To make the best Bridgedale Socks, they talk to the best people!
Regardless of their chosen sport, there's one thing that all successful sportspeople have in common. To get to the top, they push themselves to the absolute limit. And…they do exactly the same to the equipment they use and the clothing they wear. They ask us for socks that will enhance their performance. Wool socks made of highly specialized knitted materials. Certain areas that need to be carefully padded with Bridgedale's ShockZone protection. Other zones have to be constructed to allow moisture to escape. The design and fit of the hiking sock has to complement their footwear perfectly. And, they have to last! Bridgedale socks offers the best guarantee in the business. 3 years! This is not a warrantee against defects. Bridgedale guarantees that these socks are durable, comfortable, and will maintain their fit. In fact, you'll lose 'em before they wear out. Your only worry is the sock monster. Get out there with confidence. These hiking socks will stay in place, keep your feet dry and comfortable, and last.
Some manufactures swear by wool - for its warmth, while others put their faith in synthetics - for their durability and moisture control properties. At Bridgedale they've discovered that a combination of both is required. That's why they use a careful blend of wool yarns to produce WoolFusion - a unique material that combines thermal control with a highly effective Moisture Management System . What's more they will use a variety of performance yarns depending on where and how the sock will be used. Whether you are going to the North Pole or the local gym, your socks will perform perfectly.
WoolFusion - For Active Breathability:
Bridgedale's WoolFusion technology uses the highest quality natural yarns and blends them with a twist of the most technical synthetic fibers.
MMS technology transfers moisture from the skin via conductive sock yarns to the outer absorbing yarns from where it can evaporate - leaving the skin warm, dry, blister free and comfortable.
Before adding the technical yarns, and as part of the WoolFusion concept, Bridgedale reinforces each and every strand of wool with nylon. The result is one of the most comfortable and durable yarns. These hiking socks are so durable that they have a 3-year guarantee.
In order to produce the very best quality wool socks there's a vital process that must be undertaken. It's called fusion. This careful folding, blending and wrapping of yarns gives the material a dual, triple or multiaction performance (permeability, moisture transfer, absorption and durability). It makes a hiking sock perform better, as well as look and feel better. No other manufacturer will talk to you about the fusion of fibers since, to the best of their knowledge, no one other than Bridgedale actually uses this process. And why not? Because it's lengthy and therefore expensive. In fact, with some yarns it can take about 14 hours just to fold one cone. So, why do we do it when other manufactures don't bother? The answer is simple. It's the difference between being good and being the best. And it's because, when our customer are up against it, they need to know that their gear won't let them down.
You've probably realized by now that Bridgedale spends so much time and effort creating the perfect sock (bordering on obsession), that they wouldn't want to put their foot in it by sending out even one pair that was substandard. So naturally they use only the highest quality equipment and have the strictest quality control procedures - constantly being applied at every stage of the product process.
Bridgedale use only state-of-the-art computer-driven knitting machines. They finish their wool socks with the most comfortable at toe seams, which means they won't rub or cause blisters. Don't be surprised if you haven't noticed them - your not supposed to.
For added comfort, all their socks are preshrunk and softened. Then they are steamed to shape. This softens them even more. Then, finally, they're individually quality checked. Not once, but twice - before being carefully hand packed. Even with all these checks in place they get the odd pair returned. One in every ten thousand pairs to be precise. But don't worry, they're working on it.
At Bridgedale they have to ensure that every sock design is ideally suited to each activity, climate and footwear. For this reason, Bridgedale call upon test teams all over the world, from their Cross Country Ski Team in Scandanavia, to their Adventure Racing Team in New Zealand. Their input is a crucial factor before a new Bridgedale style is launched in the market.
The development of Gore Tex lined footwear has brought a whole new level of comfort to many walkers and outdoor sportspeople. However, the performance of all footwear is influenced by the sock used. For this reason, Gore Tex has tested Bridgedale in relation to key performance characteristics such as wicking and moisture management. The Bridgedale styles recommended were found to optimize the breathability and comfort of Gore Tex lined footwear.
SATRA, the world's largest independent footwear technology center, undertook important testing of four brands of technical performance hiking socks. One important consideration in these tests was the socks' ability to deal with moisture , 'The sock is next to the skin and therefore makes an important contribution in terms of moving moisture away from the skin. This is done by permeation, wicking and absorption.'
All four styles were found to be highly permeable. However, there were some important differences with regard to the ability of the sock to wick (transport) moisture away from the skin and the ability to absorb moisture. The results show high wicking strengths on the part of 'all synthetic' designs and high absorption on the part of 'all wool' designs. However, at Bridgedale, we believe the tests validated Bridgedale's ability to keep feet both dry and comfortable through its trademarked processes of MMS and WoolFusion. The results show that Bridgedale is making a significant effort at both wicking and absorption.
In the test, testers wore four different styles of hiking socks in a controlled climate environment of -20c. The testers were both active and inactive at this temperature. The perceived warmth of each design of sock is as detailed on the warmth-rating graph. The warmth-rating test scores the Bridgedale Summit Sock as the warmest.
A further important consideration of the test was the level of comfort as perceived by the testers at -20c. In this regard, the following factors were scored for each brand:
All of these Bridgedale Sock properties contribute to give the "Comfort Index". The results are as detailed on the Comfort Index Rating graph.
