Dry and warm feet are essential for multi-day Stand Up Paddle trips, which is why this weeks gear talk is dedicated to Neon Bandits, an American based Sock Company.

They adventurously claim that they are an ‘Action Lifestyle Sock.’ Yet, knowing the founders Dan & Sammy are from Boston, we had to challenge the product these city boys made. So, this past weekend we headed to Seward, Alaska to put their socks to the ultimate SUP Backcountry test, and see if the science behind their product holds true.

Test 1: Non- Slip Functionality

Anyone whose been in and out of drysuits, knows once they are on, you do not want to take them off. So when your sock slips down your calf, it’s uncomfortably going to be sagging there until you’re off the water. This makes it essential to have a non-slip high rise sock, which is one of Neon Bandits selling points.

We took to Portage Glacier, to test their nonslip functionality, and they stayed in place!  They also kept our calves warm under our drysuits, despite wading through the chilling glacial lakes. We give them a 5/5 on “nonslip functionality”.

Test 2: Design & Comfort
Your foot has over 250,000 sweat glands, that produce about a cup a day of sweat. It’s important to have a sock that can wick away sweat and breath! After a day of wear our feet were still dry and comfortable thanks to their mesh arch and high quality blend. They also have a footbed cushioning and reinforced toe/heel which provides the ultimate comfort when standing on SUP boards (or anywhere) for long amounts of time. We give them a 5/5 for Design & Comfort.

Test 3: Knit In Design
Lastly, my favorite test, took place yesterday when we finally got around to doing our laundry from the trip. They claim to have a no-bleed knit in design that can be machine washed and dried, which is perfect for people like me, who are a little lazy post adventure. After tossing these blue and red socks into my laundry, they passed the test without dying my other clothes, no bleeding of colors, and no shrinking. We give them a 5/5 on the science of their ‘knit in design.”

The Sea Life in Seward agree, there’s no Otter sock thats better! 

Overall, we think these guys are on to something with their socks. We  love the designs, and outreach that they have taken with their brand. Just looking at their blog, it’s easy to see how much passion they put behind their product! They pass our test and we agree that they have made the ultimate sock that combines both activity and leasure.

Adventure on,

Court & John

Products Pictured:

*We Believe in Transparency. These are our own opinions, and we are not paid for any posts regarding Neon Bandits. Socks pictured were sent to us to test and review.