Socks for Christmas? Yes please!

Let’s talk about socks. Yes, let’s.

It’s coming around to that time of the year when our feet need a little extra care and attention. They don’t like being out so much anymore and need to be looked after a little more than they did during the sock-free days of the summer that’s just passed.

So I thought I’d share with you my sock philosophy.

I like good socks. Good socks make me happy. This is because I have lived with poor socks. I have bought many, discarded many and been thoroughly fed up with many because they got holed or fell apart or just weren’t up to the job of keeping my poor little tootsies out of temperature-related trouble.

I have regretted buying cheap socks many times, especially on camping and surfing trips and when I used to work in the film industry and spent days on end standing about on location. Getting cold feet is a very unpleasant experience, and once chilled, the pinkies take ages to warm up again. As I said, I’ve been there.

 A few years ago I found alpaca socks. As a natural fabric they are warm, but they also have antibacterial qualities (so don’t smell, even after a few wears), don’t bobble, are non scratchy and dry very quickly. Like wool and merino, alpaca also heats up when wet so if you do get damp feet they will, at least, stay warm.

I wore my alpaca socks for ages until Jo washed them at 40 degrees. Now they fit her.

But no worries, I found the socks above. They are ‘long last’ socks from Finisterre. They are wool so are made with a renewable and sustainable material, are super warm and can be worn for a few days without washing. I have three pairs and have worn them constantly (when I’ve been unable to set the feet free) since owning them. I really don’t need any more than that, although Christmas is around the corner.
These socks fit my feet perfectly and don't shrink when washed (despite Jo's best efforts). They also fit my policy perfectly. In fact they are a bit allegorical when I think about it. They represent the way I’d like to live.

Buy well, buy once.

So they aren’t cheap compared with your 3 for a pound supermarket socks but they last and last and last. That means I’m making less mess, consuming less and feeling better all round - as well as supporting British business. And I know that on my next trip out - whether that's walking the dog, walking the coast path or even camping - I'll have happy feet from start to end.

P.S. This is not a sponsored post. Although if you were thinking of getting me socks from Christmas, you know where to go.




Comments

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  2. Hi Martin, love the blogs, they're an inspiration.

    Anyway, talking about warm socks, I was wondering, what's the longest you've stayed in the camper van for? More specifically, how do you cope with the British Winter?

    I'm considering living in a newer T5 style camper full time - at least for the next two years - both for financial reasons and as a lifestyle choice. Unfortunately I've decided I need a balance of reliability and practicality over the classic T2 style - therefore I'm currently looking at a second hand Bilbo VW T5 Celeste or a basic VW T5 California - both with a pop-up.

    I will be continuing to work as a Technical Author in the UK for a number of months, but I'll be chasing various contracts in France and Spain in the new year. However, it's likely that I'll be in the UK until at least March 2015 - so the prospect of a cold winter in a van feels a bit daunting.

    I've always enjoyed holidaying in a camper - mostly wild camping, throughout Europe, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. So it's not going to be an entirely new experience for me.

    Incidentally, I'm half Asturian, so I plan on making your fabada recipe a lot over winter, which should help keep me warm during the cold spells.

    Anyway, any tips would be greatly appreciated.

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