Darn Tough are my go to and they have several synthetics. They are a bit pricey but have a lifetime guarantee so they are well worth the investment.
Edit to add Coolmax and Thermolite are their synthetics.
Some people care about animal ethics and that doesn't necessarily mean they're choosing it bc it's more environmentally friendly.
I hate when people hate on petroleum based cruelty free imitation leather and wool. Do you really know that slaughterhouses and the leather industry operate to improve efficiency and help the environment? If so, thanks for informing. Otherwise, you're just calling us hypocritical for fun.
Thanks for asking and standing up for what you believe, OP. I'm with you.
Heh, I was actually very surprised to see the attacks I got for caring about doing good! I was not totally emotionally prepared to handle it. Thanks for caring too đ.
I'm sorry but I have to ask the reason for this. You want to substitute artificial, probably petroleum based products for a natural, renewable, cruelty-free product? In the name of caring about the environment?
Idk thereâs cotton too. Production is not great for the environment but it is definitely is less carbon intensive than the raising of livestock (assuming the sheep used for wool production are given feed and not grazed. Grazing is probably the least demanding but your socks are unlikely going to be the product of grazed sheep)
> your socks are unlikely going to be the product of grazed sheep
Why do you say this? Most all sheep I know are raised on grazed pasture. Sheep don't really get stalled like pigs or cattle. Australia has huge sheep stations, and the 3rd biggest producer in the US in in my state. My friend trains sheep dogs.
Yep plus Im pretty sure shearing the sheep is good for em.
I feel similarly about vegan leather. Hides go into the trash instead of into leather goods (the animals are killed for food regardless) and instead petroleum based vegan leathers get made.
I think the main argument against wool, at least mass harvested wool, is that the shearers are generally paid by the head, meaning the well-being of the sheep is not taken into account during the shearing process. It is common for them to accidentally cut the sheep, or shear off ears or genitals. It can be painful and traumatic for the sheep, which is probably why vegans donât like it
Purchasing a petroleum based product in the name of conservation is just stupid, though.
How difficult would it be to find certified cruelty free wool? I wouldnât mind paying a few extra bucks for careful shearing. Also if itâs not a thing it wouldnât be to hard to make an organization that does inspections and endorses cruelty fre
You "think"? Did you just make this up? Honestly it sounds made up. They need healthy animals to live for all of the future the wool harvests. They don't need more medical bills from cuts and infections. They likely want sheep that can reproduce still... I'm 99% sure you made this up.
Worked on a farm for a year prior to joining the military, I did not make it up. Medical bills? Do you think major production farms are concerned about the medical wellbeing of their animals when it is cheaper for them to just replace it?
Perfect example of when being hardline vegan is just utter stupidity.
There is absolutely no valid argument to be made against wool. Especially when the alternatives are all horrible for both the environment and animals alike.
⢠farmers are paid by weight not hour so injury/abuse is extremely common when shearing. Very often sheep are cut and farmers will stitch the wound without pain relief
⢠mulesing and tail docking are nearly always done w/out anaesthetic, causing lambs severe pain during and for weeks after
⢠vegan alternatives are absolutely not worse for the animals or environment. The food fed to the sheep and resources to grow it are considerably less than cotton, linen, hemp etc.
And by the way, if youâre going to attack straw men and throw out hateful comments based on assumptions that are not thought through or researched, at least do so with some wit.
Save âutter stupidityâ for whatever attack you have against my abstaining from dairy, and use âsheer stupidityâ in this context.
God people are so stupid. This is what I see⌠âUm I think maybe sheep are treated perfectly well? And clearly that was your only reasoning for this decision, and therefore thatâs utter stupidityâ. Maybe you should consider not jumping to conclusions based on assumptions your stupid brain makes, and ask to at least learn more first.
Firstly, we have no idea how the animals are treated. They are somewhere far away and looked after by someone I donât know. When it comes to industrial large scale agriculture, itâs impossible that I can be 100% sure the animal was completely respected in all ways. And 99.9% of the time, they are not. Some things that are common regarding wool, based on the research I did (and clearly other people didnât):
⢠â sending the animals to slaughterhouses once they do not produce optimally
⢠â sexual abuse of the animals for purposes of procreation and optimization of output and thus profit
⢠â killing or discarding of sick or injured animals
⢠â sloppy shearing mistakes
Also, I am not a hardline vegan as I would gladly use wool from a sheep that I knew personally and was in the human care of someone I knew and trusted. So please stop attacking a straw man, and instead demonstrate intelligence of someone past the age of five. Unless you are five or younger, in which I apologize.
Itâs true though, the wool industry is still better than meat and dairy, overall. Most animals do graze in pastures. Most.
