Smartwool

SmartWool was born with comfortable performance in mind. The founders were New England ski instructors struggling to keep their feet warm. After trying a variety of materials, they rediscovered an age-old classic: wool. But while these socks may have been warm, they were itchy and shrank. So they worked on a process to make them soft and easy care. SmartWool was born on a simple tenet: keeping feet comfortable on the slopes. But it was a hard sell. Try as they might, they couldn’t initially convince others of the material’s merits. No one believed that a wool sock could be anything but itchy. Out of frustration, they finally challenged people to try them. And this simple tactic changed the course of SmartWool forever and pioneered a new market transformation for wool performance products. The instant people tried them they were awestruck with SmartWool’s soft luxurious feel. They were even more surprised that their feet stayed comfortable for extended periods of time in mixed weather conditions. Instead of getting clammy, the SmartWool socks stayed dry, soft and comfortable. The founders then realized that they had to get their socks on as many people as possible to let them speak for themselves.

Award after award catapulted SmartWool’s Extraordinary Comfort onto more and more feet and bodies. And a funny thing happened once people started trying SmartWool; word about their comfort and performance spread like wildfire. Fueling this was the company’s commitment to using only the finest wool in the world; New Zealand merino, which produce the softest, strongest and whitest wool on the planet. The company has built intimate, long-standing relationships with its growers, who are in tune with their land and sheep and have become great partners in growing the best wool possible.The next step was obvious. Since people enjoyed SmartWool’s comfort in its performance socks and base layers, why not make socks they can wear all the time. Since hiking socks don’t go well with dress slacks, SmartWool launched its everyday use lifestyle in 2004, bringing extraordinary comfort to daily life with fun, fashionable designs. Both socks and apparel now enjoy worldwide distribution, satisfying the needs of walkers, runners, skiers, cyclists, climbers, hikers and anyone else who enjoys the comfort and performance the company’s founders discovered more that 15 years ago on those slopes of New England.

You won’t find better gear to keep you comfortable in all conditions than SmartWool, whether you’re out tromping in rain, shine, heat or hail. It’s the best fiber in the world for cold and warm, wet and dry weather use, combining comfort and performance into one versatile package.

Above all else comes the extraordinary comfort. Far from the itchy wool of yesteryear, SmartWool’s fibers are luxuriously soft. They come from New Zealand’s specially bred Merino sheep, whose super-fine fibers are as fit for pajamas as they are active-wear. Combine this with a production process that removes all itch and shrink and you get a layer you’ll never want to take off – even after the day’s journey brings you home.But extraordinary comfort is only the beginning. This real tale lies in the fibers’ performance. Over the eons SmartWool’s fibers have evolved to keep our Merino sheep warm in the alpine winters and cool in the southern summers. This same natural temperature regulating process works for people as well. The secret is that each fiber harbors thousands of tiny air pockets which, like insulation in your home, act as a buffer against heat and cold. The fibers naturally regulate temperature, whether you’re climbing an 8,000 meter peak or running an Arizona marathon. They keep you warm when it’s cool and cool when it’s hot. The fibers also move moisture faster than any other material on the planet. This means you stay drier longer and can say goodbye forever to the clamminess that comes from other materials. Unlike synthetics, which have to wait for moisture to condense before wicking it away from your skin, SmartWool’s fibers are porous, allowing them to absorb vapor and transfer it before it condenses. This saves a step by letting them wick and evaporate moisture at the same time, transporting it in both liquid and vapor stages. When it’s hot, this creates a mini air-conditioning unit next to your skin, transferring body heat to your apparel.

The bacteria that cause odor can’t build up on the SmartWool fiber. This means that even during intensive activity over extended periods of time you stay “fresher for longer”. The science is very simple; in fact this is how odor comparison tests are conducted by many major research facilities. Wear a synthetic sock on one foot, a SmartWool sock on the other. Do this for 48 hours (go cycling, hiking, bouldering for a proper test). Let your nose be the judge (careful though, the smells from the synthetics can be quite alarming).

SmartWool stays busy establishing better business practices that focus on environmental sustainability, economic sustainability, improvement in animal welfare and social change.

Feeling Good = Doing Good

The SmartWool Advocacy Program was born out of the desire to give back to communities in which we live, work and play. 10% of SmartWool online sales go directly to this program.

We Love Our Sheep

SmartWool has established long-term partnerships with those New Zealand Merino growers that have adopted best management practices and seek to continually improve animal welfare.

Our Wool is Top Notch!

SmartWool and its New Zealand partners have developed Zque, the world's first traceable Merino fiber value chain. This program ensures environmental, social and economic sustainability.


Wicks moisture
Absorbs moisture
Moisture evaporates so inside of shoe stays dry
Insulates so feet stay cool in simmer, warm in winter
Maintains cushioning
Blister resistant
Fungus resistant
Stink resistant
Machine washable and dryable
No fabric softners required
Environmentally friendly
No shrink

Form and Function:

SmartWool socks are designed to enhance the performance and comfort that each activity demands. The top has ribbed construction that holds the sock up and in place. The instep is flat knit or waffle knit minimizes bulk and improves ventilation. The side panel improves airflow and eliminates bunching. The arch brace provides support and holds socks in place. The sole and varieties of cushioning eliminate shock, blisters and abrasions.

