The short answer is our socks are a hybrid sock. They are not limited to all natural, or all synthetic fibers. Our patented Dri-Stride® Technology uses natural and synthetic yarns in separate, specific zones of the foot to do what those yarns are best at. Natural fibers are great at absorbing and synthetic fibers are the best at transferring moisture to a drier environment. We use each in specific zones to the best of their own ability, making our sock a true hybrid.

Our patented Dri-Stride® Technology is designed to be the most effective means of keeping your feet drier and more comfortable than any other sock on the market. To accomplish this, we use natural fibers in the zones where your foot produces the most moisture, the toe and heel. We use synthetic fibers to transfer the moisture from those absorption zones to where it can more easily be evaporated outside of your shoe. We use wicking rings and channels (alternating patterns of natural and synthetic) to speed the transfer away from the foot.

By blending Alpaca fiber with Merino wool we could offer not only a softer feeling, less itchy fiber, but one that was stronger, more durable and more absorbent than Merino wool used alone. Our goal is to offer our customer a superior sock using superior fibers. 

Synthetic fibers excel at transferring moisture. Since moisture moves toward dryness, synthetic fibers work well in next-to-skin fabrics that are exposed to more air (such as a shirt) as the fiber has moisture on one side and dryness on the other. Under those conditions, it can wick the moisture to the outside of the fabric, then immediately evaporate it to the surrounding relatively drier environment. 

However, the inside of a shoe is hot and humid. The synthetic fibers do not have exposure to that drier environment which serves as a wick for that moisture. Instead, there’s a layer of moisture on both sides—on one side is damp skin, on the other is the humid air within the shoe. When you have a balance of humidity on both sides of the fiber, there is no movement. You effectively have a dead end for that moisture. That's why the first step has to be absorption, which can only start with a natural fiber.

In short, we want the best of both worlds. Wool is comfortable and absorbs moisture well; however, it does not transfer moisture as well as synthetic fibers. With our mix of yarns in specific zones we can create a durable, comfortable and performant sock.

Alpaca is a fantastic fiber to use in a sock using our patented Dri-Stride® Technology. We have experimented using it with different blends of Merino wool and other natural fibers. An all Alpaca sock can be too warm, causing excessive perspiration without means to effectively remove it, and the low friction coefficient can make an all Alpaca sock feel slippery. We have found that a 70/30 blend of Merino wool to Alpaca fiber results in the optimal yarn for use in most of our socks. We believe we have found the right balance for ideal thermal regulation and maximum comfort.

No. When synthetic yarns are used in the toe and heel, where the majority of heat and moisture are produced and also where you have the greatest concentration of nerve endings, synthetics definitely do magnify heat, increase sweat production, and aren’t able to properly handle the moisture produced. That’s exactly why we do not use synthetics in those areas. 

Our goal is to keep you comfortable across a range of temperatures, absorb the moisture your foot produces, and provide comfy softness while doing it. A natural fiber does that best and that’s why we use it in those areas.

We use a blend of 70/30 Merino wool and Alpaca in the toe, heel, Wicking Rings™, and Wicking Channels™ of our socks. We use our proprietary polyester made for softness, durability, and performance, in what we call the "body" of the sock.

No. The elasticity in our socks comes from lycra. People who experience allergic reactions to latex should be able to wear our socks without irritation.

Yes. All of our socks use nylon—it is the infrastructure of the socks that literally holds the socks together. The socks are made with a technique called "sandwich plaiting." The Therma-Dri™ and Merino/Alpaca are essentially the bread, the fibers you see and feel on the inside and outside of the sock, while the nylon is the lunchmeat. We also use nylon on the outside of the toe and the outside of the heel as reinforcement to enhance the durability of the sock, helping to protect against the abrasion and wear caused by shoes. So even though our sock uses nylon throughout, what you're feeling against your skin is the Merino wool / Alpaca blend in the absorption zones and the Therma-Dri™ in the transfer and evaporation zones.