathtakingly 
beautiful Canadian Rockies) that stole my heart away from the river (you
 can read all about it here).
 I didn’t forget about you all though, while I was skiing and nursing my
 ankle (almost mended). While I was sampling the sub-zero temperatures 
of the mountains, skiing and bootcamping and snow-shoeing, I had ample 
opportunity to road-test some winter socks and can report that I have 
definitely found some of the best out there. Without further ado, this 
is what I found for you.Best for comfort
But what about for rowing? Well, interestingly, they were Father Christmas’s sock du jour at the recent Monmouth RC Ladies Squad Secret Sock Santa. Around a third of us were delighted to find that Santa had given us a pair (mine, thrillingly, were a pair of these hot pink babies, so thank you, Santa). They have the clear endorsement of our ladies’ squad and I’m expecting to see lots of uber-cosy rowers at this year’s Boxing Day meet.
I’ll even go so far as to say that they’re… shhhh… better than Uggs when it comes to comfort, and that’s saying something.
RRP £7.99 (£5.99 for children’s socks) from various high street retailers as well as through www.heatholders.com Twitter: @HeatHolderSocks
Best for wearing with trainers
I absolutely love these. I 
road tested them at a killer bootcamp session in snowy Banff and have 
worn them as much as I can ever since.
There’s some slightly 
mind-boggling science attached to them involving negatively charged 
atoms, carbonized charcoal technology, therapeutic anions and suchlike, 
which all boils down to the idea that they increase the circulation in 
your feet (excellent news for the Raynauds-afflicted like me). They are 
supposed to keep you cool in warm weather and warm in cold weather.
I’m fairly sceptical about 
this kind of claim, but I have to say I am a bit of a convert. My feet 
were beautifully toasty on the shivery walk in the snow to the session, 
but didn’t get horribly hot and sweaty despite our Crossfit instructor’s
 best efforts. My face may have been puce (oh shucks, I haven’t room for
 the photos) but my feet were fabulous. As to their claims to be odour 
absorbing… actually, I think they’re right.
Available at www.incrediweardirect.co.uk RRP £12.95
Best for warmth
I tested these with the 
toughest call you can ask of a pair of socks: time-keeping at the Winter
 Head. A whole day standing outside, stock-still apart from the click of
 the stopwatch. By the end of the final division, I noticed something 
quite startling. I was shivering all right, but only from head to 
mid-calf. Whereas I could barely feel my fingers, my feet were 
astonishingly warm, thanks to my lovely goat socks, which are made of 
mohair from a pedigree herd of Angora goats.
I’m a bit of a wool-wimp and
 found these a little on the itchy side, so wore some cotton socks 
underneath, but apart from that found them blissfully warm and 
comfortable. I have since worn them regularly under my walking boots and
 won’t hesitate to wear them in the boat, too.
Available from www.wigglywigglers.co.uk in a variety of shapes and sizes, from £12.25
Best for rain
Ahhh, and they were totally 
worth the wait. They really are properly waterproof – they feel a little
 odd from the outside because of this, but quite normal inside – and are
 the only socks I’ll be wearing for coxing from now on (if it’s not the 
rain it’s the splashing, you understand). I asked for the thick ones for
 extra warmth, and was glad of the layer of Merino wool – it’s jolly 
cold out there, I can tell you.
I should say that they do 
come up rather small. I’m a size 5, and the 3-5 is quite a bit on the 
snug side, so if in doubt, I’d suggest you size up.
£34.95, available from www.sealskinz.com (also from lovely Di at Rock the Boat)
So whatever you hear me 
moaning about this winter, it won’t be cold or wet feet. I’m all kitted 
out with sock fabulousness and I suggest you do the same (Santa’s very 
amenable, too).
 



01/25/2013 12:43:33 PM