Get smart with SMARTwool!

[For women, limited edition styles from the smARTwool gallery series, featuring artist Gina Triplett]

Sole Food is proud to have a huge collection of Smartwool socks for your choosing. We stand by these amazing socks for many reasons. Sometimes we will have a customer come into our store asking about Smartwool and what makes them so great. Below is a little FAQ about Smartwool's products...

Why is wool better than cotton or synthetic?

• Wool is anti-microbial, wicks away and evaporates moisture better than any other material. That means no odor- causing bacteria!
• Wool is a renewable resource; harvesting wool is much more energy efficient than making synthetic materials with fossil fuels.
• Wool is recyclable and biodegradable.
• Wool regulates temperature better than cotton. Your feet stay cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
• Fibers have tiny air pockets that “provide a buffering layer of natural climate control”.
• Wool is more breathable; sweat is wicked away from the skin in its immediate vapor state whereas synthetics don’t wick sweat away until it turns into a liquid. Your feet stay drier, longer in Smartwool!

[Men's Smartwool: "Double Insignia", "Herringbow Row" & "Diamond Jim"]

"But wool socks are itchy and shrink!"

• For a long time, that was the case. However, Smartwool pioneered a thinner, longer merino wool fiber that is incredibly comfortable without any itchiness.
• Wool is actually hypoallergenic, “allergies” are usually caused by lower quality wool that have lanolin, a coating applied to wool fiber.

Why does Smartwool cost more than other socks?

• Wool is a finite resource; sheep can only get a haircut once a year!
• Rather than shop around for the cheapest wool, Smartwool has made long term partnerships with merino growers in New Zealand who have the best animal welfare practices. When you buy Smartwool, you know that the sheep your socks came from are well treated.
• 

[There are lots of cute Smartwool for the kids! The "Bubble Stripe" sock is from Smartwool's "Kids4Kids" line, which features designs drawn by kids!]

So there you have it! To sum it up, Smartwool socks are good for your feet. At Sole Food, there is a wide selection of Smartwool for everyone. From casual wear, to more business, to athletic socks and to fun socks for kids, there is a lot to choose from. And now that fall is here and the weather is getting colder, it's a perfect time to stock up your collection.

Thanks to www.smartwool.com/woolology for the neat info!

smARTwool Gallery Artist: Trine Bumiller

We hear many people come in and say that we have one of the best Smartwool collections in the area. We love to carry the Smartwool brand because of the quality, function and fun patterns. We are very proud of the selection we provide. A few seasons ago Smartwool began to create a smARTwool Gallery featuring different artists. This year’s artist is none other than Trine Bumiller.

If you have not seen Trine’s artwork you are missing out! I have to admit I hadn’t heard of Trine myself until our new Smartwool socks came in. Immediately I began searching for more information about this artist because her socks were so dang cute! The designs are inspired by her “Tending my Father’s Garden” series which she created after her father’s passing. Through painting she was able to cope with the loss of her father and celebrate his life. The paintings are beautiful and being from the Northwest I fell in love with the nature patterns and the bold colors she used.

I would absolutely love to have a painting done by Trine, but until then I will settle with wearing her artwork on my feet! We have three great styles featuring Trine’s work: a Non-Cushion, a Cushion and a Knee-High! All of them have great patterns and my personal favorite is the Natural History/Non Cushion in the blue and red color pattern (middle). I can’t wait to buy a few more pairs once the weather starts getting colder!

Switch to Wool Athletic Socks

While perusing an old copy of Real Simple (January 2009)I found this great tip about preserving the life of your shoes.
"Wool socks aren't only for cold days...'A lesser-known benefit of wool is that is can help keep sneaker interiors stink-free, thanks to its natural ability to wick moisture away,' says Rodney Kott, Ph.D., a sheep specialist at Montana State University, in Bozeman"

With that being said we have an OUTRAGEOUS selection of Smartwool socks to choose from for the whole family! If I do say so myself, the kids selection is our best yet. Clearly they're called Smartwool for a reason...

And if you hadn't heard yet we're having a BUY 3 GET THE 4TH FREE on our entire selection of Smartwool socks (ends 8/31/09).