All desk-bound, drought-stricken skiers can sympathize with the fatigue brought on by hyper-compressed days of track skiing and backcountry touring crammed into one vacation. Add several long days on the beginning slopes making turn after turn while looking back up the hill at a small maniac (my son) who skis straight down the hill with no regard to how to stop at the bottom. Just how comfortable and fatigue-relieving could Dissent Labs Ski GFX Compression Hybrid Protect socks be?
Most of the lift line and most of the ski school felt comfortable screaming, “Pizza,” hoping the kid would start snowplowing to a stop before he reaches terminal velocity entering the lift line. At times like that, a little extra foot and lower leg support helped me match velocity and turn shape and enjoy his progress from errant missile to controlled snowplow to beginning parallel turns. Bring on some of the world’s best alpine ski socks!
Made from an impeccable blend of nylon and lycra knit material the Ski GFX Compression Hybrid Protect socks worked their magic on my ski vacation. With Polygiene in the material, Dissent Labs offers skiers odor control technology that uses silver and salt to keep nasty boot feet stink at bay. That means I don’t need to wash the socks between wearings, so I can pack lighter on trips. The Polygiene treatment is intended to last the life of the socks without negatively affecting your skin or the environment.
The Dissent Labs Ski GFX Compression Hybrid Protect Socks fit really well, and I appreciated the various sock features that provided what I needed to keep my feet comfortable: high density padding, graduated compression, breathability, and a low profile in my boot. They also kept their shape well after many uses. These socks are a massive improvement over the shapeless, blistering, bunching, thick wool alpine ski boot socks I struggled with decades ago. The best features in the Dissent Labs Ski GFX Compression Hybrid Protect socks for me: the compression and shape keeping properties helped keep me on the hill from first chair to last chair, sharing one of the world’s greatest sports with my son.
Sizes: small, medium, large, extra large.
Bottom Line: Great fit; great compression, which reduces fatigue; great foot and shin padding; more comfort; less washing; and less of an environmental impact over the lifetime of the socks. If you live to ski, buy these socks.
Manufacturer’s Website: Dissent Labs
$47, Dissent Labs Ski GFX Compression Hybrid Protect Socks