ArmaSkin Te Araroa Torture Test Results

We think that ArmaSkin socks are an excellent and unique product that are very effective at reducing blisters (especially around the heel). With ArmaSkin socks, we find our feet feel cooler and less painful. This is particularly noticeable during long mountain descents and when walking on hot fire trails or footpaths. Unlike other blister prevention methods, the socks work well when wet and are simple to use. Whilst tape may need to be reapplied and lubricants lose their effectiveness over the day, ArmaSkin socks are a consistent and reliable source of blister management.

Despite all these benefits, we do think the product has some room for improvement. The external seams on the socks are quite pronounced and can be uncomfortable in certain sock/shoe combinations. This problem would be reduced by wearing a second sock over the top of the ArmaSkin sock. This is what ArmaSkin recommends, however, we don’t like it because it is too hot and holds more liquid (both rain and sweat).

Perhaps the biggest downside of the socks for us is that they don’t accommodate for foot swelling. The nature of the grippy, tight fitting sock is crucial for reducing shear forces, however, it means that they can be less comfortable to wear with swollen feet. For us, this has been problematic on FKTs or multi-month thru hikes. On both the Bibbulmun and Te Araroa FKTs, we have had to cut small slits in the tip of the socks to make space for our swollen toes.

On a more general note, for us, the tight fit means that they are typically not the most comfortable sock to wear for prolonged periods of time.

Finally, normal ArmaSkin socks don’t protect against blisters between your toes. ArmaSkin does have a toe sock version, however, we have found that they don’t work for us due to the large number of seams. This is definitely a product we are excited to see improved in the future.

In subsequent conversations with Maddie and Tom we delved a bit deeper into their ArmaSkin strategy on the Te Araroa.

"We generally do start hiking with regular socks, and swap over to ArmaSkin when we feel like we are getting hot spots. This isn't necessarily when our feet are swollen though. It could be 10km into day 1 of a hike. On the FKT, our foot swelling was starting to become a problem in the ArmaSkin socks over 1000km into the trip. So we usually don't have to cut a slit in the toes, it's only on really long trips when we are walking hard. For regular hikes, we have found that our feet swell significantly less and the space isn't much of a problem at all (it is just on FKTs and to a lesser extent multi-month long thru hikes).

We both had to cut holes in the socks at one point or another. It was a reoccurring problem for us, but highly dependent on how far into the FKT we were as well as how hot it was that day. We have tried to use a larger size to cater for the swollen feet, but we find this then creates problems with the seams on the heels. In this case, it might give more space for the toes but then the heel seams are in the wrong spot and are uncomfortable and rub. It was easier to just cut a slit at the toes.

On all trips, we swap socks multiple times a day to stay on top of foot hygiene. This could mean swapping into ArmaSkin because we feel a blister coming on, or moving to a different sock because we aren't having any problems and they would be more comfortable. This is the reason we don’t wear ArmaSkin all day - they are tight fitting which is great for blister prevention, but for us they aren't comfortable to wear for 15+ hours at a time."

Understandably, for Maddie and Tom doing extreme hiking, foot care is a priority. The following is what they had in their Te Araroa foot care package.

 ArmaSkin Comments:

There are a few stimulating aspects to Maddie and Tom's review which warrant some discussion.

1. We are happily surprised at the 500-1000km durability estimate. Our annual customer surveys point to a 400-500km durability estimate and this is from wearers who in the vast majority wear an outer sock which directionally would reduce wear on the liner.

2. Seams are a contentious issue.  We contend that when the ArmaSkin is on and the fabric stretches the seams flatten out considerably. The extent to which they cause troublesome ridges is uncertain and will be affected by seam placement and shoe fit as well as the thickness of an outer sock. With its "sticky " inner surface it is possible to shift and hold seams in less obtrusive locations if necessary. But it is good food for thought for our design team.

3. The slit made in the sock to accommodate swelling is an intriguing mitigation strategy. We note importantly that the fabric can tolerate such cuts and not fray. Perhaps the main concern is that the slit may allow the ingress of grit which in turn can generate problems.  

We have asked Maddie and Tom to instead use a strategy of leaving about 1cm of fabric free in front of the toes to cope with the swelling. We will be interested in their feedback on that option.

4. Toes are tricky customers. As discussed above there are mitigation strategies to provide extra room for toes. Such can also include ensuring that the shoe's toe box is suitably sized to cope with swelling as well.  For extreme cases ArmaSkin has a toe sock with individual sockettes.

5. ArmaSkin is a tight fit as part of its design to minimise skin shear forces. Nevertheless the ArmaSkin material is elastic and provides some expansion as feet naturally swell on a journey. The tightness of the ArmaSkin may in fact be a mitigation strategy to swelling, just as compression socks are encouraged for certain foot conditions.

6. Maddie and Tom's foot care kit is comprehensive and has been developed through hard experience over time. From an ArmaSkin's effectiveness perspective we wouldn't encourage the application of a lubricant under ArmaSkin as that works contrary to the characteristic of transferring movement to the outside of the sock. A lubricant may also clog the ArmaSkin material thus reducing the rate of moisture transfer away from the foot.

Conclusion:

We hope that you enjoyed this discussion and would welcome any additional feedback from you on your own journeys and use of ArmaSkin. Maddie and Tom through tough experience have settled on ArmaSkin as a key part of their blister prevention strategy. We thank Maddie and Tom for their review and for highlighting some shortcomings as ArmaSkin continues on its path to superior customer satisfaction.

Bonus info!

Maddie and Tom are dedicated hikers. Under the banner of The Adventure Gene they provide plenty of advice and resources for hikers and also run guided tours on Australian hikes.

If you'd like to try ArmaSkin, use this bonus discount code adventuregene20  in the ArmaSkin.com online shop.