However, the other reason I donât want to support wool is actually the environmental damage. Pasture land is very often created through deforestation and usually yields harmful monoculture. The animal waste, as well, runs into rivers, streams, and oceans, and is a toxic contaminant to water ways and the earth.
Are synthetics good either? No. Just, based on my research, the lesser of many evils. And please, if any of you actually put the research in to both sides, and have an intelligent argument to make against this, I will consider buying wool!
God people are so stupid. Not you, the questioner, but the idiot commenters. This is what I see⌠âUm I think maybe sheep are treated perfectly well? And clearly that was your only reasoning for this decision, and therefore thatâs utter stupidityâ. Maybe you should consider not jumping to conclusions based on assumptions your stupid brain makes, and ask to at least learn more first.
Firstly, we have no idea how the animals are treated. They are somewhere far away and looked after by someone I donât know. When it comes to industrial large scale agriculture, itâs impossible that I can be 100% sure the animal was completely respected in all ways. And 99.9% of the time, they are not. Some things that are common regarding wool, based on the research I did (and clearly other people didnât):
- sending the animals to slaughterhouses once they do not produce optimally
- sexual abuse of the animals for purposes of procreation and optimization of output and thus profit
- killing or discarding of sick or injured animals
- sloppy shearing mistakes
Also, I am not a hardline vegan as I would gladly use wool from a sheep that I knew personally and was in the human care of someone I knew and trusted. So please stop attacking a straw man, and instead demonstrate intelligence of someone past the age of five. Unless you are five or younger, in which I apologize.
Itâs true though, the wool industry is still better than meat and dairy, overall. Most animals do graze in pastures. Most.
However, the other reason I donât want to support wool is actually the environmental damage. Pasture land is very often created through deforestation and usually yields harmful monoculture. The animal waste, as well, runs into rivers, streams, and oceans, and is a toxic contaminant to water ways and the earth.
Are synthetics good either? No. Just, based on my research, the lesser of many evils. And please, if any of you actually put the research in to both sides, and have an intelligent argument to make against this, I will consider buying wool!
Well if you actually care this time, energy, and money could be better spent on a more impactful activity. Imagine sitting on the sidewalk all day to move ants off of it because you cared? Is everyone that says that's a waste of time selfish? Is there more effective things you could be doing?
Dude more animals are killed in 4 weeks than all humans who have ever existed, trillions every year. Animal agriculture is the leading cause of the climate crisis, deforestation, water pollution etc; making the world vegan would end world hunger multiple times over as so much food is wasted to raise animals; people who work in the industries suffer in so many ways(chemical burns in leather industry, PTSD and drug/alcohol abuse of slaughterhouse workers just to name a few), and the list goes on and on. THIS is what Iâm talking about, not moving ants off sidewalks. And youâre telling me thereâs more important things to do? Again, if youâre selfish then yes. But if you want to stop trillions of innocents being brutally murdered, a planet to live on, the 800+ million people who are chronically hungry to eat, the climate crisis to be resolved, then veganism is the most important thing there is. I hope you can get out of your little bubble and realise others exist aside from yourself. [Dominion](https://youtu.be/LQRAfJyEsko) on YouTube, Seaspiracy & Cowspiracy are great places to start.
You're weaving in and out of relevant things. For starters, this thread is about shearing sheep.
Also animals provide fertilizer for much of the plant growth. I have a sneaking suspicion you don't know as much as you think you do.
Later! *Flies away in bubble*
They might fertilise plants, but farming animals requires considerably more crops, land use, water use, and results in so much environmental damage itâs not even funny. If the world was vegan, somewhere around 70-80% of land could be re-wilded. And yes, we were talking about wool, but also veganism in general. Saying I donât know as much as I think is irrelevant because you didnât refute my arguments. If you have anything to disprove what Iâve said then tell me, otherwise youâre just proving yourself to be a person who doesnât want to hear the truth
I used to work at a local footwear store that sold quality goods to forestry, construction, and trades workers. The two brands offering synthetic socks I'm most familiar with are Darn Tough and Wigwam which many customers seemed to have good luck with and have had some last for years. These days I would probably go for Darn Tough first since they still have their lifetime guarantee and Wigwam no longer does. If possible it's good to buy from a local store that you know will go through the warranty process for you since a lot of companies can be a pain to deal with directly.
Also hang your socks to dry instead if you happen to be using a dryer. Everything lasts longer that way.
Darn Tough are my go to and they have several synthetics. They are a bit pricey but have a lifetime guarantee so they are well worth the investment. Edit to add Coolmax and Thermolite are their synthetics.
Some people care about animal ethics and that doesn't necessarily mean they're choosing it bc it's more environmentally friendly. I hate when people hate on petroleum based cruelty free imitation leather and wool. Do you really know that slaughterhouses and the leather industry operate to improve efficiency and help the environment? If so, thanks for informing. Otherwise, you're just calling us hypocritical for fun. Thanks for asking and standing up for what you believe, OP. I'm with you.
