Fox River X-StaticÆ Sock Liner
By Rhett Olson

Retail Price: $9

Most everyone has smelled it before. You’ve just finished a nice long hike, an invigorating jog or even just a day pounding the pavement, and it comes time to take off your footwear. Better open up the windows and start the ventilation, because this could become an olfactory disaster. With all the sweat and heat from your feet, who knows what is growing down there and causing such a smell.

Fox River had this in mind when they teamed up with Noble Medical Technologies to introduce the new X-StaticÆ socks. Nylon fibers, bonded with silver, act as natural anti-bacterial agents, slowing the growth of fungus and bacteria. These fibers are woven into the sock, making them virtually odorless.

Our testers knew a little about silver, so the concept seemed to make sense. After all, they understood silver is used for filling teeth, making platters and sterilizing burns. So they had to try them.

Testers found the X-StaticÆ liners performed just as other typical polypropylene liners. They handled sweat well and reduced friction, leaving our reviewers happy and primarily blister free. What sets these liners apart, however, was quickly noticed. Unlike ordinary hiking socks, the liners did not reek of an awful stench at the end of the day. In fact, I decided to really put the liners to the stink test. For four consecutive weekends I hiked an average of 30 miles. At times I was in knee deep snow and at others I was trucking across the hot desert. Not once did I wash the liners. At the end of the test period the socks were dirty, but not smelly. I can’t clinically prove there was less bacteria because of the silver fibers, but I do know they didn’t knock me over after the fourth week.

Fox River literature does suggest that beyond being antimicrobial, the silver in the socks “react with the body’s electrical field, providing therapeutic benefits.” In addition, it claims the sock uses “the thermal conductivity of the silver to regulate temperature.” If these two things really occur, they are not significant enough that any of our testers could recognize them.

Conclusion:
If you are looking for foot therapy, see a masseuse. If you are looking for a solid sock liner that does an amazing job at naturally controlling odor, you’ve found our pick.

Rhett Olson is a contributing editor for GearReview.com.

For more information, contact:
Fox River
P.O. Box 298
Osage, Iowa 50461
(800)247-1815