KENTWOOL Socks Forum Testing Review Thread

[Miller Time]

KENTWOOL Socks Forum Testing Review Thread

Testing #1: The Oaks Course, Covington, GA. 6/14/15

First things first, I shot my low round of the year, so it must be the socks, right?

Man, are these things comfortable. Some socks are too thick, but Kentwool got it right with this sock. Sometimes when the sock is really thick, my foot can tend to move around a lot in my shoe, but everything felt really stable yesterday. I wore my Puma Faas Lite 2.0s with the Kentwools and they were a great combo for the weather. It was burning up outside yesterday and when I took my socks off yesterday, I noticed my feet weren't as sticky as they normally are when I wear my Nike or Under Armour socks. Those socks are much thinner compared to the Kentwools, too.

I think my favorite feature of these socks are the tab on the heel. With the cheaper socks and sometimes with the Nike/Under Armour socks, I have to reach down and pull up the socks at the heel. I didn't notice any movement at the heel yesterday. A lot of socks leave me wanting when it comes to heel comfort and over time the tab would start to slip and stretch out. That's one thing I'll be looking for going forward with the Kentwools.That tab was the only thing I could really see outside of my shoe and that's fine by me. The low profile looked really great and fits my 10.5 foot perfectly.

While I have been known to purchase one of those large packs of socks from Wal-Mart, I try to be conscious about the socks I wear out to the course or when I go to workout. I don't want my socks to be too thick and don't show over my shoes and not to slip down on the heel. I think the other important thing with socks is you shouldn't even notice them while on the course. That's how you know they're working the way they're supposed to. Not once yesterday did I think about how my socks felt and I think that says I was comfortable all day.

Socks aren't something I normally splurge on, but with this deal going on right now, you better believe I'm picking up three more pairs today. Thanks again to Kentwool and THP for this opportunity.

 

[cpljohnst]

#Cookie, Miller Time - I know you both had these on during really hot days. So your feet felt like they normally do during rounds with other socks? Were the sock dry or moist from sweat after the round? And, I know an unusual question, but no noticeable foot odor or sock odor after wearing them in the heat? Thanks!

 

[Miller Time]

#Cookie, Miller Time - I know you both had these on during really hot days. So your feet felt like they normally do during rounds with other socks? Were the sock dry or moist from sweat after the round? And, I know an unusual question, but no noticeable foot odor or sock odor after wearing them in the heat? Thanks!

I never once thought, "Damn, my feet are burning up" like I have in the past. Now, that could change based on the type of shoe I wear as well. I may play in my heavier Ashworth shoes next time to see if that makes a difference, but I think the pairing of the Kentwool socks and lightweight athletic style shoes kept my feet about as comfortable as possible on such a hot day.

The socks didn't feel very moist to the touch after I took them off and my feet were pretty dry, considering how hot and muggy it was. There was a little moisture, but not enough where I would need to wring them out to dry.

Thankfully, I don't have issues with foot odor, but I didn't notice any weird smells or odors after the round.

Thanks for the questions!

 

[#Cookie]

#Cookie, Miller Time - I know you both had these on during really hot days. So your feet felt like they normally do during rounds with other socks? Were the sock dry or moist from sweat after the round? And, I know an unusual question, but no noticeable foot odor or sock odor after wearing them in the heat? Thanks!

Comfort has not been an issue with socks for me to the point where I complain but I can tell you that these are more comfortable due to the additional cushion.

The socks were dry after my round, don't recall any hint of moisture on them when I took them off. Definitely no smell either but I'll keep a closer eye on moisture and smell as testing goes on.

 

[amsmith61]

#Cookie, Miller Time - I know you both had these on during really hot days. So your feet felt like they normally do during rounds with other socks? Were the sock dry or moist from sweat after the round? And, I know an unusual question, but no noticeable foot odor or sock odor after wearing them in the heat? Thanks!

I wore Kentwool socks all weekend in Pittsburgh wearing Lunar Control 3s. It was pretty warm both days and my feet were pretty comfortable each day.

 

[JB]

#Cookie, Miller Time - I know you both had these on during really hot days. So your feet felt like they normally do during rounds with other socks? Were the sock dry or moist from sweat after the round? And, I know an unusual question, but no noticeable foot odor or sock odor after wearing them in the heat? Thanks!

CPL, you will find wool to be quite good at handling this when done well. Its partly dependent on how the product is finished. Meaning suit pants, are not going to handle moisture well. However wool is now being used in quite a bit of technical material gear outside of golf.

 

[Miller Time]

Looks like I'll be able to test these out a lot more!

 

[arydolphin]

Here they are compared to my champions of about the same profile. You can see the thickness on the bottom just looking at them. These are the XL's, I am a size 11.5 or 12 US depending on who makes the shoes... these say XL is for size 12-15. Should fit well. I will know more tomorrow, as I will probably wear these to work... and maybe to the range, depending on weather.

