Thorlo Magic

Recently, Busy Running Mama shared her love of the Thorlo socks brand and had a cool giveaway for a pair of the new Experia style (very thin and totally cool colors - LOVE that!).  As part of her giveaway, you were asked to go to the Thorlo site, check out their products, and leave a comment, which I did.

Being diabetic, just like all other decisions in my world, I have to give plenty of thought to my sock choices - nothing tight around my ankles, so when I noticed the rolltop socks, I was all in...yes!  I'll take THOSE, please! Not in the cool colors of the Experia brand, but would certainly meet my healthy feet needs.  Turns out, I'm a rolltop-kinda girl, and didn't even know this term until I saw it on the Thorlo website.   

Well, in true 'excellent customer service' style, Tracy Harris, Marketing Coordinator/Product Manager, read my comments and immediately contacted me to discuss my specific needs.  In days, I had two pairs of socks to try out:  the new Experia "for those with no foot issue" and a pair of Thorlos thick-cushion running rolltop "for preventive health care" with a detailed letter containing each product's specifics and a message to "give them a good test run."

And I did, so here goes.....

The Experia socks are very thin and keep your feet drier with Coolmax used in the cushioning.  They also look really, really awesome in their color choices.  According to Tracy, "Experia was launched in February 2009," and they've had "phenomenal success" so far with the product.  I can certainly see why!  If you are a runner without foot/circulation issues, and you like cool-looking socks (and dry feet), then these socks are probably a great choice for you.  Though they are thin, they have lots of padding on the ball and heel, and have a nice snug fit in the arch area.  I loved the glove-like fit and really dug the color (did I mention I like the colors?? LOL)  Hubby, with his very high arches, LOVED these socks; we even headed out to buy the men's version for him.

For my diabetic feet, however, they were (sadly), a 'no.'  Within 30 minutes of wearing them around the house, they were cutting into my ankles - not a good sign!  Darn!  If I can s-t-r-e-t-c-h the ankle elastic out just a little, I could get away w/ wearing them (and you know I'm trying!).   By the way - while fat definitely has its favorite spots on my over-40 body, my ankles are not one of those places.  In fact, my ankles are pretty small compared to the rest of my frame, which is to say, the socks are not being asked to do overtime.... they just fit snugly, as any good pair of socks should.

The Thorlo thick-cushioned rolltops are an entirely different animal.  No ultra-cool colors (yet?), but designed for folks who have foot healthcare needs, such as "older feet," which need thicker cushioning. (Have you ever thought of your feet as old? ha ha) We lose fat in the pads of our feet as we age, apparently.  I learned this from Tracy - who knew?? I just thought aging was about sagging and shifting...didn't know my feet would get thinner!  LOL  The rolltop feature eliminates the circulation issue because the socks are not restrictive on the ankle, but stay in place.  I remember a number of people wondering about that over at BRM's blog when they reviewed the Thorlo site... I can tell you that the socks do stay in place.

One thing that Tracy mentioned was to make sure my running shoes fit properly with the thicker socks, that I might need to go up as much as a size or size and half. Yikes!  Can you say boats on feet???   This was why it took me a while to review them.  I had just bought my newest pair of Saucony sneaks right before getting the socks, so I was able to try the thin ones right away, but not the thicker ones (or so I thought).

Then a funny (funny ironic, not funny ha ha) thing happened around the same time.....  With the new Sauconys, I started getting runner's toes, blisters and sore toes - right on the ends of my three littlest toes - which I had never had before w/ other Sauconys. (New ones rock, but are shaped differently than previous pairs.)  So, I thought, "Let me try the thick socks w/ the new running shoes and see if they alleviate the (new) blister issue - or if they even FIT with the running shoes."

On went the socks and shoes. Feet were snug, but not overly so - I think my new running shoes were just that much too big that they could accommodate the thicker socks.  Three runs later, I can tell you that the thick rolltop socks are a huge success... perfect for my feet and ankles.  They get warm, I won't lie, and I suppose that would feel good in your cooler climates, but I can tolerate warm feet - at least part of the time - to enjoy blister-free running.  As for fit: 

Had I needed to buy the larger running shoes to accommodate the socks, I definitely would.

They are: 

• thick
• well-cushioned
• hold up well in the laundry
• keep their shape

 

Well worth every penney!  Now, if they would only make them in the ultra-cool colors.....

My Thankful Three

Today, I am thankful for:

• Thorlo socks (awesome!)
• Terrific customer service (Thank you, Tracy!)
• Bloggers who share great products/services (t/y!)

Happy running, friends...

Robin