Wrightsock

Wrightsock makes one thing and sticks to it: socks that stop blisters. The idea is simple. Each sock has two layers, and the inner layer moves independently of the outer one, so friction is absorbed between the layers instead of against your skin. Less rubbing means fewer hot spots and fewer blisters.

The label dates to 1948, when it began in a basement in Burlington, North Carolina, selling surplus socks from larger manufacturers. A double-layer prototype followed, and two important patents arrived in the mid 1990s.

Today the socks suit hikers, trekkers and runners, and anyone prone to sore spots in boots or trainers. Anti-chafe sticks and blister pads sit alongside them.