LE BENT X CODY TOWNSEND LE SEND SOCK REVIEW
A Pro Model sock. That’s not a phrase that you hear very often in the ski industry, but it’s the best way to describe the Le Send X Cody Townsend socks from Le Bent. Le Bent as a company has been around since 2012, but in recent years is really starting to leave its mark on the industry. Their products are designed to meet the needs of the best skiers on the planet and it shows in their R&D and commitment to quality. Before we dive into it, if you’re reading this before Monday, March 23, 2020, head on over to our Instagram page for a chance to win a pair of these socks and a Le Bent base layer top!
Le Bent started their journey by developing their own fabric blend and their own sock design. That’s right, socks have designs! Probably not something you think of when you’re pulling a pair of tube socks out of your top drawer, but Le Bent spent 2 full years designing and testing before finalizing their signature Definitive Fit System. They also use a signature blend of materials to create their sock fabric. The Cody Townsend sock in particular is 44% rayon from bamboo, 19% merino wool, 35% nylon, and 2% elastane. This fabric took many years to develop and even involved Australia’s peak scientific body, the CSIRO. Pretty darn cool if you ask me. The result? You get the warmth benefits of merino wool, with less itch, and a more secure fit, but we’ll get to that.
So, that’s a quick history of Le Bent as a company and their socks in general. What makes this Cody Townsend sock so special? If you’re unfamiliar with Cody as a skier, he’s well-known and well-respected for his backcountry skiing and these days specifically his alpine touring and mountaineering. If you haven’t seen his “The Fifty” series, go check it out on YouTube. The man loves skiing, loves mountain, and it’s a pleasure to watch his adventures all over the continent. When you ski as much as someone like Cody, however, and especially if you’re alpine touring as much as Cody, you’re going to be pretty hard on your gear. Cody wanted a sock that would perform as well as the rest of his technical gear. He was sick of uncomfortable feet, rubbing and blisters from movement in a boot, and his sock bunching up in his boot during a long ascent.
The solution is this Pro Model Cody Townsend sock! There’s a lot of cool stuff going on here. First, it uses that Definitive Fit System that Le Bent developed, which uses elastics and strategic stitching to provide more support and a better overall fit. On top of that, however, Cody wanted to completely eliminate movement and bunching in his boot, so Le Bent integrated silicone strips in two spots on the sock. Behind your heel, there are 3 horizontal strips of silicon that basically lock you right into the heel pocket of your boot. Then, up along the cuff, there are more horizontal silicone strips on the inside that secures the sock to your leg above your calf. Those silicone strips are what sets this sock apart from anything else we’re seeing in the industry right now, and it’s really cool. In addition, there’s also a mesh breathability zone on the top of the foot, toe cushioning and a ghost seam for zero rub, a little more cushion for landings, and a semi-compression zone to help recover after a long ascent.
Does it all work, you might be wondering? It sure does. These socks are awesome. I’ll admit that it was hard to get me to ski in something other than the ultra-light socks I’ve come to love from other brands. In fact, the Cody sock does feel a little thicker when you’re holding it compared to an ultra-light sock. That said, I have really tight alpine boots, and that was my first application for these socks. I wanted to see if they’d work in a performance fit boot, and they definitely do. The sock gets a lot thinner when you put it on your feet. I never had any pressure points or hot spots from the material being too thick. The first thing I noticed when alpine skiing in these is how well they lock you into your boot. My boots are already about as tight as they can be, but even with a fit like that you still get millimeters of movement in your heel during skiing. I genuinely think these socks give you more control as they seem to eliminate that slight movement.
Next, of course, I wanted to see how they performed while alpine touring, since that’s the focus of their design. These socks sure are designed well, that’s all I can say. Through a long day of touring, I never had my socks slip even a centimeter down my calf. For me, that’s huge. I don’t have big calf muscles and as my ski socks get worn out, they have a tendency to bunch up the very upper cuff of my boot, which can cause some serious shin and lower leg pain, not to mention it’s just annoying. It seems like such a silly thing to put on a ski sock before you ski them, but once you’ve experienced it, you’ll start to wonder why no one has done this before. Can I put silicone strips on all my ski socks? That would be great. Thanks.
Lastly, I also find these socks to be exceptionally comfortable. I have a few pairs of Le Bent hiking/around-town socks too, and those are quite cozy as well. Their blend of merino wool and bamboo is warm even when you’re wet or sweaty. They dry really, really fast, and they never itch.
At the time of this article, we’re all dealing with the effects on our lives from the coronavirus. Ski resorts have closed around the world. Alpine touring is a great way to take advantage of the mid-March and eventually spring conditions that still exist out there, and these socks make touring easier and more comfortable. Most importantly, however, we want everyone to stay healthy, safe, and happy through these times. Get outside when you can, but do so responsibly and safely.
