ArmaSkin News March 2024

Photo of Mt Buller Sunset from Tracey see more at Tee In the Wild,

No Outer Sock On Te Araroa Trail (NZ)

 

 Maddie and Tom set a new Fastest Known Time for the 3000km Te Araroa Trail stretching from Cape Reinga in the north of New Zealand to Bluff in the south.

They finished the 3000km trail in 54 days and 14 hours. 

An interesting fact is that both Maddie and Tom elected to travel in ArmaSkin socks only! That is they did not wear an outer sock. When asked about this Maddie provided some valuable insights.

"You’re right, we didn’t wear outer socks on top of the ArmaSkins. We find that our feet breathe best when we only have one pair of socks on, otherwise they get too hot.

We find we get around 500-700km using ArmaSkin by themselves.  Although, we replaced them more frequently in the context of an FKT as new socks are a massive mental boost and an easy way to stay on top of foot hygiene. 

To get this lifespan without a second sock, the trick is keeping the inside of your shoes clean and low friction. This means emptying dirt, wearing gaitors, and using low friction tape in specific parts of your shoe."

ArmaSkin still encourages an outer sock for enhanced overall comfort.

Here is the hiking gear worn by Maddie and Tom.

Clothes worn (Maddie)

 

Here's Tom clothing list.

The full list of their other gear can be found on their website:  The Adventure Gene

Military Magic

We were delighted to hear from Britney, a serving member of the Wisconsin Army National Guard  about her experience with ArmaSkin.

"I have been in the Wisconsin Army National Guard for 18 years and over that time I have walked thousands of miles in boots and have earned more blisters than I care to count. I tried everything. Thin socks under thick socks, wool socks, Vaseline, taping my feet with medical tape etc. nothing has ever worked until I found Armaskin. 

In 2018 I put these socks to the first major test for 2 weeks walking through the woods and swamps in Georgia nonstop with 80-100 lbs on my back during a military exercise. I HAD NO ISSUES!!! My feet got soaked from rain and sweat and still nothing. I literally watched trench foot take over friends’ feet and I, who normally would be in that boat, am completely fine. Since that exercise I have worn them for every major training event, military and civilian, and have put hundreds of miles in them (rotating through 4 pairs so they don’t wear out fast) but I didn’t have to worry about that. They are all still in perfect shape. 
They are such an amazing product and I am so grateful because they have saved me in parts of my career that I would have suffered through otherwise. They have made it through an overseas rotation and are about to make it through another one. 

I am now in charge of 90 Soldiers and some of them struggle with my same issues. I tell them how amazing the product is, but unfortunately it is unaffordable for a lot of the younger soldiers. I was wondering if it is possible to do a group order and get a discounted price to help offset the cost and still make this available to them? 

If not, I understand. At the end of the day, I am in love with the product and will continue to wear them for as long as I am doing major movements both in and out of uniform."

Recent ArmaSkin blog posts:

1)  Tahoe Mountain Sports

In this article, we highlighted for our North American friends that Tahoe Mountain Sports are now holding stock which can be purchased directly rather then purchasing from Amazon. TMS is a well established family business that has been serving the needs of skiers and hikers for decades.

 Read the blog here.

2) Seasons of Change

As the seasons change, so do we. The transition from Summer to Autumn (Fall) can often bring about a whirlwind of emotions and changes in our lives. This is a time when we may feel like we're trying to hold onto what’s familiar while navigating the unknown. In this article, we’re sharing insights from Kimberly Welsh, who beautifully captures the essence of this transformative period.   Read the blog here.  Kimberly is an ArmaSkin Ambassador too!

Chicken Feet Conquers OxFam Trailwalker!   Melbourne.

With Trailwalker 2024 being the last ever in Melbourne we are pleased to pay tribute to a regular participant and long term ArmaSkin fan Eugene, who has led Team Chicken Feet.

Eugene, "It was with great pleasure to have crossed the finish line at 29 hours without a remote sense of blisters. Interestingly the few that used the original ArmaSkin had a few small blisters between the toes, and sadly one team member lost one of their toe ArmaSkins and ended up developing a blister under their toe, heel and 4th toe (which they didn't have any during training whilst using the ArmaSkins)

I had sported my full Oxfam kit this year and there were lots of people asking for tips so I had mentioned ArmaSkin many different occasions and there was some serious interest in the concept. 

Many thanks again for supporting us over the years.  I’m still a massive advocate for anyone doing any sort of endurance sport or hike to equip themselves with ArmaSkin and I truly believe you guys have landed an epic product. 

This year's event was definitely met with lots of emotion. Team Chicken Feet crossed the finish line in 29 hours, and thankfully, Team Dumplings became the last team to cross, completing their 55km in 19 hours and 30 minutes!

Stay safe and I hope all is well on your end!

Eugene"

Three Capes and ArmaSkin (Tas)

After recently retiring, I walked the Three Capes in Tasmania in late February this year.

I had never undertaken this kind of experience and was apprehensive at the thought of blistered feet!

However my ArmaSkins were a lifesaver. I experienced no discomfort, swelling or blisters.
I’m looking forward to my next walking adventure with my ArmaSkins!

Thanks very much, Andrea

ArmaSkin Customer Satisfaction Survey 2024

Results from our 2024 Customer Satisfaction Survey are coming in.  We surveyed customers who made a direct purchase from us in a recent 12 month period. 

We greatly appreciate the feedback and endeavour to respond to suggestions.

One interesting observation is that there is a tendency for some customers to upsize versus our sizing chart.  We will be deliberating on how we might respond to that.  We would welcome any additional feedback from our readers to ian@armaskin.com  In particular, if you are upsizing, what is your footsize and what are you upsizing from to?

A matter that was raised from one respondent was that they had difficulty knowing when ArmaSkin was nearing its end of effectiveness. If you have any thoughts on that matter we would be pleased to hear from you. Just message us at ian@armaskin.com

AND, if you have big plans for 2024, how about dropping us a line telling us what you are doing (email ian@armaskin.com).

We'd love to be able to share your journey with the ArmaSkin community.