Friday May 14 6:47 PM ET 

Cotton Socks Cause Athletes Problems

By IRA DREYFUSS Associated Press Writer 

Cotton socks are worse than old-fashioned for athletes - they can also
be harmful in some situations, a sock expert says.

``State of the art today is using 100 percent synthetic fibers,'' said
podiatrist Douglas Richie Jr. of the Los Angeles suburb of Los
Alamitos. ``Synthetic fibers are markedly different from cotton or
wool.''

Wearing the older fibers gives an athlete or a hiker a higher risk of foot
troubles such as blisters and bruises, Richie and other experts say.

``I would avoid cotton socks at all costs,'' said podiatrist Stephen
Pribut of George Washington University.

However, an official of a company that makes cotton and synthetic
fiber socks said that, for ordinary wear, cotton will do fine.

Synthetic fibers made of such materials as polypropylene and Teflon
are better for what socks are supposed to do, said Richie, who has
done research on sock performance.

One of those functions is to keep sweat away from the foot, because a
wet foot is more likely to blister and become infected.

It's like what happens to skin when you spend too long in the tub,
Pribut said: ``Your skin gets white and a little more mushy.'' Twisting
and shearing forces make blisters form.

The pressure created by activity drives sweat back into the outside
layer of skin, a covering of protein that is the remains of dead skin
cells. The moisture softens the protein, Pribut said.

Movement, such as walking or running, can tear part of the outer layer
away from the underlying live skin cells, creating a gap that fills with
fluid, which aching hikers and runners know as blisters.

In a properly made sock, however, the movement also can pump
sweat away from the foot, Richie said. The moisture enters air pockets
in the fabric, and stepping squeezes the sweat out, he said.

But the process breaks down if pressure permanently flattens the
fabric, leaving no room for air pockets, Richie said. Cotton is more
prone to flatten, he said.

The other part of the sweat-removal process is how to get rid of it
once it has been taken away from the foot. Synthetic fabrics do this
better because they dry more quickly, Richie said.

A denser weave makes for more air pockets and less compaction.
Better socks have more terrycloth loops in them, Richie said. A buyer
can tell the difference in the store simply by turning the socks inside
out.

Some newer socks also rely on a blister-prevention method that dates
from the old days, combining a light liner with a heavier outer sock. By
wearing what amounts to two pair, the shearing force that otherwise
would fall on the sock and the skin is dissipated to the inner and outer
sock.

Synthetic sports socks are far from cheap. They can run $20 or more,
although a person can get a decent pair for $8, Pribut said. Cotton
athletic socks have the advantage of being cheap, but mere price does
not make them acceptable to some podiatrists.

Synthetics will last longer, anyway, so the cost difference shrinks when
you factor in the cost of constantly replacing wornout cotton, Richie
said.

There are other cost factors as well. Synthetic sports socks are thicker,
so people who buy the socks may also need new shoes, said Debbie
Lazenby, spokeswoman for Thorlo, a synthetic sports socks company
in Statesville, N.C.

``Most people purchase their footwear too small,'' she said.

And if you are not working up a big sweat, you can get by without
synthetic sports socks, Richie said. ``Cotton is acceptable for casual
wear,'' he said.

``In terms of what most people use athletic socks for, which is just
walking around, cotton is fine,'' said Kevin Angliss, president of
Auburn Hosiery Mills in New York City.

The company is a sock licensee for Wilson and Converse sports socks
in the United States and Europe.

For workouts and games, Angliss agreed that synthetics would be
better.

End advance for Monday, May 17