I recently bought two pairs of these socks for international flights. Manufactured in Italy, they are made of 10% polyamide (Nylon), 15% elastane (Spandex or Lycra), and 75% polypropylene infused with silver nanoparticles. Since the 1990s the latter tiny particles, which range from 1 to 100 nm in size, are added to some clothes, towels, bed sheets and even toothpaste, since they release silver [an]ions that have antibacterial and therefore anti-odor properties. The graduated compression up to a maximum of less than 15 mm Hg is achieved with a basic thread throughout the sock combined with one or two elastic threads in selected sections of the sock. The sole has a thick terry weave that provides cushioning. The socks come prewashed and treated with a "Chemical Free softener" of undisclosed components. I am 6-ft tall, and have feet 10" long (shoe size 9-9.5 US males), 11" ankles (circumference just above the malleoli), 16.75" calves (max circumference), and 17" from the bottom of the heel to the back fold of the knee. The sizing table assigns me the M-size, but from prior experience I chose the L-size. It was a good choice: the socks fit me generally well, with appropriate compression, and the cuff reaches just below knee without the need of stretching the sock up. They were not too difficult to put on using the method of first turning the upper part halfway inside out. ISSUES & CONCERNS PRODUCT VARIABILITY. I tested two pairs, fresh out of the box, in separate days from morning till bedtime. The pair that came inside a plastic bag with a cardboard insert (TSS-6000), was tighter than the pair that came packed in a more informative printed box (TSS-6000-001). This caused some sore-to-the-touch skin wrinkles on the front of the ankle after some 5-6 hours of use. PILLING. At least one of the pairs developed pilling and thread extrusion on the inside of the bottom edge cuff after its FIRST DAY day of use (!) without having been handled in a rough or careless mode. This is shown in my figure, and portends poor cuff durability. SOLE WEAVE. The thick weave of the sole makes it extremely uncomfortable to wear normally good fitting dress shoes. Others have complained of this too. Further, if you have dogs at home but do not vacuum the floors everyday, you will find that this weave is superb in collecting dog hairs. (It is a nuisance to pick them out by hand, but there is the risk of hair splinters in the skin of the foot, which although uncommon they can be painful, especially if infected.) NANOSILVER. The manufacturer claims this fabric does not pollute the environment. But multiple studies report that nanosilver does leach out of textiles when laundered, and it indeed has potential environmental risks. Being toxic to the microbes used in wastewater treatment plants, nanosilver may decrease the treatment efficiency. Further, with most of it (90%+) incorporated in the biosolids left over at the end of the sewage treatment, which are often used as agricultural fertilizers, it might enter the food chain. SCENT. A prior version of the Product Information section (which still appears when searching for "softener" in the Customer Q&A) states the softener used on the prewash has "a nice fresh scent." Further, at least one query in the Q&A indicates "a laundry smell." Contingent on the composition of the unidentified softener, this might be an issue for scent-sensitive people until washing the socks removes the scent. RATING The value for money is not favorable (either at the current price or at the lower price the socks had during the 12-day pre-holydays period), the material has issues, and a better quality control is needed to avoid variability. At the time of this writing, a website that evaluates the reliability of reviews, gives a grade F to the current ones due to "insufficient reliable reviews" and alleges a "high deception."
