The AXT sock is Fox River’s dry wicking cross training sock. It is a 50-50 blend of merino wool and polypropylene, and also happens to be an excellent blend of performance and comfort. Given the fall season, I thought that that best way to go out and try these socks would be at a few cyclocross races, since there aren’t a lot of opportunities to subject oneself to such awful conditions.
The first race was the Saturday race of the Kelso Halloween weekend. The morning started off cool and misty, the sun came out briefly, turning the mud into peanut butter, then then cold and the rain hit again. The socks performed amazingly well, I didn’t even realize that they were covered in mud, as my feet were warm and dry on the inside. After the race the socks dried so quickly that I forgot to change them for the drive home, and had the unpleasant surprise of mud pants afterwards.
The second race was at Hardwood Hills in Barrie, and conditions were quite different. The sun was out, but there was a bitter wind, so in the trees it was warm enough to work up a sweat, and out in the field, a chill quickly set in. Once again the AXT socks were up to the task, while my other clothes stayed damp, my feet stayed high and dry, and once again, were so dry after the race, that I almost didn’t change my socks.
In general I have been amazed by the comfort provided by these socks, and their wicking power is superb. Merino is a magical material that will banish pruned feet forever, and the sock design keeps them from falling down during races. If your in/off-season training takes your feet to the damp side, give these a try, your feet will thank you.
