Drymax Socks Don't Wick. They Work!!! The Science Part

The Inside Drymax Fibers Hate Moisture!

We continue to get wonderfully thoughtful reviews and testimonials from athletes of all disciplines. Drymax socks often change the way people compete leaving their feet the last thing on their mind allowing focus on the task at hand. The thing we keep reading about the socks is how well they 'wick' moisture. Well Drymax socks don't wick, they actually work contrary to wicking technology, that's why they work so well.
Now for the sciency science stuff... I hope I don't bore you out of your socks...


Let's start by taking a look at the properties of water since sweat is about 99% water. On a molecular basis, water is known as H2O. This means a water molecule has two Hydrogen atoms and one Oxygen atom joined by a single Covalent Bond. The smaller Hydrogen atoms each carry a positive charge while the larger Oxygen atom carries a negative charge. Water is POLAR, because it is positively charged on one end and negatively charged on it's opposite end.



Since opposite charges attract, water molecules tend to stick to each other because their oppositely charged ends are attracted to each other. This intermolecular attraction between water molecules is knon as COHESION.



Cohesion is why water sticks to itself to form drops. When one water molecule attaches to another it is done by a hydrogen bond. Collectively the hydrogen bonds hold water together.


Wicking fibers (polyester, wool, bamboo, acrylic, etc) are said to by Hydrophilic (water loving) because they ahave positive and negative charges on their surfaces. This attracts they negative and positive charges of the water molecules. Water's attraction to a fiber's surface is called ADHESION. It's the combination of COHESION between water molecules and water's ADHESION to the charged fiber surfaces that produces CAPILLARY ACTION or what we simply know as wicking.

Sounds great right? Well wicking is part of the problem, not the solution. As you learned above, for wicking to take place, water must first stick (adhere) to the fiber's surface. Once wicking fibers get wet, they stay wet and so do you, long after you stop sweating. Science tells us if moisture is attracted to a fiber's surface and the fiber is next to the skin, the fiber will actually hold the moisture next to the skin ensuring you stay wet longer.

Take a look at a wicking fiber sock package, they almost always say that their socks wick moisture 'away' from the skin, but this is only part of the story. Wicking socks will also wick moisture toward and across the skin, keeping skin wet.

If these wicking socks are worn inside a shoe, which I'm sure some of you may do, where/when is the sock or your feet ever going to dry? Evaporation may work in a shirt that is completely open to the air, but this process can not effectively take place inside a shoe.

Even the term wicking means 'completely wet'. The term was derived from the wick inside lanterns like the ones used for camping. Wicking is the process by which fuel oil spreads throughout the wick keeping the entire wick wet allowing the flame to continue to burn. Why would anyone use the term 'wicking' to describe a sock that is supposed to be dry? Regardless of wicking fiber they all should be graded in different levels of wet not dry...

You can't escape the law of physics which dictate that no single fiber technology can attract and repel moisture at the same time. Our competition's socks use only wicking fibers which attract moisture holding it next to the skin keeping feet wet.

Drymax socks provide dryness that only our proprietary two layer system can. Our system works so well because of our self-contained mechanical moisture removal system.

Here's how it works... On a molecular level, moisture can't stick (adhere) to the inner super hydrophobic (water hating) because of the fact that our fiber carries zero molecular charge and is 10 times drier than polypropylene allowing the inner terry loops (43,200 per square inch) to act like a squeegee mechanically lifting sweat off of the skin to the outer hydrophilic (water loving) outer polyester layer holding moisture away from the skin.

Here is some additional things to think about when using Drymax socks. Don't lubricate your feet. Since Drymax socks rely on a lack of a molecular charge to work the introduction of lubricants or even powders may introduce a molecular charge to the socks holding moisture against the foot. Additionally, don't use fabric softener. Have you ever noticed that a luxurious cotton towel on laundry day may feel really nice and soft after using fabric softener? Well did you also notice that it doesn't absorb moisture very well either. Same thing with our socks or any technical fiber, just don't use it (yes this includes dryer sheets). One more thing, don't use bleach with ours or any other socks. First this will break down the Lycra on any stretch fabrics. Our fibers have a silver antimicrobial that is melted in during the extrusion process which will last forever, unless you bleach the socks which will oxidize the silver rendering it useless.

So, did I bore you out of your mind yet? I guess the most effective way to show how confident we are about our technology is the fact that we have a 100% money back guarantee*. You don't like 'em? Send them back to us with the receipt and we will give you your money back. Our Made In The USA socks will keep your feet drier and more comfortable our we will refund your money*.

