CARING FOR YOUR FEET
[from the Thorlo.com website]

Acrylic Protection Vs Natural Protection
Fat pads protect our feet but we destroy them by walking and running on hard surfaces

• This loss of fat pads is due primarily to damage from shearing forces from walking and running
  on smooth, unyielding man-made surfaces (concrete, asphalt, hard floors).
  
• The damage is compounded by poorly designed and poorly fitted socks and shoes.
  
• Thorlos protect the fat pads from shearing forces by transferring these forces from the fat pads to
  the cushion fabric of the Thorlos; and where fat pad degradation has already occurred, Thorlos’
  engineered cushion fabric helps replace the function of the natural pads.
  
• Protection is the “root cause” of comfort.
  

Why Fabrics that work well on our bodies work poorly in our shoes

• Cotton, wool and silk (all natural fabrics) absorb moisture [“Absorption” is defined as retention]. Wool claims to “wick,” which is not true.
  
• Inside the shoes, natural cushion sock fabrics become ineffective and even harmful to the feet:
  They absorb moisture, become saturated and collapse. Result: no protection.
  
• Acrylic “wicks” moisture [“Wicking” is defined as transmission or movement of moisture by capillary action], moving it to the outer materials of the shoe where it is released into the outside
  environment.
  
• Acrylic cushion sock fabric maintains resiliency and provides a more natural yielding, forgiving, dynamic environment for the foot (like walking barefoot in grass or sand).
  
• Result: More protection, more comfort.

Net Effect: Acrylic cushion fabric creates a more “NATURAL” environment inside a shoe or boot

• The irony is that it requires a man-made (or natural blended with acrylic) cushion fabric to create a more natural surface inside a shoe; but remember that shoes and boots themselves are manmade
  surfaces.
  
• Therefore, the only effective protective measure is to help counteract the negative aspects of one “man-made” surface with another “man-made” surface.
  
• Thorlos’ exclusive acrylic cushion fabric is more “natural” inside a shoe.