What materials to choose for your socks?
Organic materials are those that we find in nature. Synthetic materials are made in labs and factories. Both of them have pros and cons and most of the time a combination of them upgrades the product to its best.
You already must have noticed the eco trend going on. 100% cotton, 100% merino, 100% bamboo, you name it - 100% organic socks may sound well, but read this article to the end before you make the decision going that way.
Cotton - some of the most used yarn in the textile industry as it is comfortable and breathable. Merino wool - became very popular for its thermoregular and antibacterial characterisics. Bamboo - soft and smooth with luxurious touch makes it an interesting alternative. Cashmere - made of rare goat breed. Viscose - wooden yarn. Silk - genuine and superb.
Furthermore, all of those are recyclable. To understand why evolution of socks made us using synthetics, keep reading below.
When designing socks you have to keep in mind two things: 1) the construction and 2) the visual design. Choice of materials at this step does not affect visual designing very much, but it affects the construction and its features critically. For sock to have certain features, you will have to make some decisions in construction design. In case you wish your sock was durable, you will have to reinforce toes and heels as those are the most exposed parts of the socks. In case you wish it was more breathable you will need to implement “false filet” for improved ventilation. If you wanted to stabilise the heel and tendon, you will have to improve back of the sock.
In most of the cases, synthetic yarns do the job the best thanks to their characteristics. Consider synthetic yarns and their abilities to get the best out of your sock.
