Sunday 16 November 2014

Reviewed: Wolford Long Distance Knee-Highs for men

We were delighted when Wolford, one of the most famous and prestigious hosiery brands in Europe, recently sent us some tights and socks to trial and review.



Wolford used to make tights for men in the early 1990s. Although these have been discontinued, they don't neglect men's hosiery needs and requirements. Wolford tights remain extremely popular with many men, and are available in a wide range of sizes including XL. You can read our recent review of the Wolford Velvet De Luxe 66 Opaque Tights.

Wolford do make socks for men: Cotton Velvet Knee-Highs, and the Long Distance Knee-Highs that we will focus on in this review.

Material and features

The Wolford Long Distance Knee-Highs are described as 'an innovative product with anatomically optimised pressure for relaxed legs and feet.'

They arrived without any external packaging.The socks are held together with a card label that provides product and sizing information.. I imagine that in stores they would hang directly on display with a plastic hook.



Manufactured in Austria, the knee-highs are made from 61% Cotton, 21% Nylon, 11% Polypropylene and 7% Elastane.

The knee-highs feel quite soft, but the first impression is mainly that these are quite a strong, robust product.

One can see that the knee-high are designed and shaped so that they taper in towards the ankle and foot. This reflects Wolford's description that they are made with 'anatomically tapered pressure reduces swelling of feet and calves during prolonged periods of sitting or standing.'

The fabric has a very attractive ribbed structure. When worn, they look similar to 50 denier ribbed tights.





The top of the knee-highs is made from denser yarn. This is a 6cm wide band, that provides comfortable additional support just below the knee.


Toes are reinforced. You can also see that the sole has been stamped with brand information and sizing. That is a nice touch.



Fit and sizing
The 
Wolford Long Distance Knee-Highs are available in five sizes:
  • 38-40
  • 39-40
  • 41-42
  • 43-44
  • 45-46
I tested a pair in the 43-44 size. That corresponds to 8.5-9.5 UK shoe size, and 9.5-10.5 USA shoe size.

The knee-highs were surprisingly easy to put on for compression hosiery. Once can feel the compression in the feet and ankle area, but with some gentle and careful movement, the knee-highs can be manoeuvred into position with ease.

The fit was perfect for my show size. The foot part was sized for an exact fit. The remainder of the knee-high stretched comfortably to just below the knee, with no wrinkling or bunching.

These knee-highs were an exceptionally comfortable wear. One can feel the gentle compression which provided a really pleasant sensation.

I wore these to work on a day when I was sitting for a long period, as well making two 60 minute train journeys. The knee-highs were a comfortable wear all day, and I definitely noticed that my legs were less tired. The fabric also seems to be quite breathable, as my feet stayed fresh with no sweat or moisture patches when I took my shoes off.



Colour range
The Wolford Long Distance Knee-Highs are available in Black only

Price and availability

The Wolford Long Distance Knee-Highs are priced at £27.00 in the UK.

They are available from the Wolford UK Online Shop.

They can also be purchased online from other Wolford online outlets across the world. Just go to the main Wolford Online Shop and choose your country from the menu at the top of the page.

Conclusion

I really enjoyed wearing these Wolford Long Distance Knee-Highs. Apart from being expertly designed and made, as you would expect from Wolford, they do clearly provide benefits to health and wellbeing.

While working at my desk today, writing this review, I decided to try a small experiment: I wore just one knee-high on my right leg, and left the left leg bare and uncovered. Apart from the obvious additional warmth provided, I could definitely feel that the right leg was more energised and comfortable. 

I am making a journey to Germany soon, and will definitely be packing these for the flight.

If you know a man who travels frequently, or who spends long periods sitting, these knee highs would make a great Christmas stocking filler.

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