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luminosity comments on Open thread, August 12-18, 2013 - Less Wrong
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Socks: Traditionally I've worn holeproof explorers. Last time I went shopping for new socks, I wanted to try something new but was overwhelmed by choice and ended up picking some that turned out to be rather bad. My holeproofs and the newer ones are both coming to the end of their lives, and I'll need to replace them all soon. Where should I go to learn about what types of sock would be best?
A quick google for best socks or optimal socks leads me to lots of shops, and pages for sports socks, and pages for sock fashion, but nothing about picking out a comfortable, not-smelly sock that doesn't develop holes quickly or lose fit. I suppose, failing all else, I could just pick my way through amazon reviews, but I thought someone here might be able to give me some pointers in the right direction?
All you'd ever want to know about socks.
Perfect, just what I was looking for. Thanks.
On this topic, can anyone explain to me what "moisture wicking" means in concrete physical terms?
Capillary action.
That the sweat your skin produces adheres to the fibers of the fabric and is redistributed throughout the fabric. It's a real effect, but the term is often used imprecisely.
It doesn't mean that the sweat is all drawn through and out via evaporation (though it may evaporate) and it doesn't mean that you won't feel moisture on your skin, though you may feel less than you would otherwise.
You do understand that "optimality" for socks can differ a great deal, right? It depends on the intended usage (e.g. backpacking socks are rather different from dress socks), your particular idiosyncrasies (e.g. how strongly do your feet sweat), personal preferences (e.g. do you care how soft your socks are), etc.
My approach to socks is a highly sophisticated simulated annealing-type algorithm for efficient search in sock-space:
(1) Pick a pair of socks which looks okay
(2) Wear them for a bit
(3a) If you don't like them, discard and goto (1)
(3b) If you do like them, buy more (or close equivalents) until you're bored with then, then goto (1)
If you want warm socks, I like smartwools.
I'm happy with goldtoe cotton socks for durability (easy to measure) and comfort, but I'm not especially picky about socks. What makes a sock comfortable for you?