Sock Types:

	Micro-Mini: Fitted heel and toe sock that rises to just below the ankle			Crew: Fitted heel and toe sock that rises 6"-8" above the ankel

	Mini-Crew: Fitted heel and toe sock that rises 2" above the ankle			Mid-Calf: Fitted heel and toe sock that extends to mid-calf

	3/4-Crew: Fitted heel and toe sock that rises 4"-6" above the ankel			Over-the-Calf: Fitted heel and toe sock that extends above the calf

Why SmartWool Apparel?

It feels better, performs better and SmartWool makes the right apparel for your customers’ full-tilt do-it all lifestyles. SmartWool’s technical attributes put them ahead of the field. Wool manages moisture better than any synthetic, which keeps the wearer drier, which of course means more comfort…in the cool of a Spring morning, sun-baked heat of a Summer day or the biting cold northern Winter wind. Great materials don’t tell the whole story though. SmartWool is the original mountain-town, lifestyle-driven apparel brand and as the SmartWool line has expanded, we’ve created the clothing we need to do what we love.

SPORT

Specific apparel, with detailing suited to the particular demands of inspired athletes. Clothing that manages moisture, controls temperatures and excels in variable weather. Available for Men, Women and new for Fall 2009 – the children’s collection.

STYLE

Engaging tops and new, woven bottoms, born of sustainable all-natural earth-friendly SmartWool. Performance worthy of a ride to the farmer’s market or turning heads on the slopes along the way. Available for Men, Women and new for Fall 2009 – the children’s collection.

SPORT NTS

Totally adaptable, Sport NTS juggles trail running, cycling, gym-training, hard climbing…and comfort enough for cool down. Fitted and aerobically driven along with all the performance benefits of SmartWool in a base layer geared to keeping pace with athletic bodies in motion.

NTS

Think of NTS as the workhorse base layer underwear of your dreams, ready for layering under waders in an alpine lake, or skiing the highest mountains, wearing on its own, or layering, SmartWool fits every season.

SmartWool Apparel now available for Men and Women in:

Microweight
Lightweight
Midweight

Kids NTS coming Fall 2009.

What’s smarter than SmartWool?

SmartWool PhD!

SmartWool’s new PhD performance sock line incorporates a range of design-driven features to help feet do their work in blister-free, bipedal bliss.

SmartWool’s new WOW (Wool-on-Wool) Technology™ puts more SmartWool into every sock, particularly in high-density impact zones to reduce shock, and in high-wear areas for greater longevity. More SmartWool means more odor control, more moisture management, & more feel-good performance!

SmartWool tested, calculated, calibrated, experimented and obsessed over our 4-Degree Fit System. The backbone of the SmartWool PhD performance socks, the proprietary four-point banded compression system, provides an incredibly secure and comfortable fit above and below the heel, under the arch, and across the instep.

SmartWool PhD Performance socks are now available for Men, Women & Children:

Cycling
Running
Skiing
Snowboarding
Trail
Outdoor

SmartWool and BlueRiver Trading are the proud sponsors of:

Performance socks – five sport-specific silhouettes and five levels of cushion give you 25 comfortable reasons to split out of work early and celebrate the outdoors. Choose the style that provides the balance of protection and sensitivity you want. SmartWool’s SmartFit system delivers a technical fit every time. Naturally breathable, itch- and odor-free, SmartWool is comfortable season-in and season-out.

SmartWool’s original technical fit system has contour flex zones to allow foot and sock to flex without bunching, a brace that hugs the ankle to eliminate slipping and binding, and an arch brace that holds the sock in place and provides additional support.

Five different levels of cushion to suit your customers’ fit and sport preference

Ultra-Light
Light
Medium
Heavy
Extra-Heavy

Adrenaline
Hiking
Trekking
Hunting
Wader

Most of what we love in life is accomplished while standing up. Bottom line – celebrate life and indulge your feet with SmartWool’s Lifestyle sock line. SmartWool has built in comfort, all-day support, its distinctive attitude, and reliable SmartWool performance into its lifestyles.

For those days when you’re working hard on your feet, putting in extra hours at the office or perhaps searching for comfort on long stressful travel days, we offer a therapeutic prescription in WoolBeing. WoolBeing socks like StandUps and Unwounds use air-channel cushioning non-binding fits, and strategic padding to nurture hardworking feet. Our WoolBeing StandUp also offers a compression fit that enhances circulation for healthy, livelier legs and feet.

Best of all, SmartWool has added state-of-the-art Technology™ to our Lifestyle socks. WOW Technology™ puts more wool in high-abrasion areas, which means more comfort and more durability.

We consider SmartWool accessories the icing on the cake. Nature’s sustainable, moisture-managing, odor-fighting, warm-in-the-cold, cool-in-the-heat option for everything you do - Spring and Summer, Fall and Winter. SmartWool makes a range of knit hats, gloves in several weights, scarves and even a balaclava. All of them offer the same no-itch performance as in any SmartWool’s most technical socks and base layers, and we even offer several styles that err on the side of urban jungle, rather than backcountry binge.

SmartWool has kids covered, head-to-toe, in machine washable, dryer-friendly, warm-cool & soft SmartWool. Kids’ demands on clothing are no less than a grow-up, so we harness the same performance benefits of our adult collection for our kids’ NTS, socks and accessories-in festive, fun colours and styles that capture the fun of kids. They will be comfortable and extra-cute!

www.SmartWool.com