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Tech review - March 11, 2005
Red Ace s1-advance socks
Technologically advanced socks? That's a pretty bold claim, but the red Ace s1-advance lives up to the hype, says John Stevenson.
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With the s1-advance sock, Australian company Red Ace claims to have come up with the most technologically advanced cycling sock in existence. In essence, what Red Ace has done is to put into a sock all the useful advances in fabric technology that the garment industry has come up with in the last couple of years. In particular, the sole is made from a fabric whose fibres are coated with silver, which inhibits bacterial growth and therefore helps stop your feet from getting smelly after a ride.
Other features include a lightly elasticated midfoot to pull the sock into place around your arch; overall contoured fit, and a smooth flat toe seam. The top section is made from highly breathable mesh which Red Ace claims transfers moisture 30 percent faster than cotton and dries in half the time. The cut is lower than most socks, with a padded ankle tab to cushion the back of the shoe.
The s1 advance has a very 'silky' feel as it stretches round your foot, and it's easily the thinnest cycling sock I've used. You might even need to snug your shoes up an extra notch to accommodate it, and it's certainly not the sock to choose if your shoes are on the roomy side. But that minimalism is a good thing - less fabric bulk means less to bunch up, and better comfort.
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And indeed the s1-advance socks are very, very comfortable. No hotspots, no bunching, they're snug, cool and comfortable. There's not a great deal else you can say about socks unless you start doing slightly daft things with them, so a pulled a not-quite-dry pair off the line to see how they'd fare if they started out damp. Fifteen minutes later, they were dry even though I was working hard enough to build up a sweat. It helped that it was a fairly warm morning, but it's reassuring to know that the claimed quick drying fabric does what it's supposed to.
One minor criticism is that the s1-advance is only available in one size. It easily stretches to fit my size 42s and my colleague Jeff Jones reports that it accommodates his size 45s too. However, the required stretchiness means that it can be slightly fiddly to get the heel in the right place on a smaller foot because the sock easily pulls back so the ankle is halfway up your Achilles. It would be nice if Red Ace offered more sizes.
Recommended retail price: Au$ $19.95
Pro: Comfortable, light, cool, one size fits all
Con: One size fits all
More information: www.redace.com.au
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