Bridgedale, makers of performance socks with a three-year guarantee, announce the release of the Women’s X-Hale for spring 2006. The Women’s X-Hale is an ultra lightweight multi-sport sock knit with performance features and super thin mesh designed to keep feet cool during hot/humid conditions. For over 100 years Bridgedale has knit socks using a proprietary WoolFusion® process twisting high quality wool yarns around wicking synthetic fibers producing high performance hosiery. Combined with a unique Moisture Management System (MMS®), Bridgedale socks maximize foot comfort. The Women’s X-Hale sock keeps the foot cool by wicking moisture away from the skin and reducing the socks thermal effect by encircling the foot with thin ventilating mesh. Bridgedale will showcase the women’s X-Hale style along with a complete collection of women’s specific styles at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market in Salt Lake City this August.

“Our knitting process produces extremely durable socks even when finely knit using ultra thin yarns. Intimately wrapping micro fine nylon around wool prior to knitting allows Bridgedale to create extremely light and breathable socks, durable for up to 3 years. Additionally, our Wool / Nylon blend reinforces high stress areas of the heel and toe. To further lighten our socks, we combine fine wool yarns with ISOFIL® one of the lightest wicking fibers on the planet creating styles such as Women’s X-hale. We are so confident these are the most comfortable AND durable socks, we back our socks with the industry’s best comfort guarantee: 3 years,” said Chris Lussier, North American Brand Manager.

The Women’s X-Hale is knit with ultra-fine Merino Wool and super lightweight ISOLFIL® (a synthetic wicking yarn) to produce an ultra light sock which feature pin point padding and 360 degrees of fine mesh wrapping the arch and instep. This broad vent area maximizes the foot’s capacity to breathe through footwear while additional cooling comes from toe ventilation ports.

Bridgedale’s women’s collection is anatomically knit to closely match female foot anatomy featuring a slimmer profile with reduced toe box volume, higher arch supports and denser underfoot padding. Additionally, we strategically place our ShockZones® padding to protect the 1st and 5th metatarsal bones, where hot spots typically form. The Achilles tendon, ankle bones and toe box are also padded to aid in blister prevention. The sculpted padding under the heel, ball of the foot, and toe box is densely knit, providing shock absorption without bulk. To compliment a women’s broader calf muscle, the cuff sits lower on the ankle; resting over the ankle bone allowing a slender transition from Calcaneus Bone to the Achilles tendon. The cuff of the socks is finished with a unique sure grip mesh which keeps the socks in place while maintaining breathability. The women’s X-Hale is the latest addition to a women’s collection featuring ten styles ranging from extreme sports to multi-sport spanning five categories. The women’s X-Hale retails for $14.95, and is available in small, medium, and large in raspberry, blueberry, and sugar colors.

Bridgedale has over 100 years of experience knitting socks in Northern Ireland. Bridgedale offers a comprehensive line of performance socks in the following categories; Trekking, Adrenalin Sports, Extreme, Urban, and Snowsports, all of which contain women’s specific styles. Nine Bridgedale styles are recommended by W.L. Gore and Associates, the makers of Gore-Tex® for their ability to optimize the breathabilty and comfort of Gore-Tex lined footwear. Garmont is the North American Distributor for the Bridgedale brand in the U.S. and Canada. Bridgedale North America, Inc is a division of Garmont North America, Inc. 170 Boyer Circle, Suite 20, Williston, VT 05495 800/943-4453, www.bridgedaleusa.com or www.garmontusa.com.