DeFeet Evo Mont Ventoux 6in socks

Despite looking like fairly innocuous white socks, these DeFeet Evo Mont Ventoux 6in have some hidden tech and provide suitably competent performance. They're not cheap, but as dedicated three-season cycling socks, they're quite impressive.

How much can you say about a pair of socks? That's the terrifying question that goes through my head when faced with a test like this. Thankfully, DeFeet has made things a little easier for me by filling its Evo Mont Ventoux with some interesting features.

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Perhaps most fascinating is the fabric, which seems softly bumpy initially, but look closer and you'll see it's a series of little woven diamonds. DeFeet calls this its 'Mont Ventoux' grid pattern and it is used 'to create thinner windows that allow sweat vapour to exit more quickly'.

In practice, it definitely works. While other parts of my anatomy have been growing decidedly moist on recent rides – I apologise for the mental image – the old plates have been kept wonderfully dry and free from heat build-up.

The downside is that these aren't socks you'll want to keep your tootsies warm come winter. I've been wearing them during autumn: on warmer days they're fine; on colder days they're getting a little chilly.

However, I have been impressed by the overall support that the Mont Ventoux supplies – far more than that relatively thin construction would suggest. The special grid pattern isn't used entirely throughout and around the mid-foot point there's a more tightly-woven band that offers a spot of compression and feels reassuringly snug around the arches.

> How to keep your feet warm while cycling in winter

In fact, the whole sock feels snug but certainly not tight, which is no doubt helped by the material's accommodating 50% nylon, 39% polyester and 11% Lycra composition. And with a 'no feel toe seam', there's one less area for unwanted rubbing. In short, they are very comfortable.

Value and conclusion

For somebody who buys his socks at Primark or the bargain bin at Sports Direct, a price in excess of £15, let alone £20, for a single pair seems a bit rich. But proper cycling socks aren't cheap.

That said, other high performance three-season socks aren't necessarily quite this much. For example, nologo's orange cycling socks are just £10.87 and the Iris Found socks are £14.60. While the DeFeets outperform the nologos, the Iris Founds offer much closer competition and even feature similar mid-foot compression.

However, there is one possibly significant difference: the Founds come in just one colourway – purple and pink – while the DeFeets can be had in six different hues.

> Buyer’s Guide: 24 of the best summer cycling socks

So DeFeet's Mont Ventoux socks aren't cheap, but you won't find your feet complaining about them in mild and warm weather. Add in the option to colour-code them with your kit and the price seems a little easier to swallow.

Verdict

Not the cheapest pair of socks but breathability, comfort and support are hard to fault – perfect for mild and warm rides