Alisa Springman Running Across Death Valley With A Smile & No Blisters Wearing Drymax

Our proving grounds are not in a marketing board room, they are on trails through the Sierras, on roads through Death Valley, the courts of Wimbledon and the breast cancer walks of your neighborhood. We are constanting evolving our products with the candid constructive feedback of all levels of athletes wearing Drymax socks. But remember we don't wick... We work.

photo by Bob MacGillivray

* due to restrictions this guarantee is limited to socks sold in the USA.

Drymax Socks... On Ice!

Yes, we were 'swept' up with the excitement of curling during this years winter games and had to get involved. Luckily, one of our elite distance runners, Debra Horn or Ohio, happens to also be an elite curler (sp?).

I was thrilled when she approached us to be the sock provider of her women's curling team during the National Championships in Kalamazoo, Michigan, where Team Horn took 7th place in the nation!

According to Horn the four person squad wore, " amazing (Drymax) hockey socks that worked very well for curling. The socks were warm but not bulky."

Congratulations to Debra and her team and now it is down to the business of running far for Debra Horn who is a member of the 12 person 24 Hour USA Run Team who will compete on an international stage in France along with other Drymax athletes Jamie Donaldson, Jill Perry, Suzanna Bon & Dan Rose.

To check out Debra's complete report on her competition see her Running On Thin Ice blog: http://debrahorn.blogspot.com/

photo provided by Debra Horn

Varlamova Wins Nueces 50 Mile Race

Congratulations to our friend and Drymax athlete Olga Varlamova for her wonderful victory at the Nueces 50 Mile race in Texas. The race consists of three 16.7 mile loops and takes place 186 miles west of Austin.

Her splits of 3:08, 3:22 and 3:27 resulted in a sub 10:00 hour 50 miler at 9 hours, 59 minutes, 9 seconds. This is the first time Varlamova has ran a sub 10 hour 50 miler since 2004. She finished over an hour ahead of her nearest female competitor and ended the day 7th overall.

About her feet Olga said, "The course was extremely rocky and had 2 river crossings per each of the 3 loops (6 times total). The feet held up awesome!"

Check out Olga's full race report at http://runmoretalkless.blogspot.com/2010/03/running-in-deja-vu.html

Great job Olga!!!

photo provided by Olga Varlamova

Brian Krogmann Takes Strong 2nd At San Juan 50k

Brian Krogmann Wear Testing Drymax Max Pro Trail Running Socks

Drymax athlete Brian Krogmann turned in a strong 2nd place in a time of 5 hours and 2 minutes as a last minute entry to San Juan 50k. Krogmann, who treated the race as a training run was also performing the final testing of our soon to be introduced Maximum Protection Trail Running Sock with great success.

Brian's Blister Free Feet after 50 Kilometers

About the race he said, "Came in 2nd and for not being really race ready (I) felt really strong for most of the race. Used the test pair of Drymax (Max Pro Trail) and had great success. Just like the Twin Peaks 50 (there were) multiple creek crossings and rocky single track and not one blister or any kind of sore spot. It continues to be a great relief knowing that I can just plow through the creek crossings and know my feet will be dry again in no time!"

About his following day 14 miler, "... went on a 14 miler on Sunday and the last 2.5 miles or so we were running through a make shift creek due to all the water and enjoyed every minute of splashing because I knew my feet would be just fine at the end!"

Brian looks forward to pacing a few people at the Los Angeles Marathon next weekend. He is also looking well ahead to his date with Badwater as one of the early favorites.

Great job Brian!

photos provided by Brian Krogmann

Drymax Athlete Evan Hone Shatters Record At Malibu Creek 50K

Drymax athlete Evan Hone turned in a masterful race at the Malibu Creek 50k (31.06855 miles for those of us not fluent in the metric system) over the weekend. The Alaskan runner shattered the existing course record by 26 minutes in what he described as a "mud fest".

Hone's time was an impressive 4 hours 24 minutes 27 seconds which is a pace of 8:30. per mile with elevation gain of almost 6,000'. One particular climb takes the runners from below 500' to over 2,000' in just 4 kilometers (that's steep).

Evan was so quick that his 25k split was just about a couple minutes behind the existing 25k course record. A goal Hone was tempted to achieve but his good judgement not to push helped him achieve his 50k record.

Evan wore Drymax Lite Trail Mini Crew Socks paired with INOV8 F-Lite 230 shoes.

About the race Hone stated, "I was able to run a sold race and bring down the course record by around 25 minutes..." He continued, "... the course was muddy and as usual I had zero feet problems."

Just an amazing performance. To read his full race report check out the Drymax sponsored Night Owl Racing team blog: http://nightowlracingteam.blogspot.com/

Congratulations Evan!

photo provided by Evan Hone and Night Owl Racing

Coyote Two Moon Craziness!

Snow Covered Mountains In SoCal?

