It’s hard to get excited about socks. Despite all the hype about strategically placed cushioning and support panels, most pairs end up feeling the same way. And at the end of a long day, even the best ones are usually smelly, damp and stretched. Swiftwick Flite XT Trail ($27) is one of the first to catch our attention.
Also available in crew quarter ($24) and crew height, the Flite XT Trail has a host of features that make it the best fitting, most durable sock we’ve ever put on our feet. For starters, there’s the synthetic fiber, called olefin, that covers the sole; it is hydrophobic and thus promotes an incredibly fast wicking effect. Then there’s the toe and heel, which are lightly padded with polyester-olefin nanofibers that grip the inside of your shoe to prevent your foot from moving around and reduce the risk of friction blisters.
All of these features have appeared in socks from Swiftwick and other brands over the years. But here, the brand has combined them with a merino-nylon fabric that imparts natural odor-fighting properties and is snugly fitted to stay in place and stay in shape, even when wet, without feeling too tight. Credit just the right amount of compression around the midfoot and added strong elastic around the ankle. None of these things are revolutionary; Swiftwick simply nails the balance between compression and comfort. Five testers wore the Flite XT Trail for four days through the hot, humid, muddy, river-filled Panamanian jungle. Our feet oscillated between wet and soaked (rarely dry); Still, the Flite XT Trail held its shape and stayed snug—no drooping, no bunching, no blisters, and no pinching of overly tight wrists. In other words, this is a high-tech sock for everyday running and hiking.
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