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Featured Review bytomPietrowskionMay 14, 2015 @ 1:49 PM
Review:
Dissent Ski Pro Fit Compression Nano Tour
They may well have the longest name for a sock ever but they are also one of the best socks I have ever used.
Dissent may not be a brand you have heard of but you should check them out. Hailing from the Whistler area they are a company who are very focused on what they are doing.
Their mission is to create the highest quality products but only in the fields they know. Unlike some sock companies who produce socks for many different activities such as hiking, running, skiing and so on, Dissent only produce products for skiing, mountain biking and motor cross.
The Fit/Construction
Compression socks sometimes get a bit of a bad image with people expecting them to be tight and uncomfortable and the first time I put these socks on I was worried that I would not like the feel.
Compared to nearly every other sock I have tried, they are harder to get on. They material is tightly knit and they do take a little time to get on. They are left and right specific which I like and the Nano Tour is the most light weight sock Dissent offer.
Once on the fit is actually very comfortable. You can really tell Dissent have put time into designing the shape of both the leg and the foot. The heel shape is excellent and really cups the foot well. The socks come to just under my knee which is fine and luckily the top cuff of the sock is not overly tight so they still fit comfortably high up the leg.
The overall feel of the sock is very high quality. There are no seams or logs to interfere with the foot, and additional padding is kept to a minimum.
I do normally wear merino socks so I was intrigued to see how the synthetic build would do in comparison, but certainly the overall feel on the foot is much better in my opinion.
The compression is not overly tight and certainly not uncomfortable but it does help maintain the foots volume by stopping it spreading so much under load witch can really help with the fit of the boots.
In terms of sizing the Nano Tour is slightly different to the rest of Dissent's range. In the other socks I wear a Med, size US 9 shoe size 26 boots, but in the Nano Tour I do wear a LRG. The Nano tour does fit tightly round the calf so it is more the calf size which dictates the size you need. I have some in MED too and they do fit but they certainly are if any thing a little tight round the calf.
In Use
I have used these socks both touring and for resort use and I am well and truly sold on what Dissent are doing. These are high quality socks.
Even throughout a whole day of touring the socks stays perfectly in place. They never bunch or slide which really helps with reducing the risk of blisters.
After a few hours hiking when your feet are very sweaty the socks never become uncomfortable. Josh the owner had told me you could take a bath in the socks and then go skiing quite happily and he is totally correct. Even when wet they give a warm and comfortable fit.
One massive element in my eyes is how much they can change the fit of your boots. I was testing the Salomon MTN Lab boot with these socks and the fit with other merino socks had been tight, but with the Nano Tour the boots just fit better.
Now in terms of the medical benefits of compression its a tough one to go into. There is allot of info but I think the most relevant info is how they perform skiing. I have never suffered from numb feet wearing the socks and I do put this partly down to an improved blood flow using the socks. In terms of if they made me feel less tired its hard to say but if they do offer a performance increase that is just a bonus to everything else they offer.
Overall
The main factor which may hold you back from purchasing is probably the cost. At around $45 they certainly are at the higher end for socks, but in my opinion if you are a serious skier they are worth every penny.
They are built with feedback from some of the best skiers in the world, their needs and also the needs of the equipment are taken into account and the finished product is as perfect for the job as I think you can get.
The fact they really help give a consistent feel in boots is a massive factor for me. If you have a well fitted, custom boots you really owe it to yourself to get some socks which will really do the boots justice.
Only issue you may have with the Nano Tour is they are very thin so if you have older more packed out boots you may want to look at one of Dissent's other 2 thicker socks, both of which I will be reviewing here soon.
Pro's
Best fit and feel I have tried
Comfortable and warm when wet
Give the ultimate fit for custom boots
Compression helps with feeling good in boots all day
Con's
Expensive (but worth it)
They are thin so packed out boots may need a thicker version
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