Advanced fabrics are weaving into our lives. Thinsulate keeps us warm in the most bitter winters. Coolmax keeps sportsmen dry and cool. Eco-fabric kills germs and removes odors. These fabrics have long since left the labs and are ours to learn about and choose between.

There's very little modern fabrics can't do. Light and thin outerwear can be as comfortable in the cold as traditional, bulky and heavy clothing. Nomex from Dupont is fireproof and heat resistant. Cordura is an abrasive resistant fabric and with a high tear strength and is found in outerwear. CROSSTECH is a waterproof, windproof, and breathable fiber but prevents body fluids or common chemicals from seeping through.

Along with advancements in fabrics have come advancements in how clothes are made. The latest undergarment knitting machines like the Santoni 3-D Envision can knit seamless, body-hugging, sportswear with different yarns in different parts of a garment, and can even vary patterns and thickness

Today's new socks are both made with high tech methods as well as new materials. Red Ace's S1-Advance socks for example uses a fiber coated with silver, to inhibit bacterial growth (keeps your feet from getting stinky). The “mid - foot” of the sock is made with a slightly elastic material to make sure that the sock rests easily against your arch, and the seam around the toes is smooth and flat. At the top of the sock is a highly breathable mesh that Red Ace claims transfers moisture 30 percent faster than cotton and dries in half the time. All these come together to make for both cleaner feet and more comfort. The cut is lower than most socks, with a padded ankle tab to cushion the back of the shoe.

Greenyarn, a Boston nanotech startup, has recently introduced Eco-fabric socks – socks that self-deodorize and fight fungii and bacteria. These socks contain Eco-fabric, a fabric that fights bacteria and fungii, deodorizes, resists static, promotes blood circulation and is a completely green material made from renewable bamboo charcoal.

These socks are also knitted so densely that have a “needle count” of 200 – most socks today are just 84 needle count – you'll know if your socks are 80s because wearing them makes your feet hurt! At 200 needle count, Greenyarn's socks will never flatten no matter how long you wear them – providing comfort throughout the day and night. They are, to date, the world's most densely knitted performance sock s .

Mary Ann, owner of Hanley's Bakery in Boston says, “Greenyarn socks are really wonderful. My soles and knees don't hurt anymore after wearing these socks. They cushion really well… I stand all day at work at the shop, and these socks make me feel great after work!”

X-static socks have silver fiber , which makes them antibacterial, deodorizing, anti-static, regulates foot temperature and have seamless toes, which makes them very comfortable and suitable for diabetic foot care.

Smartwool makes socks that contain Smartwool fibers. Smartwool fibers are much more comfortable and it keeps you warm when its cold and cool when its hot. The Smartwool's fibers are porous, letting them wick and evaporate moisture at the same time. Theses socks are great for hiking and skiing.

The socks you can buy today are not just the ones your mom knew. There's lot out there that are application specific, much more comfortable, and generally superior to an ordinary pair of socks. Be careful if you try one of these though - after you wear a good pair of socks, it's very hard to just wear normal socks again. A good pair of socks will mean no more tired feet at all and no more of that nasty foot odor. Try out some new foot wear, and you'll never let the dryer steal your socks again!

Source : www.greenyarn.com