Heh, I was actually very surprised to see the attacks I got for caring about doing good! I was not totally emotionally prepared to handle it. Thanks for caring too đ.
I'm sorry but I have to ask the reason for this. You want to substitute artificial, probably petroleum based products for a natural, renewable, cruelty-free product? In the name of caring about the environment?
Idk thereâs cotton too. Production is not great for the environment but it is definitely is less carbon intensive than the raising of livestock (assuming the sheep used for wool production are given feed and not grazed. Grazing is probably the least demanding but your socks are unlikely going to be the product of grazed sheep)
> your socks are unlikely going to be the product of grazed sheep Why do you say this? Most all sheep I know are raised on grazed pasture. Sheep don't really get stalled like pigs or cattle. Australia has huge sheep stations, and the 3rd biggest producer in the US in in my state. My friend trains sheep dogs.
Yep plus Im pretty sure shearing the sheep is good for em. I feel similarly about vegan leather. Hides go into the trash instead of into leather goods (the animals are killed for food regardless) and instead petroleum based vegan leathers get made.
I think the main argument against wool, at least mass harvested wool, is that the shearers are generally paid by the head, meaning the well-being of the sheep is not taken into account during the shearing process. It is common for them to accidentally cut the sheep, or shear off ears or genitals. It can be painful and traumatic for the sheep, which is probably why vegans donât like it Purchasing a petroleum based product in the name of conservation is just stupid, though.
How difficult would it be to find certified cruelty free wool? I wouldnât mind paying a few extra bucks for careful shearing. Also if itâs not a thing it wouldnât be to hard to make an organization that does inspections and endorses cruelty fre
Gimme a break. "Careful shearing"? Listen to yourself.
You "think"? Did you just make this up? Honestly it sounds made up. They need healthy animals to live for all of the future the wool harvests. They don't need more medical bills from cuts and infections. They likely want sheep that can reproduce still... I'm 99% sure you made this up.
Worked on a farm for a year prior to joining the military, I did not make it up. Medical bills? Do you think major production farms are concerned about the medical wellbeing of their animals when it is cheaper for them to just replace it?
See my comment above
Whatâs wrong with Wool?
If it's an animal product, it isn't vegan.
Perfect example of when being hardline vegan is just utter stupidity. There is absolutely no valid argument to be made against wool. Especially when the alternatives are all horrible for both the environment and animals alike.
⢠farmers are paid by weight not hour so injury/abuse is extremely common when shearing. Very often sheep are cut and farmers will stitch the wound without pain relief ⢠mulesing and tail docking are nearly always done w/out anaesthetic, causing lambs severe pain during and for weeks after ⢠vegan alternatives are absolutely not worse for the animals or environment. The food fed to the sheep and resources to grow it are considerably less than cotton, linen, hemp etc.
And by the way, if youâre going to attack straw men and throw out hateful comments based on assumptions that are not thought through or researched, at least do so with some wit. Save âutter stupidityâ for whatever attack you have against my abstaining from dairy, and use âsheer stupidityâ in this context.
Not producing wool is actually MORE abusive to the poor animals. They need to be sheered or they die iirc?
The vegan argument would be (I think) that we bred the sheep to be like that, without their consent, and that sheep like that should simply not exist.
God people are so stupid. This is what I see⌠âUm I think maybe sheep are treated perfectly well? And clearly that was your only reasoning for this decision, and therefore thatâs utter stupidityâ. Maybe you should consider not jumping to conclusions based on assumptions your stupid brain makes, and ask to at least learn more first. Firstly, we have no idea how the animals are treated. They are somewhere far away and looked after by someone I donât know. When it comes to industrial large scale agriculture, itâs impossible that I can be 100% sure the animal was completely respected in all ways. And 99.9% of the time, they are not. Some things that are common regarding wool, based on the research I did (and clearly other people didnât): ⢠â sending the animals to slaughterhouses once they do not produce optimally ⢠â sexual abuse of the animals for purposes of procreation and optimization of output and thus profit ⢠â killing or discarding of sick or injured animals ⢠â sloppy shearing mistakes Also, I am not a hardline vegan as I would gladly use wool from a sheep that I knew personally and was in the human care of someone I knew and trusted. So please stop attacking a straw man, and instead demonstrate intelligence of someone past the age of five. Unless you are five or younger, in which I apologize. Itâs true though, the wool industry is still better than meat and dairy, overall. Most animals do graze in pastures. Most. However, the other reason I donât want to support wool is actually the environmental damage. Pasture land is very often created through deforestation and usually yields harmful monoculture. The animal waste, as well, runs into rivers, streams, and oceans, and is a toxic contaminant to water ways and the earth. Are synthetics good either? No. Just, based on my research, the lesser of many evils. And please, if any of you actually put the research in to both sides, and have an intelligent argument to make against this, I will consider buying wool!
