A Day Hiker Reviews Injinji Socks for Sock-Off 2011

Injinji Footwear offers patented Performance Toesocks™

If you’ve been following my blog you know that I wrote a guide a while back outlining some points to consider when choosing the right hiking socks which caused quite the debate on twitter and eventually spawned the ultimate sock showdown… The Great Sock-Off 2011!

Point6 was the first sock tested and you can read my evaluation of their pros and cons and see how well they measured up in my review here – A Day Hiker Reviews Point6 Socks for Sock-Off 2011

Thorlo was the next sock up and you can read my evaluation of their pros and cons and see how well they measured up in my review here – A Day Hiker Reviews Thorlos Socks for Sock-Off 2011

Injinji is the last sock up so once again I hit the 8 mile Sag Valley Yellow Trail, this time field testing my Injinji Outdoor Series Toe Socks with the following criteria in mind:

• Price and availability
• Comfort and Fit
• Padding and Support
• Durability
• Overall Performance on the Trail

Now I know what you’re thinking, because I was thinking it myself… Toe socks? What’s the reason for toe socks? Well… Besides the kitsch factor anyway?

But it turns out the folks at Injinji are focused more on function than fashion! The anti-friction fibers of their Injinji Outdoor Series Toe Socks wick moisture preventing chafing & blistering while the seamless individual toe sleeves eliminate skin on skin friction to help prevent corns and blisters while also increase stability, gripping and balance!

Injinji Performance Toesocks – Outdoor Series Crew Toesock

Price and availability:

Injinji Outdoor Series Toe Socks will set you back about $16.00, which is middle of the road as far as hiking socks go. They seem to be available just about anywhere including REI, The Sports Authority, Backcountry or if you’re tired of paying retail, you can do what I do and Get The Outdoor Gear You Need At Up To 70% Below Retail At The Clymb.com

Comfort and Fit:

Since Injinji socks have toes they are foot specific. I have to say that putting them on for the first time was a bit awkward, however with that being said once you have them on you realize just how comfortable they actually are!

Putting on Injinji toesocks for the first time can be awkward

The sock forms to every contour of your foot and is the most comfortable fitting sock of the three I tried.

Padding and Support:

This is the one area I found Injinji lacking in. The socks are quite thin… Too thin for my tastes. I prefer more padding in a hiking sock and I just didn’t find it in my Injinji Outdoor Series Toe Socks. If there had been a little more padding on the sole of the foot and at the heel I would have really appreciated it.

Durability:

As in previous tests, I have to say this is a wash. A hike of 8.5 miles is not nearly long enough to test the true durability of any sock. However I will update this after several more hikes, and several more washes to let you know how they held up.

Overall Performance on the Trail:

I was pleasantly surprised by my Injinji Outdoor Series Toe Socks. My knee jerk reaction upon seeing them was to scoff and yet Injinji’s unique design allows for natural free movement while eliminating skin on skin friction to prevent blisters which is the perfect combination for hiking!

In fact, if they simply had a bit more padding on the sole I would have ranked them as the winner overall and found a new favorite hiking sock. Alas as they are I have to declare them a very, very close second after Point6 and one of my two new favorite hiking socks!

Next week I’ll recap all three socks reviewed in the Great Sock-Off 2011 and officially declare the rankings so stay tuned!

Full Disclosure: The Injinji Outdoor Series Toe Socks used in this review were provided to me by the manufacturer at no charge however this did not influence my review in any way. I always give my honest opinion, finding, belief, or experience on the products I review. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely my own.

What do you think of the Injinji Outdoor Series Toe Socks?  Do you have any questions about them?  Leave me a comment and let me know!

A Day Hiker Reviews The Clymb: Shipping Time

Think back… Remember when I was invited to join TheClymb.com

Remember?  I received my invitation along with a $50.00 merchandise credit as a Klout perk?

It’s been a while, so I’ll forgive you if it has slipped your mind.

