For GoldToe, the standard of excellence and high quality is a known prominent attribute of the company’s modus operandi. With that in mind, GoldToe sought to produce a new kind of sock to give customers more options and versatility in their varying lifestyles – the GoldToe Loafer Sock.
Features
GoldToe’s loafer socks are equipped with a short list of features, but all of the features meet the company All Day Comfort (ADC) initiative that has become a measuring rod for GoldToe products, particularly footwear. The socks are made of 80% cotton and 20% spandex, for what GoldToe calls its “Perfect Fit” attribute; to complete the Perfect Fit package, the socks have what I consider to be “little golden nuggets of genius” applied to the Achilles’ heel areas of the socks, a small oval of solid sticky gel in each one that sticks unnoticeably to the skin, so that the socks do not come off during wear. They are also are treated with Freshtex, an antimicrobial application that helps to retard the growth of bacteria commonly found in footwear and that fester on feet. One other thing that stands out is that the socks have a true no-show silhouette and fit just enough on the foot for coverage, but leave much of the top of the foot’s skin exposed, so that the look of no socks being worn is carried through.
Comfort & Fit
The socks feel really comfortable and have a satin feel. The material is thin, but is still substantial enough as a barrier between your skin and the inners of your shoes. While my feet feel fine in the socks, I had some minor trouble in keeping the socks on. I have a slender foot that ranges between 10 and 10.5 in a men’s shoe, and because of its slight shape, I feel like more space could be used in the socks were my feet a little wider and somewhat longer, so that the material would cradle my feet a little better.
Also, the loafer socks are great even wearing just as they are, without shoes. If you like to be barefoot, but don’t always necessarily want to have your feet hit the raw floor for whatever reason, the socks are so light and thin and flexible, it makes wearing them seem like you’re not wearing anything at all. I found this out in my testing after I had a failed session with the socks with a pair of traditional lace-up dress shoes. The socks did not want to stay on my heels and were difficult to keep on my feet upon entry and exit of my shoes (to be fair, my slender foot may be a reason for the trouble). However, I did find a new style of footwear that the loafer socks are perfect for – boat shoes. In boat shoes, the entry and exit of that particular kind of footwear makes it easy for the socks to be unmolested as your feet change physical environments. Also, in certain boat shoes that are made of cloth, perspiration can be absorbed into the material, making for a clammy and sometimes sweaty footwear experience; with the GoldToe Loafer Socks, the slight barrier between foot and shoe gave perspiration little room to collect in the shoe, and also, the Freshtex treatment of the socks was put to use in a meaningful way, as my feet were not clammy with moisture build-up.
Performance & Overall Impression
All in all, the GoldToe Loafer Socks are a nice accessory to have, particularly if you make a habit of wearing boat shoes or slip-on dress shoes often. They’re not necessarily a must-have item, but they make for a nice gift in most cases and are unique enough to be appreciated by those who embrace different kinds of casual lifestyle footwear. In this case, GoldToe is bringing a quality footwear product to the table that projects a good bit of potential in its future incarnations of its loafer sock products.
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Disclaimer: For clarity, there was no payment given or distributed from the product company to the author in the production and composition of this piece, which is the true and honest expression of the sole opinions of this author.