providencebikes

https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/sto...RoCd5kQAvD_BwE

what does any of yous guys thinks about these kinds of socks ???

Dave Cutter

Gimmicky. Wool socks... are the best use of wool, and a great way to keep feet warm. As the tight kinked wool fibers will continue to trap and stagnate warmth even when saturated with sweat. But for a little extra protection... to help eliminate the moisture.... spray your feet with an antiperspirant.

CliffordK

Perhaps, but I bet one's calves are much warmer than the toes, especially when riding a bike. So, the theory of the socks would be that the aluminum would work as a heat transfer conduit to keep an even distribution of heat around the socks. It sounds like a good theory to me.

Hard to say what they'd be like in practice. They may well also bring more cold into the toes if not designed with a good outer insulation. Wear two layers?

I'd say they'd be worth a try, and I'd go for those before going to an electrical or chemical toe warmer.

cyccommute 

I agree with Dave Cutter. Gimmicky. Aluminum will reflect some heat but I'm not sure that enough to bother with. And these wouldn't reflect much at all.

Wool socks are a good start but I would suggest adding in an aerogel sole like these. Although they may seem as gimmicky as the above, they are based on sounder science. An aerogel is basically foamed silica gel which provides far better insulation than most any other material. A 1/4" of aerogel insulation is the equivalent of nearly 6" of glass wool insulation which is better than a couple of feet of fiberglass. It's really amazing stuff.

gecho

They probably use aluminized mylar, the material emergency blankets are made of. A better option might be to one of those blankets and make a boot liner out of it. The idea is to reflect the infrared heat your body generates back towards you rather than letting it escape. Gold is an even better reflector.

Copper socks have been around a long time, though that might be for their anti-fungal properties. But I had wondered about a plate of copper on top of insoles to redistribute heat.

Dave Cutter

I know it's common to wear two pairs of socks... people do that. But I don't. Socks don't "grow" proportionally to a normal foot. So two pairs will likely just make your shoe fit improperly and make your feet hurt.

Marcus_Ti

Reminds me a ton of that "Copper-Fit" woo that is being hawked on TV.

jrickards

And cheap too I see!!

BobbyG

Steel is real! (Sorry, knee-jerk reaction.)
Carbon socks are lighter...
(Sorry, again)

fietsbob

Alumanized sil-nylon vapor barrier liner socks are impermeable and reflective,
so you wont cool your feet off by sweat evaporating or saturating your normal socks ..

Mountaineers Ice Climbing may be users of this gear..

providencebikes

someme said i should wrap aluminum foil around my toes , i also wear double pair of wool socks on the outside over my shoe witha hole cut in the bottom for the cleats , seems to work only cost 8 bucks and is way better than the 20 dollar toe covers i got ...

1989Pre 

Aluminum is a neuro-toxin, carcinogen and has been suspected in a host of endocrine imbalances and disorders, including Alzheimer's Disease. The less aluminum that comes in contact with your body, the better.

PaddleFoot

Those socks and gloves are nothing new. Tried them and was still cold. Wool is the only way to go.

texaspandj

Finally a sock thread!
I think the real question is do they come in black or white?
Also how high, ankle mid calf?

cyccommute 

Then you probably should move off this planet. Aluminum is the third most abundant element in the earth's crust. You can't avoid it.

The sock in question are a bogus gimmick but they should be avoided because they are ineffective, not because they are "toxic".