You bet, it was another year at the Coyote Two Moon Race near Ojai. Last year was sunny this year was rainy with snow along the ridges. Drymax was very excited to once again be the sock sponsor for this one of a kind event. We were so warmly welcomed with positive comments and great feedback from all involved.

This year's race was exciting to say the least with about 2/3 of the field dropping due to the hostile weather and very difficult terrain.

Drymax athlete and ultra running legend Karl Meltzer turned in an amazing performance of 21 hours 5 minutes in what can be considered epic conditions. Starting three hours after the nearest 100 mile competitor and saddled with a 22 hour cutoff all of the bonus and boner points have yet to be calculated so his final finishing position has yet to be determined even though he had the lowest actual elapsed time of the 100 mile competitor.

We were fortunate to see so many old friends and make new ones. All involved were genuinely in love with the sport of ultrarunning and the spirit of the many volunteers emanated throughout the entire festivities.

Even though the weather was harsh every one's attitude remained bright making for a wonderful three days (or two moons) of racing.

Below are just a few photos I took at C2M...

Karl Meltzer Off To A Fast 100 Mile Start

Suzanna Bon (right) Part of The Last 100K Starting Group

Roch Horton Finishing 100 Miles

Roch Horton Wearing Drymax Trailrunning Socks 1 Pair 100 Miles No Problems along with a healthy breakfast.

Karl Meltzer Physically Spent After A Strong 21:05 Performance with his wife Cheryl in the foreground taking his photo.

Karl Melzter Wore 1 Pair Drymax Mini Crew Running Socks for 100 Miles of Rain and Snow with zero blisters.

RD Chris Scott and Karl Meltzer

Suzanna Bon always in good spirits.

Suzanna Bon wore Drymax Trailrunning Socks with zero problems.

Japanese Runner Tetsuro Ogata & Cheryl Meltzer. Tetsuro wore Drymax Lite Trailrunning Socks for 100 miles no foot problems, his stomach was a different story.

Drymax Trailrunning Socks worn by Bob Read for 100k, 1 pair no problems

Another pair of Drymax Trailrunning socks worn for 100 muddy miles!

That's me demonstrating and handing out Drymax socks to the runners.

Our thanks go out to everyone who competed, all of the volunteers and especially Chris Scott who put on such a great event! Oh and for Bocalli's Restaurant who make the best strawberry short biscuit on earth (yes that will show up on my wife's food log a couple of times for Meredith Terranova!)

Me on the left and my wife Charity on the right at a wet and cold Howard Creek Aid Station

photos by Bob MacGillivray

Gardner, Crosby-Helms, Howard & Yanko Compete In Drymax Socks

Everyday I hear the stories of amazing ultra-athletes doing incredible things. And even more amazing is the broad spectrum of athletes in the ultra-community. It is a culture of gracious competition and cooperation. Even though it is an individual endeavour nobody endeavours to do it alone. From the 15 hour 100 milers to those trying to make a 60 hour cutoff there is a spirit of inclusiveness and camaraderie among all who compete and those who volunteer at the growing amounts of events throughout the country.

I am also very amazed and humbled by the fact that some of the most elite performers in the world of ultra running choose to compete in Drymax socks. In 2009, Drymax athletes like Jamie Donaldson, Karl Meltzer, Jill Perry, Brian Krogmann and many others completed amazing and inspirational performances across the country.

For 2010 we are very happy to announce that the roster of elite Drymax athletes continues it's growth. The following is just the beginning of the 2010 announcements of new Drymax athletes.

Connie Gardner: Legendary Ohio Ultra runner, who has been competing at the highest level for years has made the switch. About Drymax Connie says, "The socks are great. Wore them in Rocky Raccoon my feet held up beautifully, no blisters, not a mark. The true test has been the trails in Ohio the past month. We've been hit hard by snow and ice this winter, the trails are a mess. I really do love putting on these socks and heading out the door. My feet staying warm and dry in these conditions has made getting out for the training runs much easier. Thanks for the Drymax!"


Devon Crosby-Helms: Always in the hunt for the win Devon competes in events from the marathon distance to 100 miles. Multiple wins and record setting performances highlight her amazing career thus far including her record performance at the JFK 50. About Drymax Devon says, "I love them! I have stopped wearing any other socks! They are awesome. No problems, feet have been great!"


Liza Howard came out of nowhere over the last year to dominate races like the 2010 Rocky Raccoon 100 with stunning of of 15:45:03 and the Bandera 100k while wearing Drymax socks. About Drymax Liza says, "It's funny, I've actually been running in Drymax socks without realizing it for a long time. After reading Meredith, Olga, and Jamie's blogs before Rocky -- and seeing their perfect feet-- I figured I really should get some of your socks...", Liza continued, "...during all my long training runs and races during that time, I've never had any problems with my feet. Their quality is wonderful and I usually end up misplacing a sock long before I've ever thought of replacing it."

