Mismatched Crew Socks; Made in USA; Stars and Stripes Large

I'm a knitter. I could handknit socks like this for cheaper than $20, it's true. However, I couldn't do it easily. Socks are the main type of project that gives me ceaseless headaches. I'm happy to pay $20 for these high-quality, fun and sturdy socks. My only beef is that I bought the Medium (I'm a size 8) hoping they'd still fit after laundering. I got them today and laundered them immediately, and they are now almost - *almost* - too small. They feel like compression socks now. So in the future I'll be ordering the Large so that they shrink comfortably to my foot instead of squeezing. (For your reference, my laundry cycle includes a cold water 'casual' wash in Dreft followed by an 80-minute hot tumble dry. This is, I mean, for a full load of laundry! I wouldn't launder just one pair of socks.)

I originally bought a pair at the Fred Hall Fishing Show in March. They were so cute that I bought one pair. I mean, who doesn't like mismatched socks? Plus they were handmade with cotton yarn and appeared to be well made.These socks are extremely comfortable. I have worn them with my Crocs and worn them around the house on cold days. Since I only had one pair, I was constantly washing them. It's been 9 months and the color has not faded nor has the material been worn down. Really wished I had purchased more. Therefore, I was pleasantly surprised to see these on Amazon. Problem is: which color combination to choose next. Hmmmm.

These socks are absolutely GORGEOUS, and very high quality! I ordered the Women's size Small. I usually knit my own socks out of merino wool (but don't enjoy doing color-work AT all), and these remind me of Cascade's Fixation yarn (super-stretchy cotton yarn). They are very, very stretchy. Unfortunately, my feet are a child's size 2/woman's size 4 (exactly 8" long) with very slender ankles, and the socks were much too large for me. I so much love colorful, mis-matching socks, that I've always made mine that way. My disappointment with the fit was pretty keen, but I knew it was a crapshoot when I ordered them. *sighI gave them a trip through the washer and dryer (with fingers crossed), but they remained too large, so - very little shrinkage. I gave them to my daughter, who wears a woman's size 6 to 6 1/2. While there was still too much "play" in the socks when she tried them on, they at least fit her feet better than they did mine. Her ankles are a bit sturdier than mine, but the sock didn't bind anywhere on her foot, at all.I would guess that the size Small in these socks might comfortably fit *up to* a woman's size 8, IF their feet were narrow to medium width, AND if they had slender-to-normal ankles, but that is just a guess. I'm not sure how well they would fit really sturdy ankles, if that same size 8 foot were also wide. Probably going up a size to Medium might be the best way to go, especially if the socks might shrink over time.I've just discovered they have kids' socks, as well, so have just ordered a pair (large) for myself, and will post a review when I get them. There aren't the color selections as there are for adult socks, but I'll take what I can get. :)

After buying a couple of these socks in Boston in Jan at a store, and returning to N Ca (which was actually almost the same temp as Boston), I wore one pair and immediately loved them. Why? Well, for one thing, they're cute and fun, obviously. Love the mismatched pair that still goes together. I can wear them at home for long periods and they keep my feet warm, but not *too* warm. They don't make my feet uncomfortably hot and sweaty. I can wear them to work (I'm a physician) with pants. And best of all, my skin doesn't react to the elastic that is in most socks. I have ankle socks at home but after hours, my skin gets really itchy with hives. These socks stay up but don't cause a reaction in my skin. So I bought myself 8 more pairs, haha, plus a couple of knee highs. They're so fun and comfortable! I washed a pair already in cold wash and lined dry (I wash everything I love like that) and the colors are just as vivid and the socks are just as good, even softer. They also maintained their shape and size. LOVE this! (BTW, I also love the athletic socks I found online at Bombas.com. They donate a pair for every pair you buy, to homeless shelters)

Just as pictured, these socks are very beautiful, as well as fun to wear, because of the mix-and-match patterns. Which is why I bought them! They are a good weight for fall; we'll see how they do in winter. Which brings me to my one disappointment — how do I show them off when wearing boots? I guess I'll have to buy the knee-highs and wear short booties with a middy skirt.Being made of cotton yarn, they are not very fuzzy, and don't have a lot of stretch. The top edge is a little tight at the bottom of my calf. My feet are size 8 1/2, and the fit is otherwise great. They would easily fit a 9, but might be a bit snug on a size 10.I like knowing thst the yarn is recycled. Nope, I have no idea how they do it, but it's a good thing.

These socks fit on my feet. They provide a protective cloth barrier between the skin of my feet and the inside portion of my footwear. I enjoy wearing socks on my feet while wearing shoes because they provide me with the confidence I need to put the right foot forward when I begin each day. I knew these socks would get along with all my other sock-friends in the drawer due to their vivid, colorful personality. I wear one of each sock in the pair on each individual foot. Others may choose to wear both socks on the same foot for added protection. Ladies choice!

So apart from what's obviously true about these socks just from looking at them, you should know that they are BY FAR the most robust socks I own, and I try to buy socks that will last, even if they're ugly. Most of my socks are men's crew socks that come in those bags, but I also have ski socks and funky socks and dress socks. So I have owned 2 pair of these for 3 years, and I wear them weekly, hiking, walking through the meadow behind my house, pulling out the stickers. They need to come in normal black and white and brown because they are made like socks should be made. Truth to tell, I didn't think it was possible to make socks that last until I owned these.