Once in a while, our feet sweat. Among other reasons, your feet could sweat after a long workout, when you are anxious, or when it is too hot. If your feet are sweaty, you might think that the type of socks you are wearing is why your feet smell.
100% Polyesters socks can make your feet stink. As a synthetic fabric, polyester is not highly breathable and does not allow a lot of air to circulate in and out of your skin. Therefore, when your feet sweat, polyester socks will not absorb the sweat.
The sweat stays on the skin of your feet as the poor breathability of polyester means that heat and sweat will be trapped on your feet. The accumulation of heat and sweat is what will make your feet stink. Socks made from polyester blends will not make feet stink since they absorb the sweat and allow air circulation.
This article discusses critical points about polyester socks. By reading the article, you will understand whether the socks will make your feet smell, whether you can wear the socks in winter or shrink the polyester socks.
Do Polyester Socks Make Feet Stink?
The type of fabric used to make your socks will significantly impact determining whether socks can be your feet stink or not. Indeed, even when socks are made from breathable fabrics, your feet could stink when you wear a few pairs of socks as the breathability of the socks will be reduced, resulting in the sweat and smell being constrained on the feet, thus making your feet stink.
To establish whether polyester socks can make feet stink, you need first to understand why feet stink and then determine whether any of the reasons can be linked to polyester socks.
According to Health Line, foot odor is experienced when bacteria on the feet, shoes, and socks mix with the sweat. Indeed, bacteria accumulate on shoes, socks, and the skin. As the bacterial multiplies, they feed on the dead skin cells and oils on the feet; thus, the bacteria break down a smelly odor.
Thus, to avoid smelly feet, socks need to be highly breathable to prevent sweat from contacting the bacteria. Moreover, when the socks are highly breathable, any sweat generated by the skin will be quickly evaporated, making sure that the feet are kept dry.
Polyester socks can make feet stink. Even though polyester is breathable, its breathability level is not similar to natural fibers like cotton. Moreover, polyester is not absorbent and will make you sweat more as the moisture sits on the feet or is pushed to other parts of the feet.
If you want socks that will not make your feet smell, you should wear socks made from a highly breathable fabric, moisture-wicking, and highly absorbent. Thus, socks made from bamboo and cotton will be the ideal socks if you sweat a lot and have smelly feet.
Are Polyester Socks Good For Winter?
Winters are very cold to the extent that, if possible, many people would prefer to stay indoors during winter and only come out after winter is over. However, people can’t stay indoors throughout the winter as they need to run various errands. When buying winter socks, you are thus likely to ask whether polyester socks are suitable for winter.
Fabrics that have good insulation and are moisture-wicking make great winter clothing. That is the case because such fabrics will retain heat in the body while also ensuring that perspiration draws away from the skin.
Polyester socks are suitable for winter and cold weather. They can retain a lot of heat and keep you warm during the cold season. Polyester fibers do not have permeability, and as such, it limits cold air coming into contact with your skin, thus keeping you warm.
If you want the best winter socks, you should buy wool socks since they have all the properties needed in winter clothing. Even when wet, wool socks will trap the warm layer next to your skin, thus keeping you warm.
Can You Stretch Polyester Socks?
Are your polyester socks running small? Or maybe someone gave you polyester socks as a gift only to find that the socks are small and feel too tight? You don’t have to throw the socks away. Instead, you can stretch the socks a little to fit you well.
Polyester fabric usually is stretchy even though it can go back to its original shape. 100% polyester is always challenging to stretch since polyester fibers have stable molecules that make it possible for polyester to maintain its shape.
However, you can still stretch the fabric with dedication and commitment. If polyester is blended with cotton or another natural fiber, it will be easy for you to stretch polyester.
To stretch polyester socks, you can use a mixture of warm water and a hair conditioner to make the fibers of the socks relax and eventually stretch.
To stretch polyester socks using warm water and hair conditioner, you first mix warm water with the hair conditioner. If you don’t have an air conditioner, you can use baby shampoo. Next, soak polyester socks in the mixture for at least 30 minutes.
During the 30 minutes, the hair conditioner will work on the polyester fibers and make the polyester fibers relax and stretch. After 30 minutes, remove the socks from the water and wring out as much water as possible.
Use your hands to stretch your socks to the desired fit. Specifically, you will take hold of the edges of the socks and tug on them so that the socks are stressed in every direction.
You could also put your hands inside the sock and use the hand to stretch the socks. Finally, place your socks on a flat surface and place heavy objects on the top to stretch your shirt as it dries.
You can also stretch your polyester stocks by molding damp socks to your body. To use this method, you start by washing socks as usual. Immediately the socks are washed, and before they can be dried, wear the pair of socks and move around to have a stretch. Then, continue wearing the socks until they dry.
By ensuring that the socks dry as you wear them, you will ensure that the threads of the socks are protected from shrinking. As your body generates heat, it should not take a long time for your socks to dry.