Any update on the sizing of these socks? My shoe size is the same as yours based on the shoe manufacturer (currently 12 in Nike Frees, 11.5 in Puma, Euro 45 in Ecco) and I'm trying to figure out whether to go with L or XL. I recently got some Nike no-show socks that are listed for size 8-12 and are disappointed in them, the heel portion falls down all the time on those socks.

 

[woody_74]

Any update on the sizing of these socks? My shoe size is the same as yours based on the shoe manufacturer (currently 12 in Nike Frees, 11.5 in Puma, Euro 45 in Ecco) and I'm trying to figure out whether to go with L or XL. I recently got some Nike no-show socks that are listed for size 8-12 and are disappointed in them, the heel portion falls down all the time on those socks.

I'm not sure about the larger size, but I have a size 10 and the large fits me perfectly.

 

[woody_74]

I have had these socks on for over 12 hours now and they are still comfortable. The socks did slip over time, but I think that is to be expected with the amount of walking I do at work. I did not get to take them to the range since it was raining, but I really think with the feel of these socks it will just be like wearing a mid calf sock.

 

[Girardcorp]

So interesting observation. I've been wearing the socks around the house and sat down to watch the Blackhawks game putting my feet up. I've got the ceiling fan on full because it was so humid out today. Bottom of my feet are warm and tops are freezing from the air movement. Clearly these breathe really well.


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[Minarets]

I was able to get out yesterday and walk 18 in the new Kentwool Low Profile socks (black). It was a LONG round - about 5 hours to be exact in addition to around 90 minutes of practice pre-round. Conditions were dry, hot, and sticky with a temp of 92* and a feel like temp of 96*.

I have worn Swiftwick's in the past but my recent go to socks have been Puma Super Lite's (I think the KW Pro Lights would be comparable). My only real issue with any golf sock prior to this testing has been slippage on the heel during play (never bad enough where I've gotten blisters though). My feet don't get hot to the point where it bothers me but I've been playing pretty thin socks up to this point as well.

Putting these on they are undoubtedly thicker with much more cushion than any other golf sock I can recall wearing. I posted a photo yesterday of the low profile with my Nike Lunar Waverly shoe and they are the perfect height IMO. On course it was a standard day for me, I never got hot nor did I have any discomfort. I also can't say that they worked wonders in any regard - they really just did their job providing cushion and a comfortable offering to walk in.

Here is a photo of them after the round, I didn't make a single adjustment since I slipped them on 8 hours prior to this photo. As you can see, they are sitting perfectly just above the heel edge. I have to think that the tab on the sock goes a good way to helping this.

So on course performance was great and what I expected out of a quality sock. There has been recent discussion about Swiftwick and how everything sticks to them after they are washed so it had me wondering how these would perform.

Well I'm a neat freak and HATE having dirty feet and I NEVER wear socks around the house without shoes......but for the sake of testing I walked around the garage getting as much stuff stuck to the sock as I could. I then followed Kentwool's care instructions of turning them inside out and washing in warm water before placing into the dryer.

Here are 2 photos prior to tossing into washer with all kinds of crap on them:

Now I'm unsure why they recommend turning them inside out but I definitely had my hesitation if all this crap would come off during the wash/dry. Here are the after wash photos. As you can see the inside of the socks are now clean but the outside have a long ways to go.

As you can see the inside of the socks are now clean but the outside have a long ways to go. If you are someone who will get a bunch of debris (grass, dog hair, etc) then I would not recommend turning them inside out when washing. Now these were washed for the first time yesterday and then washed again today without being inside out and here are the after photos:

As you can see, much better results from a cleanliness perspective. I'll be back out next Saturday doing some more testing and I have some thoughts running around about how I can further test these against other golf socks on the market. Don't hesitate to ask any questions!!

which one is this, specifically? i have been a fan of swiftwick for along time. played golf with the owner a few times, here in Nashville. the aspire zero in black have been my go to for some time. i used to use the active (which i dont think they make anymore) and stuff stuck to it like crazy. i spent 30 min pulling lint from the socks when folding laundry. with the aspire, i never have this problem. not sure what changed. they look almost the same but the aspire have a tad bit more padding.

anyway, i would consider the KW model that you have. i only wear no shows and in black with any shoe. the $20 hurts me, as i HATE paying SW prices, but if its that superior, i would make the switch. i would like to try a pair, i just couldn't figure out which one specifically you had there.

thanks

 

[Mango Smash]

I have worn mine a few times to work and running errands. These are probably the most cushioned socks I have ever worn. I am playing 2 rounds this weekend so we will be putting them to the test for sure. I have a scorching afternoon round with my dad planned for Saturday and a long round with my Father-in-law planned for Sunday. Sunday will be long because my wife and soon to be brother-in-law are joining us. I think they have played a combined 7 rounds in their lives.

