Kickstarter can be a great place to find new products in the cycling world. Some are duds, others, like the SpeedSleev Ranger or Velocomp AeroPod have made it to full production. Brian Davis is hoping his latest product, Follow Hollow Performance Alpaca Socks will be one of those products. The campaign wraps up on November 12th at 4PM EST.
Davis has spent years trying to find the perfect sock that could keep up with him all day. He tried brands from all over the world made of all kinds of materials, but it wasn’t until he tried alpaca socks that he found what he was looking for. They weren’t perfect though. They needed more alpaca fiber in the content, and needed an updated design. That is where Follow Hollow was born.
The headliner here is the alpaca fibers used to make the socks. They have a lot of benefits over other fibers out there, even other natural fibers. First off, the fiber is hollow, which helps with moisture management and insulation, keeping your feet comfortable all day long. There is less scaling on the fiber compared to wool, so it is not itchy. It’s also hypoallergenic.
On the environmental side, alpaca fiber does not need to be treated with harsh chemicals to soften it. It is a sustainable fiber and very durable, and provides a new revenue stream for those who raise alpacas in Peru.
The socks are made from 80% baby alpaca fibers (baby is defined as an alpaca that is 2 years old or less), 15% nylon, and 5% spandex. They have a little bit of structure to them in the design of the knit. Highlighted by red stripped zones, you can tell the left and right sock by the pattern that covers the ball of your foot.
Davis sent a pair over for me to try out, and so far, I am pretty impressed. They aren’t my go to cycling sock, but for hiking, my dress boots for the office, or any time I can wear a thicker sock, they are great. For cycling, they are a little too thick with my current road and mountain shoes, but would do well with my winter cycling boots. I do have a pair of road shoes that are about a half size too big, and they fit great with them. I’ve worn and washed them about 10 times, and honestly, they look like they day I received them.
On the feet, they feel very soft and comfortable. They are a little bit taller than my usual cycling sock, but they stay up very well. Usually my socks come off when I get home, but these are so soft and comfortable that I don’t take them off. When I have been active in them, or even at the office, they do a great job of regulating the temperature and moisture of my feet. They even helped hold off the heel blisters I typically get from my dress boots if I wear too thin of a sock.
While some people have tested how long they can wear the socks before needing to wash them (I’m talking 10 days), I personally didn’t take up this challenge. Jeans I can wear multiple times before washing, but socks are one thing I can’t. It is good to know though, that if I needed to, I could.
The Follow Hollow Performance Alpaca socks come in two sizes, medium (women’s 7-10, men’s 8-10) and large (women’s 10.5-12 and men’s 10.5-13). For care, wash them on cold, and hang dry is best, but mine went through the dry about as often as being hung, and they are fine.
Davis sources the alpaca fibers from Peru and they are woven here in the United States. The business model is to start with a single sock and grow from there. The goal is to create more colors and styles, and to expand into other items of clothing as the business allows.
For this campaign, $25 gets you a pair of Follow Hollow socks delivered to your door. Domestic shipping is free, international is $12. $45 gets you two pair, $80 gets you four, $150 gets you eight pair.
As of 6PM on November 9th, the campaign had exceeded its $25,000 goal with 499 backers pledging $29,600. The campaign runs until Tuesday, November 12th at 4PM EST.
If you prefer a thicker sock that is going to last all day, get your pledge in as soon as possible.
Heckling Editor, Image Taker, Crash Test Dummy, and Beard Master at Bikeworldnews.com
~Veggie Powered Athlete~
Location – Lancaster, PA
Current Testing Rigs – 2024 Van Dessel Arch65, 2019 Van Dessel Full Tilt Boogie, 2018 Van Dessel Motivus Maximus LTD, 2016 Van Dessel Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, 2015 Bianchi Sempre Pro, 1978 Trek TX900
Dream Bike – I’ll tell you when they make it
Discipline – Cyclocross, gravel, road and duathlons (ride/run)
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