Whether for hiking, DIY, in the garden or on the construction site: the two connected shafts should make it really difficult for dirt, sand, chips and stones to get into your shoes - when you wear the functional socks from Socklaender. At least that's what Tobias Ross, co-founder of the start-up, claims. As a gardener and landscaper, he was regularly annoyed by small stones and dirt in his shoes at work and when hiking. That's how he came up with the idea for Socklaender: "I sewed the first prototype myself with a needle and thread from two discarded socks," he recalls back to the beginning. In his good friend Nadim Ledschbor, Tobias found a competent business partner with whom he was able to perfect the product. But do the socks really live up to their promises? We did the endurance test.
In contrast to normal socks, which only have one shaft, Socklaender has been equipped with two. These are interconnected – but what exactly does that mean? "You simply put the outside over the shoe," explains Nadim Leschbor how it works. This should prevent stones, sand or sawdust from getting inside a shoe. To ensure that the socks do not slip or roll over when worn, there are small silicone stoppers on the inside of the outer shaft. The material composition, on the other hand, ensures the necessary comfort: 70 percent cotton, 28 percent polyamide and two percent elastane. Additional padding in the socks should even prevent pressure points on the soles of the feet. But do you feel that too? The star found out.
Socklaender is available in three different sizes: 36 to 39, 40 to 43 and 44 to 47. According to the packaging, the functional socks are suitable for all shoes with a shaft height of around twelve to 16 centimeters (internal dimension). In order to find out how well the protection works, two stern editors tried on the socks - and walked over hill and dale, into the sandpit and over gravel roads. And what was the result? Both testers agree on the pleasant wearing comfort. However, it also took a little practice before the socks were put on correctly. The functionality seemed quite simple to both of them and the testers also found the protection against small stones and sand to be very high. The conclusion of the two was accordingly similar. Read for yourself.
"The slightly reinforced padding on the sole of the foot is pleasantly unobtrusive. There is nothing wrong with the fit either. With shoe size 42, Socklaender fits perfectly in sizes 40 to 43 both at the toe and at the heel. The rather narrow entry takes a bit of getting used to. Tip: Turn the outer shaft down before putting it on. With a shaft height of twelve centimetres, the test hiking shoe was just within the range recommended by the manufacturer. Folding the outer sock shaft over the shaft of the shoe is not a big deal and worked well in the test. The Shoelaces are also hidden and are therefore protected from mud and moisture in bad hiking weather.The rolled-up shaft also holds securely to the shoe thanks to the 20 glued-on silicone knobs.In my case, however, the inner shaft slipped noticeably from the calf towards the ankle after just a few minutes Additional silicone nubs on the inside could prevent this For my taste, the inner shaft could be a bit longer. Soocklaender fulfilled its meaning and purpose 100 percent. Neither pebbles nor other foreign bodies made it inside the shoe," concludes stern editor Jan Sägert.
Tobias Ross and Nadim Ledschbor are now hoping for a deal with Socklaender and are willing to give up 20 percent of their shares in the company – for an investment of 60,000 euros. Will the functional socks with a double shaft be able to convince the lions? Watch it on Vox tonight at 8:15 p.m.
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