E47 Socks : Ready for Action

When it comes to traffic cops, baseball umpires, and socks, the less said the better. Let's face facts, a disturbing sock experience - a sudden toe tear, heel creepage, elastic blowout, or worse, a big-league stink - can not only get your day off to a bad start, it can affect your social life or professional success. And I've not touched on the problem of keeping a favorite pair together over the long haul: What does one do with one great sock?

The E47 SmartSilver Socks address most of the challenges that one must face in the modern foot world. Perhaps that's why they've been saddled with a moniker that would work equally well for a military spy plane. (In fact, they're sold at military exchanges.) They fit just right, conforming to my digits so that my foot slides into my shoe in a viscerally satisfying way. The E47s are durable - no saggage or blowouts with these puppies. And here's the biggie: the E47s combine high performance wicking material with a fabric called X-STATIC, the so-called "Silver fiber" factor which reduces Le Stink. That's important after a long hike when you remove your boots in the presence of your new hiking partner, or want to squeeze in a workout just before a job interview.

Call me a dedicated product-tester, call me a would-be wino, but I wore mine E47s to the gym for a week without washing them and while they certainly weren't rose-like they were far less malodorous than one would expect after so much strain. My one concern, unaddressed by the manufacturer, is keeping them together. Should they be parted in the wash, I'm not sure what I'd do.

E47 socks will be available at Cabela's, Bass Pro, LL Bean, and outdoor stores by mid-summer/early fall.

Bottom Line:   These anti-microbial, anti-odor, heat-wicking socks are equipped with all you need in a sports sock, save for a tracking device.--J.G. (May '06)

Price: $9.99-12.99

Manufacturer's Site: www.arcoutdoors.com

Buy Online: Basspro.com