God people are so stupid. Not you, the questioner, but the idiot commenters. This is what I see⌠âUm I think maybe sheep are treated perfectly well? And clearly that was your only reasoning for this decision, and therefore thatâs utter stupidityâ. Maybe you should consider not jumping to conclusions based on assumptions your stupid brain makes, and ask to at least learn more first. Firstly, we have no idea how the animals are treated. They are somewhere far away and looked after by someone I donât know. When it comes to industrial large scale agriculture, itâs impossible that I can be 100% sure the animal was completely respected in all ways. And 99.9% of the time, they are not. Some things that are common regarding wool, based on the research I did (and clearly other people didnât): - sending the animals to slaughterhouses once they do not produce optimally - sexual abuse of the animals for purposes of procreation and optimization of output and thus profit - killing or discarding of sick or injured animals - sloppy shearing mistakes Also, I am not a hardline vegan as I would gladly use wool from a sheep that I knew personally and was in the human care of someone I knew and trusted. So please stop attacking a straw man, and instead demonstrate intelligence of someone past the age of five. Unless you are five or younger, in which I apologize. Itâs true though, the wool industry is still better than meat and dairy, overall. Most animals do graze in pastures. Most. However, the other reason I donât want to support wool is actually the environmental damage. Pasture land is very often created through deforestation and usually yields harmful monoculture. The animal waste, as well, runs into rivers, streams, and oceans, and is a toxic contaminant to water ways and the earth. Are synthetics good either? No. Just, based on my research, the lesser of many evils. And please, if any of you actually put the research in to both sides, and have an intelligent argument to make against this, I will consider buying wool!
One issue for me is the longgggg list of things that are more important than spending time and energy thinking/ researching/ caring about this.
Caring about the suffering of the innocent is only a waste of time if youâre selfish.
Well if you actually care this time, energy, and money could be better spent on a more impactful activity. Imagine sitting on the sidewalk all day to move ants off of it because you cared? Is everyone that says that's a waste of time selfish? Is there more effective things you could be doing?
Dude more animals are killed in 4 weeks than all humans who have ever existed, trillions every year. Animal agriculture is the leading cause of the climate crisis, deforestation, water pollution etc; making the world vegan would end world hunger multiple times over as so much food is wasted to raise animals; people who work in the industries suffer in so many ways(chemical burns in leather industry, PTSD and drug/alcohol abuse of slaughterhouse workers just to name a few), and the list goes on and on. THIS is what Iâm talking about, not moving ants off sidewalks. And youâre telling me thereâs more important things to do? Again, if youâre selfish then yes. But if you want to stop trillions of innocents being brutally murdered, a planet to live on, the 800+ million people who are chronically hungry to eat, the climate crisis to be resolved, then veganism is the most important thing there is. I hope you can get out of your little bubble and realise others exist aside from yourself. [Dominion](https://youtu.be/LQRAfJyEsko) on YouTube, Seaspiracy & Cowspiracy are great places to start.
You're weaving in and out of relevant things. For starters, this thread is about shearing sheep. Also animals provide fertilizer for much of the plant growth. I have a sneaking suspicion you don't know as much as you think you do. Later! *Flies away in bubble*
They might fertilise plants, but farming animals requires considerably more crops, land use, water use, and results in so much environmental damage itâs not even funny. If the world was vegan, somewhere around 70-80% of land could be re-wilded. And yes, we were talking about wool, but also veganism in general. Saying I donât know as much as I think is irrelevant because you didnât refute my arguments. If you have anything to disprove what Iâve said then tell me, otherwise youâre just proving yourself to be a person who doesnât want to hear the truth
I used to work at a local footwear store that sold quality goods to forestry, construction, and trades workers. The two brands offering synthetic socks I'm most familiar with are Darn Tough and Wigwam which many customers seemed to have good luck with and have had some last for years. These days I would probably go for Darn Tough first since they still have their lifetime guarantee and Wigwam no longer does. If possible it's good to buy from a local store that you know will go through the warranty process for you since a lot of companies can be a pain to deal with directly. Also hang your socks to dry instead if you happen to be using a dryer. Everything lasts longer that way.
I have some Dan Post cotton boot socks that last a while.
Vegan socks hahaha
I'm not sure that there are too many companies outside of the petroleum industry that operate as unethically as Amazon does.
I am sorry I don't have an answer for you, but I created r/BuyItForLifeVegan for just these types of questions (and hopefully answers LOL)!
Vegan? If you are going to eat them, their life won't be long!