As you must know by now, wool resists odor. We have found that is a good feature in a sock. They also wick and insulate better than cotton or all synthetic, so you can wear them comfortably in a pretty wide range of climates. Surly Socks are made by DeFeet. They are Merino wool, with a small percentage of synthetic for increased durability. These tall socks are thicker than our 5” variety and play well with knickers (as we call them here in the U.S. Yes, we know it means ladies’ underwear in the UK). Each design comes in four sizes so pretty much everyone should find one that fits.