Bridgedale Explorer merino socks in black

Here at Motolegends, we like to think that we’re all about the best gear. We are always on the lookout for stuff that we believe is better made, higher performing or sometimes just better looking. And that’s why we only work with a relatively small number of motorcycling brands. But occasionally we end up looking outside the motorcycle world, as we did when we took on Icebreaker’s Merino wool base- and mid-layers.  These guy’s make the best Merino in the world, and so we wanted to offer it to our customers.

And we’re now doing the same with socks. Now a number of the usual suspects produce motorcycle socks. Halvarssons does. Klim does. And so does Daytona. And there’s nothing wrong with these socks. But none of these companies are specialists in socks; they just commission them from a sock company.

But our view is that if you want an outstanding sock, you need to go to a company whose reputation is based on making excellent socks. And so that is what we have done. We have gone to the company that many people think makes the world’s most comfortable and enduring, walking and skiing socks. And that company is our very own Bridgedale; they’ve been making socks here in the UK for over a hundred years. In fact, they started out making socks for the army in the run up to the First World War. And today they come with a lifetime guarantee against faulty manufacture.

If you thought that a sock was a sock was a sock, that’s understandable. But you were wrong.

The Bridgedale Heavyweight Explorer is unashamedly a winter sock. We recently did a video review about how to stay warm on the bike. And what we had to admit was there is no such thing as a warm boot; and that the only way to keep your feet warm on the bike, with the exception of electric power, is to wear a warm sock. And so that is what we have here.

This is the warmest of socks. It is, as a result, a fairly thick sock. It might not fit under your current boot if it fits too tightly, of course. The sock is made from a combination of fabrics. It contains 37% merino wool, 14% new wool, 29% Nylon, 19% Endurofil and 1% Lycra.

Merino, as we know, wicks sweat, stores heat and holds moisture without the wearer feeling wet. The Nylon helps the sock hold its shape even after washing. Endurofil is a thermal yarn that is a great insulator, but it also wicks well. The Lycra gives the sock its superbly, stretchy and comfortable fit.

With comfort also in mind, the socks have a flat seam at the toe. There’s a stretch panel in the forefoot to aid flex whilst, in the heel, you get a shaped cup to stop the foot sliding around in the sock.

So, in conclusion, this is the sock you want if you’re not ready for electric socks, but don’t like getting cold feet. You could wear them for hiking, for walking or for skiing. But with the effect that wind chill can have on how your feet can feel at 70 mph on a freezing cold day, we often need some extra help. And these socks will give you some of that much-needed assistance.

They come in a range of sizes; from M (UK6 -8.5) through to XL (12-13). They cost £27. We can’t promise that you’ll never ever get cold feet again, but what we can promise is that you won’t find a warmer sock.