Turn two things into one and create a new product. Fox did this with its new Light Proforma Socks for the knee-brace-wearing crowd. It combined a moto sock with a knee-brace sleeve into one long sock. Simple, really. The mid-thickness of the foot portion slims down at the ankle to a thinner material that continues up the leg to about mid-thigh on a standard 6-foot man. Topped with an elastic band, the Proforma will hold itself up or can be folded down over the top of the brace.
Getting it on is simple, even if it takes a little longer than a normal sock; and it is still one step less than the usual two-step process with a knee-brace sleeve. And without the overlap between sock and sleeve, you feel cooler as the temperature rises.
| Fox Racing: | | 888/FOX RACE; www.foxracing.com |
| Gear | Maximum | Rated |
| Style | 20 | 18 |
| Comfort | 10 | 9 |
| Function | 50 | 45 |
| Wash/care | 10 | 9 |
| Price | 10 | 8 |
| Total | 100 | 89 |
The venting on the Lycra back portion is a nice touch, but I couldn't actually feel it working. While the light poly/spandex leg cover is thin, some testers preferred a thicker material to add more cushion to the brace's contact points. With a good-fitting brace, I experienced no chafing problems. There were no seams that irritated even sensitive spots on our legs.
Available in Medium for foot sizes 8-10 and Large for the 10-13-sized crowd, the Proforma retails for $29.95. Overall, it seemed every bit as sturdy as most socks. And the biggest plus is you'll cut your chances of forgetting a sock or a sleeve.
--Jimmy Lewis