1989Pre 

1. Kumar V, Gill KD. Aluminium neurotoxicity: neurobehavioural and oxidative aspects. Arch Toxicol. 2009 Nov;83(11):965-78. doi: 10.1007/s00204-009-0455-6. Epub 2009 Jul 1. Review.
2. Michalke B, Halbach S, Nischwitz V. JEM spotlight: metal speciation related to neurotoxicity in humans. J Environ Monit. 2009 May;11(5):939-54. doi: 10.1039/b817817h. Epub 2009 Mar 19. Review.
3. Fernández-Dávila ML, Razo-Estrada AC, García-Medina S, Gómez-Oliván LM, Piñón-López MJ, Ibarra RG, Galar-Martínez M. Aluminum-induced oxidative stress and neurotoxicity in grass carp (Cyprinidae--Ctenopharingodon idella). Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2012 Feb;76(2):87-92. doi: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2011.09.012. Epub 2011 Oct 10.
4. Jansson ET. Aluminum exposure and Alzheimer's disease. J Alzheimers Dis. 2001 Dec;3(6):541-549.
5. Pohl HR, Roney N, Abadin HG. Metal ions affecting the neurological system. Met Ions Life Sci. 2011;8:247-62.
6. Brenner S. Aluminum may mediate Alzheimer's disease through liver toxicity, with aberrant hepatic synthesis of ceruloplasmin and ATPase7B, the resultant excess free copper causing brain oxidation, beta-amyloid aggregation and Alzheimer disease. Med Hypotheses. 2013 Mar;80(3):326-7. doi: 10.1016/j.mehy.2012.11.036. Epub 2012 Dec 20.
7. Shrivastava S. Combined effect of HEDTA and selenium against aluminum induced oxidative stress in rat brain. J Trace Elem Med Biol. 2012 Jun;26(2-3):210-4. doi: 10.1016/j.jtemb.2012.04.014. Epub 2012 May 8.
8. Bondy SC. The neurotoxicity of environmental aluminum is still an issue. Neurotoxicology. 2010 Sep;31(5):575-81. doi: 10.1016/j.neuro.2010.05.009. Epub 2010 May 27. Review.
9. Belojević G, Jakovljević B. [Aluminum and Alzheimer's disease]. Srp Arh Celok Lek. 1998 Jul-Aug;126(7-8):283-9. Review. Serbian.
10. Nishida Y. Elucidation of endemic neurodegenerative diseases--a commentary. Z Naturforsch C. 2003 Sep-Oct;58(9-10):752-8. Review.
11. Mandour RA, Azab YA. The prospective toxic effects of some heavy metals overload in surface drinking water of Dakahlia Governorate, Egypt. Int J Occup Environ Med. 2011 Oct;2(4):245-53.
12. Riihimäki V, Aitio A. Occupational exposure to aluminum and its biomonitoring in perspective. Crit Rev Toxicol. 2012 Nov;42(10):827-53. doi: 10.3109/10408444.2012.725027. Epub 2012 Sep 27. Review.
13. Polizzi S, Pira E, Ferrara M, Bugiani M, Papaleo A, Albera R, Palmi S. Neurotoxic effects of aluminium among foundry workers and Alzheimer's disease. Neurotoxicology. 2002 Dec;23(6):761-74.

Marcus_Ti

Go back and read any or all of those abstracts. Because none claim to definitively state what you are claiming.

Further the correlations of people with Alzheimer's to Al exposure are occupationally exposed to airborne aluminum....and even their health issues are at best "maybe" correlations and not (yet) causally related to Al. Generally breathing airborne metals dust of any sort isn't a good idea.

cyccommute 

What he said. Additionally, Wikipedia lists 200 pages of aluminum salts (aka minerals) that make up the earth's crust. Among them is feldspar which is the most common mineral on all of the Earth's surface (silicon dioxide is more common on dry land but fledspar is more common on the ocean floor).

If you are drinking your coffee from a ceramic vessel, it's got aluminum in it. If you eat off a ceramic plate, it's got aluminum in it. If you are breathing, there is aluminum dust in it. It's everywhere and we evolved with it as an ubiquitous material in our environment.

1989Pre 

Excerpt #1: Chronic exposure of animals to aluminium is associated with behavioural, neuropathological and neurochemical changes. Among them, deficits of learning and behavioural functions are most evident. Some epidemiological studies have shown poor performance in cognitive tests and a higher abundance of neurological symptoms for workers occupationally exposed to aluminium.

Excerpt #2: Many studies indicate that a variety of environmental factors contribute to the initiation and promotion of neurodegenerative diseases. For example, the role of metal exposure and disturbance of metal homeostasis in the brain is discussed in this respect.

Excerpt #3: Diverse studies show that in mammals this metal may produce oxidative stress, is neurotoxic, and is involved in the development of neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.

Excerpt #4: In this review, we consider evidence for a significant role for aluminum in A.D. Aluminum has been implicated as a potential risk factor in Alzheimer's Disease (A.D.) and for elderly cognitive impairment by epidemiology studies of drinking water and a food study.

Excerpt #5: Several individual metals including aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, lead, manganese, and mercury were demonstrated to affect the neurological system.

Excerpt #6:
Aluminum may mediate Alzheimer's disease through liver toxicity, with aberrant hepatic synthesis of ceruloplasmin and ATPase7B, the resultant excess free copper causing brain oxidation, beta-amyloid aggregation and Alzheimer disease.

Excerpt #7: Aluminium (Al) is a potent neurotoxin and has together with other metals been suggested to be associated with Alzheimer's disease causality.

Excerpt #8: Evidence for the neurotoxicity of extended exposure to low levels of aluminum salts is described using an animal model treated with aluminum at low levels reflecting those found in some water supplies. Aluminum salts can increase levels of glial activation, inflammatory cytokines and amyloid precursor protein within the brain.

