Company: Eekoe
Among athletic socks there is a wide variety of styles and cost. Eekoe Bamboo Socks reinvents the cotton gym sock by making basic socks from bamboo viscose fiber. On their website, Eekoe describes their fiber choice as follows:
Eekoe was founded upon the idea that providing a better product at a comparable price, while utilizing a renewable material, is beneficial in many ways. So why bamboo? What about this woody grass makes it so sustainable? Furthermore, what makes bamboo a viable alternative to traditional fabrics? Green is great, but functionally improving today’s socks while increasing durability, is what stands the test of time. Turns out, when up against other fabrics, bamboo shoots above and beyond.
Bamboo fiber is credited with great temperature management, moisture wicking, durability, comfort, and odor elimination.
Products:
- Sport/Athletic 3/4 crew ($18)
- Sport/Athletic 1/4 crew ($16)
Specs (from package):
85% Viscose from Bamboo
11% Nylon
4% Spandex
Impressions:
Eekoe sports/athletic 1/4 crew sock
Geli: I love socks, and I have definite favorites in my sock drawer. A good sock will make you feel like you’re walking on clouds, a bad one will try to strangle your foot while escaping down into your shoe. Eekoe Bamboo Socks definitely fall into the former category. On the shelf or mixed in with your other socks, the Eekoe sock will look like the black or white cotton gym socks you wore in middle school, but on your foot it stays in place, breathes, and make your foot still feel happy after a busy 12 hour day in sneakers. The 1/4 sock comes up just above my ankle (perfect for running shoes), and the 3/4 comes to mid-calf (great in hiking boots or basketball shoes). The socks don’t move around a lot and feel cozy and comfortable. I look forward to testing the “odor elimination” feature during my next overnight relay!
The cost is on par with similar sports/athletic/running socks: On the Eekoe website, a pair of 1/4 crew socks is available for $16 a pair, but at the moment (as of May 2016) there is a special “buy three get one free” offer, which brings the average price per pair to $12.
Rachel: I was given a few pairs of Eekoe bamboo socks; the sport/athletic low cut, 1/4 crew, & 3/4 crew. The first thing I noticed about these socks was how incredibly soft they were. I’m typically not picky about my socks, usually buying whatever is on sale at the local TJ Maxx, but these make me actually reconsider my past footwear purchases. Because they were so soft, I was stoked to try these out on a run and curious to see how such a soft material would hold up. On my first run, I wore the 1/4 length. I usually stick with ankle length socks, but I figured since this pair was black, it would look more sleek; which I thought it did. Anyway, the run itself went swimmingly well, granted it was only a 3 miler. There were no hot spots, nor was there any noticeable slippage within my shoes.
My next run, I opted for the 3/4 length. These were in white, so I felt like I may have looked a little goofy, but I was off and running anyway. At the 3/4 length, I initially worried they would get a little stuffy, but they were quite breathable. The one con of the white color, in my opinion, was the top of the socks appeared transparent when wearing them. I think this may be how they were designed to look, but I personally was not a fan. Despite that fact, I still wore them out casually because they were so amazingly soft.
After having worn these socks on multiple runs and out casually, as well as having washed them multiple times, these socks are still super soft and have not lost any shape to them. Like I mentioned, I’m not normally picky about my socks and spend what it would cost on 1 pair of Eekoe for a bundle of cheap one’s, however, I would definitely jump the gun on these socks because of how comfortable they are.