Since polyester is stretchy, you will need to stretch your socks after some time, as 100% polyester socks will always go back to their initial size after you wear them for some time.
Are Polyester Socks Good For Skiing?
Buying the right skiing boot is just one of the requirements to have a good skiing experience. Indeed, good pair of skiing boots and the wrong skiing socks could ruin your skiing experience. Certainly, if you buy the wring skiing socks, you could have frozen feet.
The best skiing socks should be made from a lightweight fabric, are highly breathable, and do not absorb moisture. Even if you are skiing out in the snow, you should note that thin socks will keep you warmer than thick socks. That is the case because if you wore thick socks, the socks would bunch up, reducing air circulation in your feet. As a result, your feet will be cold.
Polyester socks are suitable for skiing since the fabric is thin, soft, wicks sweat away, and retains heat. Skiing socks made from polyester blends are the best choice for skiing socks.
Is Polyester Socks Good For Summer?
In summer and hot weather conditions, you need to ensure that your socks are lightweight, highly breathable, and can quickly wick moisture from your feet. Otherwise, if you choose socks made from fabrics that do not have such characteristics, your feet will be hot, you will sweat, and the feet will eventually start to smell.
No, polyester socks are not the best for summer. Polyester socks will keep you warm since they will not allow air to sufficiently circulate and cool your feet. However, polyester blend socks are suitable for summer as they have all the essential features of summer socks.
100% polyester socks can make you hot hence why polyester socks and other polyester fabrics are not recommended to be worn during summer. During summer, the high temperatures and humidity increase your chances of sweating since polyester will retain a lot of heat and make your feet hot.
Do Polyester Socks Keep Feet Warm?
Polyester socks can keep your feet warm during the winter and cold seasons. The poor breathability property of polyester means that any heat generated in the body will not be lost, thus keeping your feet warm. However, if you wear polyester socks in summer, you could sweat and eventually have a smelly foot.
Due to the properties of polyester fabrics, 100% polyester socks can be worn in winter, spring, and autumn. However, you should avoid wearing 100% polyester socks during summer and other hot weather conditions.
Are Polyester Socks Good For Running?
Runners need socks that can wick sweat, are breathable, light, comfortable to wear, and last a long time as they cannot change the socks every time they run.
Polyester socks are suitable for runners since they wick sweat, are light, last a long time, and are comfortable. Besides, the socks are, to some extent, breathable while they are dry very quickly hence the reason many runners prefer polyester blend socks.
Is Polyester A Good Material For Socks?
100% Polyester is not a good material for socks since if you sweat, it does not absorb the sweat, thus increasing your chances of having smelly feet. However, the polyester blend makes a good material for socks as the known polyester weaknesses are complemented with fabric that polyester is blended with.
Polyester socks are the best when blended with other fabrics such as cotton. The cotton-polyester blend socks are perfect since while cotton ensures that any sweat generated is quickly absorbed, polyester makes sure that your feet are warm. Any moisture is also promptly wicked away to give your feet good comfort.
Moreover, even if the socks accidentally get wet when you are wearing them, the polyester in the socks ensures that the socks dry very quickly.
If you went to a fashion retail store and read the packing of most socks, you will find that most socks are made from polyester. Polyester is used to make most socks because the fabric is cheap and has many strengths that outweigh the weaknesses.
How To Shrink Polyester Socks
Even though polyester is a synthetic fabric and resists heat, it can shrink polyester socks up to 4%. To shrink polyester socks, you can boil them in hot water, wash them in the highest water settings for the longest time possible, or soak them in water and then load them in the dryer.
To shrink polyester socks in boiling water, you need to boil water in a pot. When the water starts to boil, use metal tongs or a wooden spoon to place your socks in the boiling water. Ensure that the socks are fully immersed in boiling water. Leave the socks in boiling water for 7 minutes. After 7 minutes, take the socks out of the boiling water and dry them with a dryer or air dry them.
To shrink polyester socks in a washing machine, set your washing machine to the highest washing temperature possible. In addition, set the washing cycle to the most extended cycle possible. Load your socks in the machine, and once the wash cycle is completed, you can air-dry the socks or throw them in a dryer.
To use a dryer to shrink your polyester socks, you should first soak the socks in hot water for at least five minutes. The hot water will ensure that the shrinking process will be triggered before the stockings are loaded into the dryer. As your socks soak in the dryer, set the dryer to the hottest drying temperature possible (cotton or polyester setting). Turn the dryer on and wait for the drying cycle to complete.
After shrinking your polyester stocks, try on the socks and determine whether you have the fit you want. If you need the socks to shrink further, you can repeat the shrink process.
Final Thoughts
Polyester socks have many advantages compared to socks made from other fabrics. However, the socks also have weaknesses since their weak breathability can make people have smelly feet. Therefore, if you have to choose between 100% polyester socks or socks made from a polyester blend, you should choose socks made from a polyester blend.
