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Models for outdoor, hiking, trekking, park, and backcountry lines manufactured with outdoor use in mind
Performance features of their outdoor lines are varying materials, weights, lengths, and technologies, with the active outdoor user in mind; Merino wool and other blends
The Bottom Line: Stance has long manufactured an array of socks with sizing and designs on the more creative, bold, and loud end of the design spectrum. Their socks aimed toward outdoor users incorporate their usual design with performance and material technologies.
Their outdoor lines are made of Merino wool, performance synthetics, or some blend of the two, using brand technologies such as Feel360 that includes odor-reacting technology to keep wearer's feet feeling dry. Other features include quick-drying fabrics, graduated compression, and enhanced cushioning, with the socks' emphasis on fit visible in right- and left-foot specific design and heel boxes meant to give a more ergonomic customized fit than standard socks.
Stance socks are characterized by vibrant designs. Shaun Hunter.
When it comes to socks, there are two simple factors I look for: an eye-catching design and quality materials that can come along on activities from day hikes and bike rides to backpacking trips and won't make me worry about blisters. Stance's outdoor line easily check both of those boxes.
First is the quality and feel. Right off the shelf, the quality of these socks is evident. Each sock has an embroidered logo and sometimes an embroidered flair or design, a heel box, and an "R" or "L" stitched onto the toe to indicate whether that sock is cut to fit the wearer's right or left foot. Each of the socks in Stance's outdoor lines is made from Merino wool, a proprietary synthetic material, or a blend of the two, and the outdoor socks just feel a huge leap above generic socks.
I tend to gravitate toward their hike line, as these feel to me to be the ideal thickness (labeled "medium cushion" on the packaging), and putting these on feels like wrapping your feet in a comfortable robe. So far, blisters and odors have not been an issue following activities the include snowshoeing, long and challenging day hikes, and casual everyday wear.
Design-wise, Stance socks run the gamut from subdued colorways—the kind of designs that might be labeled traditional or classic—to bold colors and outdoor imagery such as mountain iconography or cloud textures. It almost gets to a point where there is too large of a design selection. But needless to say, I found eye-catching designs that I like, and it seems like someone might be hard-pressed to browse their designs and not find a fashion they're happy with.
Overall, what sticks out the most about Stance is their quality, from the feel to the features incorporated into their socks. The materials are durable and feel good. Their emphasis on cushioning, anti-odor, and quick-drying materials make their outdoor lines great for all-around use. Their different builds allow for more specialized uses within the outdoor and recreational interests, so I can throw on my socks without giving a second thought to the small complexities that set these apart from others and let me reap the benefits from a company that knows how to build a great pair of socks.
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