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Swiss-Made Toe Socks to Evolve Toe Shoe Concept?

A number of readers have emailed in about Swiss Barefoot Company’s “Swiss Protection Sock,” a five-toed sock made of 50% Kevlar, 32% polyester, 8% spandex, and 10% cotton is cut resistant but, being made out of fabric, will get you even closer to barefo…

A number of readers have emailed in about Swiss Barefoot Company’s “Swiss Protection Sock,” a five-toed sock made of 50% Kevlar, 32% polyester, 8% spandex, and 10% cotton that laminated with “naps” of “eco-friendly” PVC that makes it cut resistant. It’s touted as providing “absolute” or “perfect” barefoot feeling, presumedly because it’s mostly just a sock. It sounds almost too good to be true. The socks come in two versions, one of which (at least) is emblazoned with a Swiss cross cast in the red knitted fabric. Both of them are going to set you back a pretty penny (for a pair of socks, anyway) — upwards of $80 USD (59 EUR). Video, pictures, and a few thoughts after the jump! The Swiss Barefoot Protection toe socks have a pretty awesome marketing video that is worth the watch (after the jump) — just try not to get too excited listening to a voice overlay spoken by a German-accented man (I can’t help but picture some Swiss scientist). It just screams “it’s made in Switzerland, it has to be awesome.” Am I wrong?
Providing the barefoot feel of a pair of socks with cut-stopping protection from Kevlar and PVC; well, the Swiss Protection Socks sound like the best things for bare feet since, well, toe shoes. Or huaraches if toe shoes aren’t your thing … whatever is your preference in barefoot-minded/minimalist footwear inventions. I want to try a pair and see how they function. What does “absolute” barefoot feel in a pair of socks feel like? How do they hold up against wear Will a stick or twig puncture the knitted soles? If these toe socks are as tough as they’re made out and possess supreme ground feel due to their use of fabrics instead of rubber (though PVC isn’t typically very malleable), then these could be the “most barefoot” you can get while still having an element of protection from the odd sharp rock or broken glass you might overlook that might otherwise sever your foot in two (I’m joking). In all seriousness, I wonder what the right compromise is between minimalist footwear and full-monty barefootedness. Is an “absolute” barefoot experience best? What does that mean, anyway, if you’re still wearing shoes? Or put another way, why are you wearing shoes if it’s an absolute barefoot feel? What if you had footwear that perfectly preserved ground feel while adding an infinite amount of protection against abrasions or cuts? Would those be the ideal? These aren’t easy questions to answer — shoes are basically tools that are designed to add some element that feet lack (protection being, perhaps, the most commonly cited need, but insulation, water-resistance, and sometimes cushion also seem to be on the list). Of course, most of the time, with every shoe “feature,” you lose some innate power of the bare foot. Are these toe socks the future of barefoot shoes? Again, what is that ideal footwear? Or is the answer more simply: it depends. I’m a little skeptical of simple solutions to complex problems; and the human foot is pretty awesomely complex. I digress. Here are some photos of the Swiss Protection Socks from the Swiss Barefoot Company’s website. Anyone have these? Based on what you’re reading about these puppies, what do you think about them? H/T to James, Gizmag (and Gizmodo)

By Justin

Justin Owings is a deadlifting dad of three, working from Atlanta. When he's not chasing his three kids around, you'll find him trying to understand systems, risk, and human behavior.

40 replies on “Swiss-Made Toe Socks to Evolve Toe Shoe Concept?”

Interesting, the shop says this:
“SPS ist nicht geeignet für:
Teerstrassen, Wege mit spitzen Hindernissen, Felswege beschränkt
Wassersport bei Seeigelvorkommen (nicht stichfest)
Da keine Sohle, nicht als Fußbekleidung zum längeren Laufen und Wandern mit abreibendem Bewegungsablauf geeignet”

What means
“The SPS is not suitable for: tar roads, surfaces with pointy obstacles, rocky ways (only in a limited way), watersports with occasional sea urchins.
As there is no sole, don’t use as footwear for longers runs or hiking that have abrasive motion”

That might just be legal stuff but that’s a lot of stuff I do in my VFFs.

