No matter your industry or choice of recreation, you need to wear adequate footwear. What that means for some, may not mean the same for others. The quality of and material selection of what makes up your socks can make the difference between being comfortable and miserable. Personally, I made the leap to wool blended socks over a decade ago for occupational settings and over a decade and a half ago for outdoor activities. When I had a chance to try out Hollow alpaca wool socks, I jumped at it.
First off, what’s wool anyhow?
This might seem like a dumb thing to bring up, as we can all recite “Baa, Baa, Black Sheep,” in our heads, asking the age-old question if they have any wool…however, let’s examine what is wool in the first place.
Merriam-Webster defines wool as, “the soft wavy or curly usually thick undercoat of various hairy mammals and especially the sheep made up of a matrix of keratin fibers and covered with minute scales.”
In our case here, we’re discussing other “hairy mammals,” the alpaca.
Why wool?
Wool, whether from alpaca, sheep, or other critters that bear such fibers, has properties that make it great for clothing. Two main attributes that you’re going to want to have when picking a sock material would be ability to wick away moisture and insulating ability.
For example, cotton, a commonly used fiber for clothing making, can allegedly retain up to 27 times its weight in water. Wool, on the other hand, can absorb up to “30% of its weight in water without feeling wet.” Water logged and wet clothing against the skin leads to discomfort, buildup of bacteria, ability for blisters and sores to proliferate, and other issues.
The insulating properties of a fabric like wool over cotton are also superior. When comparing the conductivity by density of wool versus cotton, cotton is up to 3.37 times more conductive than wool. Linen, not commonly used as a fabric for socks and or activewear, is up to 5.95 times more conductive. That said, wool is a superior insulator over cotton.
The why behind wool for socks is a topic that could fill pages upon pages. In short, wool is warmer and won’t stay wet.
What about alpaca wool?
In most comparisons, when you look up wool as a fabric, you’re getting back results related to sheep’s wool. There are differences between sheep’s wool and the wool of alpacas, which must be explored.
Alpaca wool is alleged to be softer than sheep’s wool. That softness can equate to comfort.
Lanolin, a waxy buildup in sheep’s wool, is also absent from alpaca fibers. People with allergies to wool, might actually be allergic specifically to lanolin.
According to one source, alpaca wool will absorb roughly a third less moisture than merino wool. That repulsion to moisture helps keep the skin dry. Also, alpaca wool, when saturated, will dry out faster than merino.
Hollow specifically mentions on their product information page that alpaca wool is thermoregulating, moisture-wicking, and comfortable.
What makes up the Hollow alpaca socks?
Hollow alpaca wool socks are not made of 100% alpaca wool. Like most socks made for active lifestyles and occupational settings, the Hollow socks are hybrid blends.
The fabric blends of the different Hollow socks per their respective product pages are as follows:
- Crew performance socks use 47% Premium Peruvian Baby Alpaca Fiber, 47% Nylon and 6% Spandex.
- Ankle performance socks use 46% Premium Peruvian Baby Alpaca Fiber, 49% Nylon and 5% Spandex.
- No show performance socks use 43% Premium Peruvian Baby Alpaca Fiber, 53% Nylon and 4% Spandex.
- Boot performance socks use 70% Premium Peruvian Baby Alpaca Fiber, 27% Nylon and 3% Spandex.
- Compression performance socks use 40% Premium Peruvian Baby Alpaca Fiber, 33% Stretch Nylon, 20% Polyester and 7% Spandex.
- Ski socks use 58% Premium Peruvian Baby Alpaca Fiber, 40% Nylon and 2% Spandex, delivering ultimate comfort and technical performance.
I took some Hollow alpaca boot socks out for some test drives
About ten months ago I got two pairs of Hollow alpaca wool boot socks for testing and evaluation. Full disclosure, I queried Hollow about getting some samples, and they sent over the two pairs for use. Since getting the socks, I’ve had a chance to try them out in different seasons and settings.
The first weekend that I wore my Hollow socks was over an early fall camping trip. This was not an arduous trip or one fraught with peril. But none-the-less one that did require appropriate attire.
What I noticed immediately was how soft the socks are. They are comfortable and warm. I did not need the warmth, but the padding of the socks’ thickness was complementary to the higher arches of my feet. I don’t have full-on hobbit feet, but you also won’t find someone taking pleasure in trying to slide my little meat loaves into glass slippers. The blended nature of the socks’ composition gave them a fair amount of elasticity in comparison to what I expected.
Several occasions I wore the Hollow alpaca wool boot socks included a mid fall sporting clays trip, a mild nature hike in late spring, an early summer camping trip, and a summertime – hot as Hades – nine plus mile hike during a heatwave, as well as several other adventures.
In the higher heat scenarios, I did not find the socks to make my feet feel overheated. Rather than leave me sweltering, I found my feet to just be comfortable. After a full day of whatever activity, including that near-death march I participated in, my feet were not soggy or wet. My feet also did not find themselves in any state of pre-blister or have chafe from my heavy duty hiking/hunting boots.
Overall experience
The alpaca blended Hollow socks performed well. As noted, there were no issues with wet feet or discomfort. The blend of the socks is such that the cuffs don’t dig into the calves after prolonged use, which is a plus for those of us who are more hefty and predisposed to mild edema.
Soft padding of the material did not lead to chafing or other inflammation. There was also a nice give to them, adding to the cushioning of the insole of the boot being worn.
Mentioned above, there was more elasticity to the sock than I assumed there would be. That said, these blended wool socks are not as aggressive in that department as some of the other high performance wool socks on the market. If overstretched I feel the Hollow socks would not readily spring back to shape very well.
While the socks are machine washable, they are not compatible with dryers. I would keep my socks in a lingerie bag in the wash, to make them easy to find upon swap over to the dryer as well as protected from zippers and buttons. After running them through the wash I’d just put them on top of the dryer to dry flat in that manner.
Hollow recommends that the socks are dried via hanging up, but stipulates that “machine washing and drying tests have shown no damage.” I did have a pair get past me and end up in the dryer once. They were not damaged in the process, though they looked slightly deflated, sad, and not as fluffy as usual.
After wearing Hollow alpaca socks, I noticed no appreciable difference to any foot odor in the negative. I’m already used to wearing wool blended socks, so the absence of moisture etc. is something I’m already accustomed to.
The quick and dirty
Pluses: Soft. Comfortable. Fairly durable. Keeps feet dry and warm. Adds padding to the footwear equation.
Minuses: Expensive. Not recommended to be dried in a dryer.
After getting a chance to wear Hollow alpaca wool blended socks for almost a year, I have to say I’m impressed. Am I going to go out and replace all my socks with alpaca wool? No. There’s still a place in my life for my conventional wool blended and cotton socks. However, these are socks that I’ll continue to use, especially when hiking or doing other similar outdoor activities.
While the main focus of this review was wearing of the socks in an active setting, I will admit that they’d be perfectly comfortable on feet that are lounging around. Perhaps having some blanket time, while watching Hallmark movies? Based on my observation of such activities, Hollow socks would fit in that rubric just fine and dandy.
Would I buy these socks? After experiencing the Hollow alpaca wool socks, I would purchase some if I was in the market. I also would recommend these socks to friends and family members. My honest recommendation would be that if you’ve never experienced a wool blend sock, in particular an alpaca wool blend sock, buy one pair to try out. Like me, you might find a place for a few pairs of these socks in your rotation. At a minimum, you’ll have a nice warm pair of socks to lounge around in if they don’t work out for you in other settings.
Hollow alpaca wool socks can be purchased from Amazon as well as from their webpage.