Nathan Yanko is a definite up and coming elite ultra-runner who just took 2nd place at the H.U.R.T. 100 and 2nd place at the Lake Sonoma 50... Nathan is on the verge of some great wins in the near future. About Drymax Nathan says, "I also didn't expect to be this certain about my decision so quickly (with regards to Drymax socks). I have been using the socks you sent me all week and have been very happy with them. What determined it for me though was this weekend I logged over 10hours of trail running. I was constantly running through ankle deep water, stream crossings, wet grass, and lots of mud the whole time. And my feet stayed remarkably comfortable and intact. The quality of the materials seems to be very high and they do what they claim and get the moisture away from your feet."

photos courtesy Rick Gaston, Devon Crosby Helms, Liza Howard and 24Hour USA Championships

Kiwi Cyclist Fights The System In Drymax Socks

Naked Cyclist Nick Lowe Wearing Drymax Mini Crew Socks

From the "didn't see this one coming department"! We received a note from our New Zealand distributor today with a crazy article about Nick Lowe who is fighting for his right to cycle naked. Yes he is wearing nothing but Drymax socks in the photo...

Here is the story:

Naked Cyclist In The Hot Seat Again

by Kerry Williamson - The Dominion Post, New Zealand

Link: http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/local/3337455/Naked-cyclist-in-the-hot-seat-again

Nick Lowe does not mean to cause offence, he just likes riding his bike in the nude.
So when a motorist called police after seeing the 40-year-old cycling naked one afternoon on Akatarawa Rd near Upper Hutt, he was shocked.

Lowe was convicted of offensive behaviour and slapped with a $200 fine, which he refused to pay. Yesterday he took his case to the High Court in Wellington in a bid to overturn his conviction.

"I couldn't believe it, it just wasn't right," Lowe told The Dominion Post. "It's a lifestyle thing – to put clothes on is uncomfortable. It's not about exhibitionism, I'm just uncomfortable in clothes."
His lawyer, Michael Bott, argued that riding naked on a rural road was not offensive, and Kiwis had become more tolerant toward nudity.

He pointed to events such as Boobs on Bikes, the Hero Parade, National Nude Day, Naked Wedding Day and a recent naked cycle on the Central Otago Rail Trail as proof that "we're not as puritan as we used to be".

Justice Denis Clifford reserved his decision. At one point he apologised after chuckling at a photograph of naked people in Christchurch's Cathedral Square.

Lowe, a builder from Johnsonville, describes himself as a "natural athlete". He completed last year's Coast to Coast naked from the waist down, and regularly trains in the buff.

He competed in last weekend's Coast to Coast but wore clothes to improve his time. He can run naked for about two hours before it gets too uncomfortable, but he uses "a lot more anti-chap cream than most".

"I walk around the house naked, I mow the lawns naked, I'll do the garden naked. A lot of smelly, sweaty clothes, why do that when you don't need to?"

He said nobody else had ever complained about his naked ventures, and that his ride on Akatarawa Rd last year coincided with World Nude Bike Day.

Mr Bott said Boobs on Bikes featured bare-breasted woman in G-strings riding down Auckland's main street, and was not deemed offensive behaviour.

But Crown prosecutor Michael Snape said the public was warned about that high-profile event and they did not have to see the nudity if they did not want to.

Lowe said he had no plans to curb his naked ambition. "It would be nice to know that on a stinking hot day, I could just go out and walk naked to Oriental Bay and go for a swim."

Update:

Wellington - A New Zealand High Court judge on Tuesday quashed the conviction of a 40-year-old man for riding a bicycle naked on a public road, ruling that his action was not offensive.

Nick Lowe, a Wellington builder, was fined 200 New Zealand dollars by a lower court that found him guilty of offensive behaviour when he rode his bike on a quiet rural road in Upper Hutt, 32km north of Wellington, on last year's World Nude Bike Day.He was charged after a passing motorist objected and called police.

Lowe took his case to the High Court last month, arguing that New Zealanders had become more tolerant towards nudity.He cited nudity in street parades, National Nude Day, Naked Wedding Day and a recent naked cycle on the Central Otago Rail Trail as proof that "we're not as puritan as we used to be".

"It's a lifestyle thing," Lowe told the Dominion Post newspaper at the time. "To put clothes on is uncomfortable. It's not about exhibitionism, I'm just uncomfortable in clothes."I walk around the house naked, I mow the lawns naked, I'll do the garden naked. A lot of smelly, sweaty clothes - why do that when you don't need to?"