 

[#Cookie]

which one is this, specifically? i have been a fan of swiftwick for along time. played golf with the owner a few times, here in Nashville. the aspire zero in black have been my go to for some time. i used to use the active (which i dont think they make anymore) and stuff stuck to it like crazy. i spent 30 min pulling lint from the socks when folding laundry. with the aspire, i never have this problem. not sure what changed. they look almost the same but the aspire have a tad bit more padding.

anyway, i would consider the KW model that you have. i only wear no shows and in black with any shoe. the $20 hurts me, as i HATE paying SW prices, but if its that superior, i would make the switch. i would like to try a pair, i just couldn't figure out which one specifically you had there.

thanks

This is the KW low profile in black.

 

[Girardcorp]

I have worn mine a few times to work and running errands. These are probably the most cushioned socks I have ever worn. I am playing 2 rounds this weekend so we will be putting them to the test for sure. I have a scorching afternoon round with my dad planned for Saturday and a long round with my Father-in-law planned for Sunday. Sunday will be long because my wife and soon to be brother-in-law are joining us. I think they have played a combined 7 rounds in their lives.

I wore these yesterday with shoes that have minimal support and I have to agree on the cushioning aspect. It was noticeable but not intrusive to me. I didn't feel like my shoes couldn't fit properly or anything. In fact the socks helped my shoes fit a tad better (I have narrow feet). Overall they worked well. Looking forward to on course use today.



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[Minarets]

KENTWOOL Socks Forum Testing Review Thread

Hmm the Amazon reviews kind of scare me. Lots of people complaining of the heel slipping or not staying up on the ankle. That and undersized sizing. That's an easy fix though.

 

[huhhh]

I haven't had any problem with heel slipping, in the tour profile. As for undersized, my feet are 11.5 to 12US. They sent the XL, size 12 to15. They fit pretty good, maybe even a tad big. I think if I had the L size they may have been a bit tight.

 

[Girardcorp]

I finally got a chance to get these socks out on the golf course and they performed as expected. The cushioning really helps reduce foot fatigue in my opinion and my feet were dry after the round when normally pretty sweaty in moderate (70s) degree weather.


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[#Cookie]

I'll be back out tomorrow morning walking 18, if anyone has anything specific they want tester with the low profiles just speak up and I'll get it covered!

 

[T2GRN18]

Cookie thanks for doing the debris work. Appreciate it.

 

[woody_74]

I'll be back out tomorrow morning walking 18, if anyone has anything specific they want tester with the low profiles just speak up and I'll get it covered!

I want to quote Cookie on this if anyone has questions about the 19th hole collection please ask. I have them on again today and they are very comfortable.

 

[Miller Time]

Picked up two more pair like the one I'm testing and one of the USA themed Tour Profile. Wearing the Low Profile to the course tomorrow and the USA theme to the Braves game on Sunday.

 

[#Cookie]

Wearing a different pair of shoes than last weekend to get some additional feedback. Here are some photos of the Kentwool low profile black with Puma Faas Lite's:

 

[#Cookie]

Hey THP'ers, wanted to follow up on my round from yesterday with some additional thoughts. As you can see from the photos posted yesterday, these socks have an absolute perfect fit with a golf shoes. I didn't realize just how perfect until looking at the photos from yesterday on a laptop and you can see where the shape of the sock has a seemingly perfect line with the shape of the shoe all the way around the top of the foot.

Yesterday was a hot one. 89* with 89% humidity and I was sweating like crazy. I went through about 6 of the THP water bottles of water while walking the course while not going to the restroom once. I say that not to be gross but to say that I was dripping wet from sweat but upon removing my socks, they were DRY. Yes, DRY. Not damp, not sticky - nothing. Just dry. Usually with the thinner socks I at least have the sock somewhat sticking to my feet post round where they don't just roll off when you go to remove them. Again, my feet were never once hot even with this thicker design - just comfortable and fantastic for walking 18 on a hilly course on a hot day.

Here were the socks post round, as you can see they didn't budge all day and I didn't adjust them once.

I did the same before/after from washing but I did NOT turn them inside out as Kentwool recommends.

Before photos:

After photos:

Last thing I want to mention for this review session. I *think* this is why Kentwool recommends turning them inside out during washing. As you can see below, there is slight fraying where the material kinda comes away from the main surface. Fraying isn't the best word but it's kinda like taking a cotton ball and pinching a small section and then pulling it just a bit. I don't think this would have happened if I washed/dried them inside out as recommended. This hasn't at all affected performance, merely aesthetics at this point.

 

[JB]

Great information. Really really great information.