Follow Hollow Brand Unveils New Alpaca Socks

High-performance alpaca socks made to fit a modern lifestyle

Appleton, WI, October 10, 2019 – Follow Hollow, a new outdoor clothing brand, creates performance socks that last all day. The Wisconsin-based company uses alpaca fiber as its technical advantage against synthetic, oil-based fibers and other wool options to deliver a modern, high-performance sock.

Visit their Kickstarter campaign at Performance Alpaca Socks.

First Impressions =>  Follow Hollow founder Brian Davis was kind enough to send along a sample of the socks for us to test out. I wore them around the house, out hiking, and on some mountain biking forays, and they were uber comfy, itch-free, highly wickable, and tough. Compared to normal synthetic socks, I found them to be more comfortable, offer improved temperature regulation from hot to chilly weather, and have increased durability. I like the tall height of the sock, the extra padding around the bottom and toe sections, and the simple plain color. 

Follow Hollow is derived from the alpaca fiber that is completely hollow on a microscopic level. The hollow cavity creates a capillary action to move moisture away from the skin keeping feet dry and regulating temperature.

Alpacas are members of the camelid family, which include dromedary camels, Bactrian camels, wild Bactrian camels, llamas, alpacas, vicuñas, and guanacos. The alpaca comes in two breed-types: huacaya and suri. The more common Huacayas account for 90% of all alpacas and have fluffy, crimpy fleece that gives them a teddy bear appearance. 

Suris, on the other hand, grow a silky, lustrous fleece that drapes gracefully in Rastafarian pencil-locks.

The proprietary yarn (80% baby alpaca, 15% nylon and 5% spandex) is imported from Peru and manufactured in North Carolina. Combining the highest quality alpaca fiber with the best manufacturing creates a sock that lasts all day long.

Founder of Follow Hollow Brian Davis said, “I started looking for an all-day sock to wear to work, to work out, and go out for the evening. I am always trying to squeeze every minute out of my day and get more out of less. Alpaca is often considered the perfect material for socks, but no one was making perfect alpaca socks, so I decided to do it.”

Davis continued, “After two years of working on this project, I am thrilled to be launching it on Kickstarter. We’ve had hundreds of product testers, and the response has been extraordinarily positive from all types of sports from hunters to runners.”

Davis is hopeful that this Kickstarter campaign will be successful. He has previously launched five other campaigns, all of which exceeded their stated goals.
“We’re excited to educate consumers about alpaca fiber and its numerous technical advantages. But at the end of the day, I am only a guy running a business out of my garage, so that means I have to start small. We’re launching one style of sock, one color, and two sizes, so I don’t have to lose my one wife, one house and two kids!”

Here are some reasons why Alpaca socks, hands (or feets) down, are probably the best, most comfortable socks you will ever put on:

• They wick it, they wick it good! – Moisture-wicking is a HUGE plus when it comes to socks. They allow your feet to breathe, stay cool, yet stay dry. Wicking works a lot like a candle. Alpaca fibers are hollow which allows it to draw a tremendous amount of moisture from your skin and transfer it to the outside of your foot.
• Alpaca fiber is hypo-allergenic – Sheeps wool allergies are quite common and even if the socks are well made, many allergy sufferers simply can’t wear them. This won’t be an issue with alpaca socks as they are naturally hypo-allergenic.
• Seriously there is no itch! – These “wonder socks” are naturally non-itchy. Nothing is worse than an itchy foot in a pair of boots. With alpaca socks, itching is a thing of the past because they naturally develop less “scales” than their sheep counterparts. The scales can be removed sheep wool via chemical baths, but the alpaca gets there all by itself giving it an edge.
• The feels. (Alpaca fiber is a sustainable material) – Alpaca fiber is sourced from economically vulnerable areas in Peru. The purchase of this material helps the local farmers and the fiber is then shipped to the US for quality control and manufacture. Alpacas are not harmed in the shearing process and it’s actually very important for their health longterm. A benefit both economically and ecologically as synthetic socks rely on oil-based materials.
• The socks are STRONG – Alpaca fiber is incredibly strong, meaning your socks will do their job without taking up extra room. The tensile strength of alpaca fiber is 2x that of wool according to some studies and that is largely due to the lack of scales in alpaca fiber which leads to less abrasion in use.
• Temperature check – Alpaca and its hollow fibers give socks an ability to keep the temperature regulated. The capillary action from the hollow fibers creates a layer of air insulation around the foot which keeps temperatures regulated. Getting warm, moist air away from your skin keeps the temperature of your foot in check and keeps you from having super stinky socks too.