Review: Sockeloen Classic Cycling Socks
Good things come to those who wear Sockeloen cycling socks. If untrue, the pros would not seek out the Netherlands-based Sockeloen company started by Jasper Ockeloen. Ockeloen admits to an above average attention to sock style and fit. His perseverance paid off, and the likes of Mathieu van der Poel and Anna van der Breggen can be seen wearing Sockeloen cycling socks. If it works for them, it felt necessary to place an order to find out how great these socks are.
Waiting is part of the experience. Being that the creakybottombracket.com office is located in the United States, it was assumed the parcel would take some time to reach the front door. Through no fault of Sockeloen - and mostly due to the easy-to-criticize US Postal Service - the international shipment arrived two weeks after the order was placed. The USPS must have liked the socks as well, since they held on to the package for nearly a week after clearing customs.
Sockeloen is a cycling culture of its own. Clearly the company is passionate about riding bikes. An offshoot of their online presence is their Out of Office Wednesday where new roads in the Netherlands are explored. Imagine the ingenuity that goes into working for a company like Sockeloen who contributes to the cycling scene. As Americans, we cannot fathom a company putting the work account on silent to go on weekly adventures.
But I digress.
When pulled out of the packaging, the Sockeloen Classic Cycling socks looked slightly different than many others on the market. What Sockeloen calls “S-mesh” is a unique knit structure that stands out from other socks. Is this the secret to the perfect fit and ventilation? Perhaps it is the Q-skin moisture-wicking materials used to construct the sock. The parcel had arrived right before the last minute solo office ride, making it the perfect time to test socks. Let’s be honest, I was going to imagine myself as MvdP and AvdB.
Immediately observed: these socks look great. The minimalist approach is popular around the office, and the Sockeloen Allwhite shot to the top of the ranking in appearance. The toe box is black to match the Sockeloen logo on the outside top of the sock. And the height came up to the stylish maximum height (just in case the UCI swung by to measure). One final note is that Jasper Ockeloen wanted to create high socks that stayed high up. There’s no waiting here to find out that the Classic Cycling socks stayed high for the entire ride.
The Sockeloen website recommends usage during the summer. The thin fabric and maximum ventilation were absolutely enjoyable. I wasn’t any faster because I was wearing socks pursued by pros, but that didn’t stop me from thinking I was slightly quicker through the KOMs because I looked cool.
Once one gets a taste for Sockeloen socks, the above average desire for sock style and fit mimics that of Ockeloen’s attention. Perhaps a standard Sockeloen day will look like this for us in the future: ride stylishly, change into a pair of Podium Socks along with Podium Slippers while analyzing Strava data from the just-finished ride. One thing that crept into my fancy was the need to know where these socks were at all times. I want them at the ready in the event our job decides to close shop on Wednesday and explore trails. I want the Classic Cycling socks to communicate above average style.