In fact it’s been so long even I almost forgot that I placed an order with them back in the beginning of September.

Well guess what?

After a full 3 weeks, the merchandise I ordered from TheClymb.com has finally arrived!

Vasque Men's Velocity VST Trail Running Shoes for $39.98 From The Clymb

Vasque Men's Velocity VST Trail Running Shoes for $39.98 From The Clymb

Vasque Men's Velocity VST Trail Running Shoes for $39.98 From The Clymb

Princeton Tec Fuel Headlamp for $9.98 From The Clymb

Princeton Tec Fuel Headlamp for $9.98 From The Clymb

Check back soon for field tests and reviews of both of these items!

I placed my order on September 03, 2011 and received it on September 24, 2011 a full 3 weeks afterwards which, and I’m just being honest here… Seemed a bit long. In all fairness their shipping policy does state, “You can expect to receive your order within two to four weeks.” which puts them well within their stated timeline on this shipment, however it seemed like an eternity to me.

In their favor TheClymb.com has partnered with GreenShipping ensuring every order they ship is carbon neutral.

All Shipments From The Clymb are Carbon Neutral

GreenShipping uses a highly sophisticated carbon calculator that analyzes a package’s weight, size, destination and mode of transport to determine the amount of credits will need to be paid to The Bonneville Environmental Foundation in order to offset the greenhouse gas emissions for each shipment.

All things considered I do like TheClymb.com you can Get The Outdoor Gear You Need At Up To 70% Below Retail At The Clymb.com  and as long as you’re not an impatient person, I would definitely recommend joining!

If you are interested in joining you can do so via the link below:

A New Flash Sale Every 24 Hours At The Clymb.com. Get In Now!

(Full Disclosure: If you join TheClymb.com via my personal invitation link above I get a $10 credit towards my next purchase, after your first purchase ships.)

A Day Hiker Reviews The Clymb: Order Placement

I was recently invited to join TheClymb.com a private sale network offering popular brands of outdoor gear, clothing and accessories and decided this would be a great opportunity review their site and share my experience with all of you.

There is no charge to join TheClymb.com but you do have to be invited to join and gain access to the site and participate in their sales.

I received my invitation along with a $50.00 merchandise credit as a Klout perk, but if you are interested in joining you can do so via the link found at the bottom of this post.

The concept is simple, the folks over at TheClymb.com offer up a limited number of products from some of the top name brands in outdoor sports for short periods of time with really big discounts! For example, with my $50.00 credit I was able to order:

A pair of Vasque Trail Running Shoes for $39.98

Vasque Men's Velocity VST Trail Running Shoes for $39.98

and a Princeton Tec Fuel Headlamp for $9.98

Princeton Tec Fuel Headlamp for $9.98

Both of which were pretty good prices, and you can look forward to future reviews of those items right here to see if they were indeed good buys.

Shipping and handling charges ended up being $7.98, apparently TheClymb.com charges flat fees between $0.98 and $7.98, depending on the items purchased for shipping and handling so the more you order, the more you save.

TheClymb.com ships via FedEx Ground, and their shipping policy states you can expect to receive your order within two to four weeks but I have heard that their shipping times can be rather long. Honestly, at these prices I’m not really concerned, but I will definitely let you know if the shipping time is outrageous. I placed my order on September 03, 2011 and as soon as I receive it I will post the date received.

Update: I received my shipment on September 24, 2011 a full 3 weeks after placing the order.

So far I like TheClymb.com I think they have a fantastic concept and I find their website attractive and easy to use, with popular brands priced at 50-70% off retail. What’s not to like? I would definitely recommend joining.

If you are interested in joining you can do so via the link below:

Get The Outdoor Gear You Need At Up To 70% Below Retail At The Clymb.com

(Full Disclosure: If you join TheClymb.com via my personal invitation link above I get a $10 credit towards my next purchase, after your first purchase ships.)