I’d really like to give them a spin, especially as they are a rather local company but I just don’t see me putting down 59€ ($78) for a pair of socks. Even though they are swiss and I have yet to find a shitty engineered product from switzerland.

Sounds like a good idea, but there will be a time when people will start to steer clear of too much artificial materials used in clothing and shoes. These disrupt the natural flow of subtle energy (go on, hit me), which can lead to illness, as I have experienced myself. It took a while to figure out it was the shoes! The soles were in kevlar, too, by the way…

Broken porcelain? That’s a new one. People tell me to watch out for glass and needles, but never broken pieces of toilet on the sidewalk.

They certainly are interesting, but unless these “fortified socks” really are somehow puncture proof, I don’t see them catching on. There are already plenty of options across the barefoot/minimalist running spectrum. For instance, why pay $80 for these socks when you can by Zems or Invisible Shoes for half that?

Still, I would love to hear from somebody who gets a chance to try these socks for barefoot running.

I wonder if these socks will catch on in Europe, which seems to be at least a few months behind the U.S. with regard to the barefoot/minimalist movement.

The guy running on the beach sure didn’t look too comfortable running in them. Nice heel strike too, but we won’t go there.

Finally, I agree the narrator’s accent in the video somehow adds scientific credibility to the product. Calling something “European” or having an English or European pitch man seems to work on American consumers. I wonder if the opposite is true for Europeans. If so, Vibram should hire Steve the ShamWow guy to advertise over there.

Here are my thoughts. They mention cut resistance but what about puncture resistance? I know allot of the Kevlar type knitted gloves I have seen are quite porous on the knit. Sharp objects can poke right through them. I wonder how these things would hold up walking through pine needles, maple tree spike balls, and other sharp/pointy objects. They look like it would allow them to poke through the sock. For that reason I don’t think they would be as comfortable to wear as they sound. I think I would rather have something like the Acorn Sock Slipper. Something that is mostly sock with a little leather protection for the bottom.

http://www.zappos.com/acorn-slipper-sock-grey-ragg-wool

@Aaron: Having a british accent always works better in Europe than an american accent, at least for engineering products. If it comes to lifestyle, it can’t be too american.
But having something engineered labeled “Swiss” is like labling it “german deluxe” 🙂
German and Swiss engineering is definitely something that gives products more credibility, even here in europe. Having a german accent though only shows us Germans how horrible our accent is and will definitely not help selling a product 😉

This actually got me thinking:
During the last Winter Olympics, there was mention of some relatively new protective material to help prevent injuries in case of crashes. It was by d3o. It was some type of shear-thickening fluid that was developed for soldiers. At impact, the gel/goo hardens and spreads the point of impact over a wider surface area.

I know it’s probably not going to be anywhere near cost-effective, but imagine a “shoe” made with this stuff?

If true, these would be awesome. Is there any way that these could be reasonably durable? I get a year out of Vibrams, and though these are slightly cheaper than some, that is a lot to throw out. Plus I run on asphalt primarily. Interesting though. Would love to be tester for them.

@Schlingel: Good stuff. Thanks for the post. Items labeled as having Swiss or German engineering are popular here too.

Reminds me of the old SNL skit about the Adobe – the little car made out of clay (it was a Renault Le Car covered with clay). If you got in a wreck, you could just mold it back into shape. The announcer described it as being made with German engineering and real Mexican know-how. Hilarious.

Personally, I would feel really awkward sitting in an outdoor cafe, wearing these things while sipping a post-run latte.

These could be perfect for warm water SCUBA diving or snorkeling in places like Hawaii where water entry or exit can involve walking over sharp lava or coral. They should fit inside a full-foot fin at least as well as a thin neoprene sock, which is what I normally wear.

I wouldn’t wear them away from the water — the knit fabric is likely to quickly become a repository of grit.

These remind me some aof a pair of bright yellow kevlar meat packer gloves that I wore for years SCUBA diving. Those, too, had PVC dots for added grip.

