Icebreaker - Pure Merino

WOW – thanks to everyone for all the amazing entries – we didn’t realise how many socks fans we had out there. It was incredibly hard to pick the winners but Scott and Sofia are now the proud owners of a new Icebreaker socks collection.

Scott’s winning entry proved how much he has already put our socks “to the test” and was in dire need of some replacements:

Five months, four countries, two Kiwis, four feet, 8000km by motorbike in India, 27,000 vertical meters trekked in Nepal, jungles, mud, leeches, tropics, the heat of the Thar Desert, sub-zero cold, dressing for dinner at the Long Bar at Raffles in Singpore, the long, tiring flight home to Aotearoa, Customs inspections. This could read ‘how to get the most out of your socks’, or ‘One of the toughest tests a sock could be made to endure’. No matter what we put them through, our Icebreaker socks held up through this five-month adventure. Sadly, we are now having to retire part of our Icebreaker collection as our socks aren’t quite as snug as they used to be, and the hole nibbled in one by that pesky rodent in Madyha Pradesh, India, has finally defeated my attempt at darning. And they still smell a bit, umm, funky thanks to being washed in water of questionable quality to try and get rid of the Iindian road dust, grime and oil dribbling out of our Roual Enfield bullet motorbike. Pleasepleaseplease, kind Icebreaker people, grant us some new socks so we can be seen in public without people sniffing in alarm and pointing at our feet, searing our cats’ sensitive little noses and making our shoes scrabble away from us into the dark, dank recesses of our wardrobe. Our feet will love you forever.

Sofia’s winning entry touched our hearts with her salute to her grandmother, Brigit:

Honestly, I do not think that it is me. I think that the one who needs the socks collection the most is my grandmother Birgit. Well, ok, maybe except the multisport ones.

I want to salute Birgit, 78 years young. I want to say yay Birgit, you strong, independent woman with both feet firmly on the ground. This one is for your feets, living and loving in the northest of Sweden. For all your future cloudberry field days, your wintertime skiing on the hills. For your trips in the small fishing boat and all your 8 km’s biking to the closest store for milk.

I know Birgit is not climbing K2 or doing a long distance paddling tour across five continents – but that’s not what it is all about. For the time being, I just want Birgit to feel the world she knows in great socks. I want to thank her feets for the way they have inspired me and her other grandchildren to movement, action and reaction.

And for those that missed out please keep checking back for more opportunities to win Icebreaker gear through our competitions.

We caught up with Dave Petri, Director of Sustainability at Nester Hosiery to talk about Icebreaker Socks Manufacturing.

Legendary actor, Andy Griffith, grew up here in Mt. Airy, North Carolina, a rural town in the southeastern United States. Mt. Airy was the inspiration for Griffith’s town of Mayberry in his iconic 1960s TV hit, “The Andy Griffith Show.”

It’s here that Icebreaker’s merino socks are being developed and manufactured by Nester Hosiery, a family-owned company with more than 200 employees. And like a family of sorts, Icebreaker has a great collaborative relationship with Nester. Our design and development teams meet face-to-face several times each season, with our most recent trip to N.C. being a delightful insider’s view on sock-manufacturing technology.

Dave Petri, sustainability director and tweeter for Nester, answers a few questions about the socks his company makes for Icebreaker:

In 140 characters or less, what should Icebreaker loyalists know about their socks?

U.S. manufactured, technically advanced construction, made with Natural merino wool. #Gr8Sox

What’s it like being in North Carolina and working with a Kiwi company? 

It’s been a personal joy getting to know that culture. I’ve been to Wellington twice now and thoroughly enjoyed experiencing both islands.

As  a manufacturing company in rural North Carolina, most of our employees have minimal interaction with the Kiwi culture. But they’re working hard to make high-quality socks for Icebreaker and they know that we have a global presence with Icebreaker. We understand how significant that is.

What’s unique about your manufacturing process?

It’s all self-contained in our building. Everything is done here—the knitting, washing, boarding, and packaging and inventory management.

You say Nester makes socks for the world’s toughest critics. How do you exceed their expectations?

We do a lot of innovating and developing to see what works best to make good socks. We are constantly investing in the latest and greatest knitting technology.

We work with all different yarn types to develop socks that not only keep your foot warm, but also resist holes. We develop beautiful products for our customers.

And if you want to WIN a new sock collection click here to enter our competition

It’s socks week here at Icebreaker and to celebrate we’ve got a brand new collection of (adult) socks up for grabs – one men’s and one women’s. Post a comment on WHY YOU THINK YOU NEED THEM MOST and you could be in to WIN  a new Icebreaker socks collection. We’re giving away a collection of 1 x hike, 1 x run, 1 x bike, 1 x multisport and 1 x city socks to our favourite comment posted. Entries close at the end of the week, 11 August 2012, and the winners will be announced on 14 August 2012.

Terms and conditions

1. This competition is open for entry until midday in New Zealand on 12 August 2012
   
2. Contestants must be over the age of 18 years at the date of entry
3. Only one entry per email address and contestant will be accepted
4. Icebreaker’s staff, agents, contractors and their families are not permitted to enter
5. No alternative prize is available and the prize is not transferable, refundable and cannot be exchanged for cash or other Icebreaker products
6. There is one winner of a collection of 1 x hike, 1 x run, 1 x bike, 1 x multisport, 1 x city adult socks (colour and sizing is subject to availability)
7. The winner will be chosen by Icebreaker’s social media team, at its sole discretion, from comments posted and the winner will be notified by email on or about 15 August
8. The Prizewinner gives his/her permission to Icebreaker to display photos and/or publish his/her name for any promotion, advertising or any other use at Icebreaker’s sole discretion.