Looking for socks? Check out the full Roundup here!
The lightest and least expensive socks in this year’s Summer Sock Roundup should have been shoe-in favorites. Knitted in Italy of synthetic Tactel yarn, Capo’s unassumingly-named Standard Tactel Socks’ namesake synthetic is claimed to be three times stronger natural fibers such as cotton and wool and to dry eight times faster than cotton. The $14 price is impressive for a technical sock from a first-world country. But are they fit for the job? Hit the jump to find out!
Forming what are easily the coolest socks in our roundup, the Tactel yarn works as advertised. Moisture is never an issue and the Capos’ lack of bulk is welcome in tighter shoes. While the lack of padding underfoot can be a bummer on really long days, the real bummer with the Standard Tactel Socks is their sizing. My size medium came with a 39-41 European size range knit into the sole- yet are baggy on my size 43.5 feet. The bagginess has kept me from being able to evaluate the arch band’s compressiveness and has led to uncomfortable bunching and hot spots.
Sizing aside, the Capos seem like ideal hot weather socks. They are breezy and dry quickly- great for summers in the desert (and the inevitable thunderstorm or stream crossing). Their height is enough to keep crud out of the Achilles tendon and the logos aren’t overdone (a white/black inverse of the pair shown is also available). The $14 price is even competitive with other technical socks- and more than competitive for a first-world product. It’s just a shame that the sizing is so far off.