Excerpt #9: Neuro-toxic effects of aluminium, with disorders mainly in motor coordination, have been proved in epidemiological studies of subjects professionally exposed to aluminium.

Excerpt #10: It seems reasonable to consider that the essential origin for the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) should be the incorporation and accumulation of Aluminum(III) and Mn(II) ions in the cells, and the sudden and explosive increase of scrapie and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in the last decade may be partially due to "acid rain", because the acid rain makes Aluminum(III) and Mn(II) ions soluble in the subterranean aquifers.

Excerpt #11: N.I.H recommendation to halt urban manufacturing that produces high aluminum levels.

Excerpt #12: Neurotoxicity is the critical effect of exposure to sparsely soluble aluminum compounds. Studies on workers exposed to aluminum welding fumes have revealed disturbances of cognitive processes, memory and concentration, and changes in mood and EEG. Early pulmonary effects have been observed among aluminum powder-production workers using high-resolution computed tomography.

Excerpt #13: The findings lead the authors to suggest a possible role of the inhalation of aluminium dust in pre-clinical mild cognitive disorder which might prelude Alzheimer's disease (AD) or AD-like neurological deterioration.

These are just excerpts. The research papers, in their respective entireties,
are very long, but will be of value to other scientists. To assume that aluminum is only toxic, and only produces abnormal physiological symptoms when inhaled, is not the safest course of action.
The most accurate, personal tests for toxic heavy metals Aluminum, Cadmium, Mercury and Lead is Hair Mineral Analysis. This test shows accumulated tissue levels, and not just blood levels.
The term "oxidate stress" is pervasive in these excerpts. Oxidative stress is a pre-cursor to cancer and non-cancerous tumors.

ThermionicScott 

I have trouble taking anyone who calls aluminum a "heavy metal" seriously.

Marcus_Ti

Try reading them again and pay attention to all the qualifiers you dutifully and carefully ignored. None of the above in any way conclusively mean aluminum socks will kill you or rot your brain.


Basically all your links say is: "Don't breath aluminum dust", and "don't live near industrial zones with improperly disposed of metal waste"....which seems fairly obvious.

winston63 

Agreed - we ingest aluminum all the time. It's even in many (if not the majority) of the foods we consume to some degree. While I certainly wouldn't encourage deliberate consumption of pure aluminum, I'd put the health risk of wearing aluminum socks somewhere below negligible.

yamsyamsyams

I don’t see any excerpts conclusively stating Al being the definitive causal source. This is starting to look like a bad meta analysis.

In any case for the OP - there are Columbia jackets marketing the aluminum foil liner but I think most are skeptical. There are also heated socks you can buy for a hefty sum, check em out:

https://www.flambeauoutdoors.com/Heated-Gear/Socks/heated-socks

1989Pre 

You and Marcus exhibit no desire to find out who is telling the truth in this case, and, in fact, seem hostile to any suggestion that industry/government might not be telling you the complete truth: No intellectual curiosity is apparent, and not even a healthy skepticism. For some individuals, their identity and sense-of-self depends on them consistently and un-questioningly supporting whatever the brokers-of-power say. Without this blind adherence, they would be forced to develop their own ideas. If we were all as naive as that, we would still be using lead in our gas and paint, and mercury in clothing and thermometers.
For a scientist to state that their research "indicates a cor-relation" or "suggests a relationship", or other such qualifications, means that a definite co-incidence has been noticed. For even these qualified statements to appear in the summary, some data that is beyond a normal range of activity must appear. They do not make these statements lightly, and err on the side of caution.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16045991

Excerpt #14: Aluminium is known to have a genotoxic profile, capable of causing both DNA alterations and epigenetic effects, and this would be consistent with a potential role in breast cancer if such effects occurred in breast cells.

Marcus, no qualifications in #'s 5 and 14.

Marcus_Ti

We can all agree eating arsenic or lead or mercury is bad. Yes.

Actually we are demonstrating healthy skepticism. We read the full statement. See the qualifiers attached. And make a decision based on evidence. You, mi amigo, aren't being a skeptic...you're acting exactly like the anti-vaccination crowd. All of your links require ingestion or injection or occupational exposure to metal dust. None of the "maybe" correlations ATM apply to wearing garments like aluminum socks.


Don't live near superfund sites, or drink groundwater contaminated by the aforesaid...and if you're a metal worker, use a respirator, and follow PPE protocol.



You'll probably get sick from eating or huffing-the-dust from cro-moly steel, titanium, or carbon fiber too, not just Al.