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review
Socks
Sportful Max SockSportful Max Sock

Sportful Max Sock

8
by Mat Brett
UPDATED Thu, Oct 15, 2015 04:24

First Published Aug 23, 2012

0
£10.00

VERDICT:

8
10
Good summer-weight socks that are comfortable and breathe well
Weight: 
45g
Contact: 
www.c3products.com
How we test

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These Sportful Max Socks are good summer-weight socks that help keep your feet sweat-free in the warmer weather.

They're made from a mixture of Coolmax, nylon, Lycra and elastane and they're very stretchy for a close fit without wrinkles.

These aren't as light as some summer socks but the top of the foot section is a mesh weave that lets in quite a bit of cool air if you have ventilated shoe uppers. Plus, the Coolmax certainly does work to move moisture away from your feet quickly, and it dries very fast.

The sole, the heel and the toe sections are thicker for a bit of comfort while the tops are ribbed and so stay in place well. The cuff section is 9cm high. That means these are a little longer than classic cycling ankle socks but nowhere near the mid-calf Euro-style socks that are everywhere at the moment.

They're standing up well to repeated use. I've had this pair for several weeks so they've been through the washing machine lots of times and there's no bobbling. None of the red dye has run into the white sections either. They look pretty good considering the amount of use they've had.

As well as this red/white version, black/white and orange/white models are available.

Verdict

Good summer-weight socks that are comfortable and breathe well.

road.cc test report

Make and model: Sportful Max Sock

Size tested: Medium/Large

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

These socks are 45% Coolmax. The manufacturer says:

"Why choose COOLMAX fabric? For the simple reason of staying dry and comfortable when you start to perspire.

"Sweating is one of the body's natural mechanisms to stay cool. Engineered with special technology to wick moisture and enhance drying, COOLMAX fabric helps you stay dry and energized - exactly what you need to feel comfortable not only during the day, but also through your toughest workouts.

How it works

- COOLMAX fabric pulls moisture away from your skin.

- COOLMAX fabric absorbs and spreads moisture out across fabric to enhance evaporative drying rate.

- Air moves in to keep your body cool and dry.

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
7/10

Well made - no annoying loose threads.

Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
8/10
Rate the product for value:
 
7/10

You can get some cycle-specific socks a couple of quid cheaper but these are good value.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Very well in a variety of warm to hot conditions.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Very good fit and all-round comfort.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes.

Would you consider buying the product? Yeah, I'd consider these.

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 41  Height: 190cm  Weight: 75kg

I usually ride:   My best bike is:

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding,

 

summer socks
Sportful Max Sock
Socks
Coolmax
Mat Brett

Mat has been in cycling media since 1996, on titles including BikeRadar, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, What Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking UK, and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now over 50, he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions.

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