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Wigwam 625 wool/nylon crew socks - yeech!

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14K views 46 replies 16 participants last post by  Preppy Climber  
#1 ·
I seem to recall wearing similar Wigwam socks back in the 60's. They were pretty popular (although I honestly couldn't tell you if they were this style number) with preppy types as well as surfers in my high school. Worn with sneakers, penny loafers, assorted Wallabees, desert boots, and Hush Puppies.

I got these though Amazon and they certainly have the right cream color and soft fit around the leg but the seam across the toe and scratchiness of the wool is pretty bad and makes them uncomfortable to wear. Is the quality not what it used to be or is it something else?

 

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#5 ·
They went through one wash/dry cycle but I haven't tried them since.

Hair conditioner, eh? Do we really need to use hair conditioner to make our socks comfy? Costco can produce a Kirkland merino wool sock blend, perfect for fall, winter, and spring for $13 for a pack of four. Incredibly comfy if not incredibly durable. Wigwam should be able to formulate this to replicate the socks of the 60's which were pure wool or a better blend. Still, they're mine now so I'll do what I can. They do look so much better than Costco's white crew socks (but which wear well and are incredibly comfy).
 
#8 ·
How well do they stay up during the day? Quitters are one of my pet peeves.
 
#9 ·
Hoot, the old saying about if you remember the 60's, you weren't there rings true in my case. I recall the socks more than the details. I was 15-19 from 1966-69. Other than thinking these were the same socks, that's as far as I can go. I suppose if they were miserable, that would have stuck with me.

As to whether they stay up or slouch, they'll get another run through the washer/dryer before I wear them but expect they'll slouch a bit casually by day's end.
 
#12 ·
They had one wash so far and I notice a difference to the better. However, the way the seam is sewn across the toes is a pretty poor construction method and I doubt washing will fix that. Love the look but am disappointed in them overall, especially at $8-9 a pair.
 
#13 ·
This summer, I've bought a bunch of the Wigwam Cypress - mainly cotton, marled look and pretty light (and no scratch as no wool). I like the texture as I think "smoother" socks don't work with my rumpled chinos or linen pants, they need a sock with some heft to them:

From Wigwam site

Cypress Sock

OVERVIEW

Classic crew ragg-look, with cotton softness and comfort.

CONTENTS
70% Cotton, 30% Stretch Nylon

 
#14 ·
Well, I have to laugh at myself and bump this thread. We're getting to the season where the wool socks are coming out and after a couple, three washes, as rmpmcdermott said this past summer, they're fine. Enough so that I just bought another three pairs at an even lower price than the originals. I think Costco's merino wool blend socks are better and a better deal but I always liked the looks of the Wigwams.
 
#16 ·
Egad! this thread has awakened an urge in me to attempt to recreate an experience from my youth.....and order a few pair of Wigwam crew socks. However, I don't recall them being synthetic? :crazy:
My youth was probably around the same time as yours, and Wigwams with either pennies or (real) Clark's desert boots, paired with jeans and a Pendleton, were virtually a uniform for us in chillier seasons. A local mountain shop has always had Wigwams, so those I put on this morning are of unknown vintage. Their texture has never bothered me. I am also wearing desert boots, jeans and a Pendleton - - off soon for a session at the indoor range. This is one of those combinations, like jeans and a black turtleneck, that I have worn all of my life.
 
#17 ·
^^
My friend, you are spot on with your deductions. The shoes were beef roll penny loafers, and the trousers were jeans, the brand of which I have no idea, and the shirt/jacket was a Woolrich Woolen Mills offering, probably because they were made in a mill just four miles from where I grew up. I must hasten to add that I did manage to go through a few pair of the real Clark's desert boots over the years! LOL. ;)
 
#18 ·
Eagle: It must have been the era. Woolrich was close to you, and we wore Pendletons because they were made in nearby (in Western terms) Pendleton, Oregon. Desert boots lasted about one rainy season - all eleven months of it - before the uppers became spotted. We then glazed them with Huberd's Shoe Grease, and they looked pretty good to us and survived as long as the soles. Are you still wearing any of the outfits of your youth?
 
#19 ·
^^LOL. The same, but also different....:icon_scratch:
These day I almost always wear chinos (Bill's or BB's Clark's Advantage) and either a vented fishing shirt or a BB knit polo shirt. I do have a few pair of Levi 501's that get worked into the mix, to keep the wife happy. The footwear options have gotten a little out of hand, but they do include a number of Beef roll and flat strap penny loafer choices. I do still have a Woolrich Cruiser Coat (I think it was called), but checking the label, it says the darned thing was made in Thailand. So much for the good old days! :(
 
#20 ·
Thinking of "outfits from our youth". One item i need to get is a wool CPO shirt in navy. In the early sixties I lived in one of those this time of year. Along with an ocbd, khakis, wigwams and penny loafers it got me through until peacoat season and could often be worn over a crewneck shetland for extra warmth. I don't think i have had one since about 1967.
 
#26 ·
Anyone looking for these old cream colored wool blend socks might prefer the Fox River Classics that retail for $9 a pair less than Wigwam's $22 625. Both USA made but the Fox Rivers are lighter weight and have higher wool count. Both can be found on sale at better prices but the dealers are few and far between. Sometimes, dealing with the mfg directly is your best bet. It was suggested to go up a size on these. I wear the usual 9-12 socks from most companies as I'm a 12 but Fox River, correctly, suggested to get their XL size if one is a 12. The 625s fit me well in the L size. However, they are thicker so you've got to consider your shoe fit more so than with the FR Classic.

Here's a link to the Fox River site for the Classics:
Classic wool crew socks

Image
 
#29 ·
Oh, and the sock count now? Let's just say I loaded up on quite a few more pair of the 625s, FR Classics, some ragg wool socks from both and a few other winter weight boot socks from them. The classic merino wool socks from Costco (Outdoor Trail) are no more but I was prescient enough a few years back to buy a few packs (I have 24 of them set aside) so I'm good. :D