Overland is a clothing company that once was an off shoot of Morvelo but has now become a separate entity run by the original Morvelo designers and owners. The Overland cater more to the adventure and every day riding needs of cyclists rather than just those who wear lycra and want the maximum aero gains.
The range consists of looser fit and more relaxed clothing for long days in the saddle over mixed terrain, bike packing, commuting or just riding to the shops. So just like the riding I do and probably most of the readers looking at this now.
Overland have recently launched some new items and I purchased (Overland haven’t sent me these for free) a couple of pairs of “Far out” socks.
I love a longer sock, mid calf being my favourite length and Overland state these socks are in a skate style with extra cushioning on the sole for comfort so they sounded ideal. First impressions count and the first thing to note was the packaging that the socks arrived in. Sustainable packaging might cost a few pennies more but I’m happy to pay the extra to do a small amount to help the environment. Overland use biodegradable bags and are trying to remove all plastics in their business. On this note it was great to see that the socks have a cotton fastening to hold them together in the packet rather than the plastic clip usually seen holding socks together. See overland’s sustainability ideas and plans here
The socks were of a thinner material than I was expecting, tube socks to me evoke memories of 1980’s BMX/Skate socks which were always thicker than normal socks. The length was perfect, mid calf without having to pull the material thin to achieve the height. Pulled up, the socks kept their colour too and didn’t look stretched thin and go “white” like some dark colour socks do.
Riding the Far Out socks for the first time I was very impressed how comfortable they were, some new socks are tight until the first wash, these were so comfy and apart from remembering to photograph them I forgot I was wearing them, always a good sign. The socks survived a soaking and a layer of mud without incident. They also stayed up in the same position despite numerous trips over rough ground that has literally knocked my socks off before! I can’t say I noticed the extra padding but maybe that was because they were so comfortable anyway. The socks also survived a few brushes with spikey under growth and look as good now as when I opened the packet.
Post ride washing meant just chucking them in the washing machine, I’ll freely admit I didn’t check the washing instructions (and I’ve thrown the paper card that came with the socks away) before doing this. I couldn’t find any instructions on the Sock product page. I’m pleased to say though that the socks survived that 30 degree wash and kept their shape and there was no shrinkage or loss of colour and this is the case even after 2-3 washes and numerous rides.
Overall the Overland Far Out socks are great, thinner than I was expecting but this hasn’t detracted from the performance and they are thicker than a normal cycling sock at least. They have survived numerous rides with out damage and I love the look of them and they’ve attracted a few comments on the styling too.
If you like a longer sock I’d definitely recommend you look at The Overland Far Out Sock range.
As with all my tests, this is a real world review. I’m not sponsored and I’m just an average rider like most of you reading this. companies sometimes send me things to test but i always let them know it will be an honest review good or bad. In this case I paid full price for the socks and apart from fact checking the Overland/Morvelo split with the Overland guys they have had no input on this review
UK GRAVEL COLLECTIVE 