I feel like it needs a tag line, “swiss protections socks, the only thing strong enough to cut them is a swiss army knife, because swiss rocks.”

Doesn’t seem puncture resistant enough for the prolonged use I get out of my VFFs. Though interesting. Kind of like running in a pair of mocs, you can do it, but you don’t want to for long.

@ Cody r.
It does fall under that category (as does ketchup, blood . . .).
But the stuff from d3o is pretty cool. I’m just imagining a pair of Bikila’s with this stuff in the sole. Step on a relatively sharp rock on a trail and the goo spreads the point of impact to a wider surface area.

Apparently they’re using the material for a bunch of gear. I’m interested in their motorcycle gear.

Hi everybody! I’m one of a small group of austrian barefooters (austria is a small state in middle-europe, next to germany). I also support an own website concerning barefooting (www.fiveling.at.tf). I tested also the swiss-socks and wrote a review about them – for further information please visit my homepage (unfortunately, it’s in german…).
Many greetings
Heimo Presser (aka “Fiveling”)

I am the inventor of the Swiss Protection Sock and have read the many comments here,- thank you that helps always to improve.
First I regret that I still, have a “german” accent because I was studying in England and my professor insisted to speak true english :-(.
No, the Sock is not puncture resistant, that actually does not exist but we work on it.The PVC is down the sole and not in contact with the skin of the foot.
When used for what we claim as use the Sock are perfect in combining true barefoot feeling and cut protection whereever you need that ( see video).
I am doing board sports since long for example and my wife has calculated that the doctors cost over years to treat me feet when injured amounted to 1400 $,- in relation to that the price for the Sock is o.k. and dont forget Kevler yarn is expensive and it was expensive to contruct the knitting machine doing the job.
I am open for any useful comment. Thank you

I have been trying to order a pair of these as I will try them as a winter alternative to my barefoot running. However, I cannot seem to get the website to work with paypal as it says it does. I’ll report back if I get a pair. I’ve sent them an email trying to enquire…

Andy in NYC

These remind me a bit of something that Nike sold in the mid 1990s. That product had a very elastic, very finely knit sock with a thin layer of plastic (PVC?) molded onto the bottom. It also had a very tight and wide band around the top which kept out sand and kept the sock from falling down.

I think these were sold for beach sports, particularly beach volleyball.

I had a few pairs and regularly used them in Hawaii to walk over lava on my way to the ocean. They worked very well, both protecting the foot bottom and keeping out sand.

In comparing these to the new Swiss sock, I wonder if the fairly open weave of the Swiss sock lets fine sand pass through and also wonder how well the sock stays up withut a tight-fitting cuff at the top?

Hello Andy,
I cannot understand why you cannot open our site. Is there a technical problem with your PC?
Please write me to help you.
regards
Dieter

In reply to Ted_S:
First they do not let a lot of sand in. We use them all for boards sport and we walk through sand to the sea, nobody yet complaint about sand in them. What, however I observe, is when I wash them that some fine sand comes out which I did not feel before, maybe sorting out of the stitch?

The SPS is very elastic and has a tight fitting top which comes not down!

Are the socks water resistant? I usually run barefoot (I mean really barefoot), but in winter I need something to keep me warm and dry (literally). Will these socks be an alternative to neoprene socks?

They are water resistant of course but not water repellent.
No in winter you should not run with them, they do not warm you.
Can you run with neoprene shoes? only if they have a solid sole I think?

@ Dr. Dieter Hesch

Regardless of where it is (sole or sock), when you wash your clothes or anything else with it the chemicals from vinyl/PVC leech out.

This doesn’t include all the manufacturing and such. “The EPA classifies vinyl chloride as a known human carcinogen.”
– http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/hlthef/vinylchl.html , http://www.epa.gov/teach/chem_summ/VC_summary.pdf , http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/CancerCauses/OtherCarcinogens/GeneralInformationaboutCarcinogens/known-and-probable-human-carcinogens

I don’t see why rubber or some other material couldn’t be used. When I think PVC I think stiff and susceptible to off-gassing.

I’m curious as to why the entire sock is made of the same Kevlar-blend fabric? In most situations only the bottom and perhaps also the sides of the foot need protection. The top of the foot and the ankle would be fine with a thinner yarn made of fibers such as nylon and spandex.

The Swiss Protection Sock is knitted on a specially developped kntting machine with the intention to protect the whole foot and not only some parts of it.

Reply to A C C.
The PVC pimples are small and there is no evidence that a carcinogen is released from them as compared to other shoes where the entire shoe is made from such material. The sock get not stiff after washing.

re: ” Aaron [Visitor] They certainly are interesting, but unless these “fortified socks” really are somehow puncture proof, I don’t see them catching on. There are already plenty of options across the barefoot/minimalist running spectrum. For instance, why pay $80 for these socks when you can by Zems or Invisible Shoes for half that? 02/13/12 @ 10:49″

as far as i know ZEM is US only, so we cannot get it in east europe. fortunately there is an alternative option near here: Milano, VFF…. or this one but i hate socks..

about usage in water. as i remember penetration resistance of kevlar was degraded when wet. it’s not a issue with modern kevlar?

Well, barefoot_d,
I think “hate” is not a good base for a fruitful discussion.If you hate socks I “hate” the products you mention and that was the reason to manufacture the Swiss Protection Sock. As an experienced person you would certainly know that a knitted fabric never can be puncture resistant technically.
CUT protection ,and the SPS is the only barefoot footwear to offer this, is estimated by a huge number of user as a great progress.
That is all I can say.

To ava,

The SPS Kevlar is by no way degradet in its stability by whatever water , certainly not by salt water or during machine washing.

While knit Kevlar is not completely puncture proof, it does offer protection against a lot of things considered pointy, such as the spines of spiny lobster. I wore a pair of Kevlar gloves during years of SCUBA diving and never had anything get through.
Conversely, I once stepped on a sea urchin while diving. Spines went through my fins and through the boots of my Viking heavy duty dry suit.
I’ve also had branches go through the bottoms of my trail shoes.

To Dr. Dieter Hesch
Is it possible for you to make these socks without the individual toes…just like regular socks except with the Kevlar material? I wear regular cotton/nylon socks outside frequently….something more durable would be great….get strange looks from people all the time anyway. Remember, socks are shoes too! Look up “sock” in the dictionary.

Hello you asked:
“Is it possible for you to make these socks without the individual toes…just like regular socks except with the Kevlar material?
…NO!,- why should we do that, it was our firm intention to make a 5- Toe Sport Sock .
I wear regular cotton/nylon socks outside frequently….something more durable would be great….get strange looks from people all the time anyway. Remember, socks are shoes too!
…AGAIN NO: Spck are in my opinion not shoes,- sorry, they are socks.
Look up “sock” in the dictionary.
”
…depends on what dictionary you look.
Anyway best regards Dr. Hesch

I am sure they are great socks. However, I do not believe they would in the slightest be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with Vibram. There is a lot that remains to be seen.

Thank you Asa Valen for this interesting comment.The Swiss Protection Sock (SPS)and the Vibram are two different worlds and it does not make sense to “compare” them. The SPS is 1. a protective footwear which gives 2. perfect barefoot feeling. The VIBRAM is a shoe ( there is not such thing as “barefoot shoe” by the way) with a sole and no cut protection .
So both have different intentions and are used for different applications. There is no competition but they complement each other depending on what use is desired.And this is already “seen” by independent tests and thousends of user.
I hope you can share this comment.

I would like to windsurf with these socks. I have a few questions. Are the shorties just as secure as the ankle socks… I think they look better, and would maybe feel more naked. Was there another reason for two lengths?
The 5 toes will give me grip for sideways pushing. And get me across rocks to the water. Maybe drive my car in them.
The good Doctor says not for winter wear, I presume thats because there is no thermal protection… even though I would go barefoot in snow! But q2- is there any protection in hot sun, hot sand and stone pavements?

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