Why Aren't There Ergonomically Designed Cashmere Socks and Slippers?

Cashmere socks and slippers are, in my opinion, the most easily worn-out clothing items, typically needing replacement every year or two. In contrast, cashmere sweaters and coats can last many years without developing holes. Cashmere pants and gloves are also quite durable - holes only tend to appear if you fall off a bicycle. I had such a fall this year; fortunately, wearing cashmere clothing made the fall less painful, though I was distressed about damaging my pristine cashmere pants and gloves (which previously only had a patch on the middle finger).

This year, I wore through another pair of cashmere socks. The new cashmere socks, worn alone with leather-lined boots, developed holes in the heel after just ten wears, and the toes would soon wear through as well.

I wondered why cashmere socks aren't designed with reinforced, wear-resistant areas at the toes and heels. Especially at the toe tips, particularly the big and middle toes (similar to how cashmere gloves tend to wear at the middle finger). As for the heel, this pair first developed holes on both sides, now only the black base thread remains - if not mended soon, it will be too difficult to repair.

Another pair had a large hole develop directly in the heel. I had already mended it once after wearing it for a year, but it continued to develop holes. I patched it again, and now I've given it to Edyy to wear. If it deteriorates further, he won't want to wear it anymore.

Perhaps due to the currently small market for cashmere socks, manufacturers and designers haven't focused much on such design improvements. In contrast, sports and outdoor socks already incorporate reinforced anti-friction designs in the heel and toe areas. From my research, some socks use terry loop yarn technology in these areas. This bouclé cashmere technology is already quite mature - for instance, the Chinese cashmere brand Luoyang King Deer applies it, though primarily in coat production. Most domestic and international cashmere brands' product lines typically don't include accessories like cashmere socks.

I've covered various cashmere techniques in my Lisa Yang article. The teddy cashmere technique from TSE Cashmere below should also work - both create thick, plush textures.

I researched cashmere sock sellers online, including The Row Brunello Cucinelli, and N.Peal . They all use regular plain or ribbed knitting without reinforced heels and toes. The styles are quite simple, seeming like they're all produced by just one or two factories.

Johnston of Elgin has some different designs, as expected from a brand specializing in accessories like scarves and blankets (I've recently grown quite fond of this brand, which I briefly mentioned in the Scottish tweed article).
This was my first time seeing cashmere socks with double-layered ankles - very substantial.

This series specifically uses different colors for the heel and toe areas, but it's just a color difference without any actual reinforcement.

The closest to what I want uses thicker, terry-like cashmere knitting for most of the sock, except at the toes and heels which still use regular plain knitting. It almost seems deliberately designed to wear out so you'll buy new socks.

Now about the cashmere slippers I wore out this year - unsurprisingly, it's the heel area again.

And also the sole - the wear is because I like to jump rope in these slippers. I actually recommend using cashmere slippers for jumping rope at home. They're light, soft, and much quieter than sneakers. The only downside is their poor wear resistance.

It's been a year since I wrote Jumping Rope 2000 Times Daily for 4 Months, Haven't Lost a Pound - Why Do I Keep Going? in May 2024. Though I've kept up with jump roping, my weight hasn't changed at all. For me, the main benefit is heart health - even when I occasionally stay up late, my heart doesn't feel uncomfortable or beat rapidly.

Now I maintain a steady routine of 1000 jumps daily, combined with jumping jacks and shoulder/back stretches. These exercises won't make you slim or sculpt your body, but they keep my heart healthy and shoulders pain-free, which is enough for me. I'm satisfied as long as I don't feel body pain when going to bed at night. I don't have high standards for my figure - eating and drinking well while staying healthy without pain is the greatest happiness.

Back to cashmere slippers - the style I bought is quite rare. Most cashmere slippers on the market have a heel counter, with a shoe-cover-like design, made entirely of cashmere with suede soles, making them very soft. N.Peal offers styles with both cashmere uppers and lining, as well as fox fur-lined versions. They also have more formal Moccasin shoes.

Loro Piana's cashmere slippers also have suede soles.

British mass-market brand Jigsaw's cashmere slippers. They have 80 stores in the UK and are a general clothing brand with some cashmere items.

They're cheaper than the ones above, but the fit is also inferior, looking somewhat crooked.

Epilogue

Overall, I've found that niche cashmere accessories like socks and slippers are primarily made by British cashmere brands of various sizes, as well as Loro Piana.

I should keep recording worn-out clothing - who knows, maybe one day I'll have my own clothing brand. These are all practical experiences.

Lately, I feel the world is changing dramatically, both vertically and horizontally - from TikTok refugees on Xiaohongshu, studies of I Ching and feng shui, to AI development. For the first time since growing up, I feel I'm living in an era of turbulence filled with both changes and opportunities. Previously, developments like the internet, Olympics, and Apple product releases happened when I was young - I simply accepted and used them without much thought. Now, sometimes people feel disconnected, existing mainly through online and digital information, lacking a sense of real life and sensitivity to fresh air and beautiful sunset light.

It's like standing at a busy, neon-lit intersection where everyone else is hurriedly walking - or rather floating - back and forth, while you stand still, unsure what to do. It's too fast; sometimes hard to keep up, and even when you do, it feels exhausting and artificial, lacking solid foundation and grasp of unchanging essentials.

100 years ago, globally, people were criticizing capitalism, consumerism, and material dissatisfaction and greed. Now I think this consumption at least makes people feel alive - through offline shopping, communicating with salespeople, seeing different views from elevated railways, people can feel more connected to the real world. Previously, material dissatisfaction and greed created individual loneliness, focused only on achieving what one wanted, at least grasping something real.

Now it's online networking and social media creating loneliness. Despite appearing social, people are merely participants or spectators in events, with no real social interaction between participants, leading to increased distance between people. Online shopping means getting things delivered within days without visiting stores, chatting with salespeople, or checking latest produce prices. Many people now don't know what they want, mindlessly going through days, months, years, decades amid overwhelming media information and advertising. Time passes, people inadvertently isolate themselves, and mental health issues emerge.

I need to think these things through better later and add them to the story. Looking back, writing an article specifically about holes in socks and slippers is itself an act of grasping real life. I used to think just grasping reality and truth was enough, but now I realize much of reality and truth is repetitive, trivial, ordinary, common, boring - yet we must still hold onto it. Only then can we discover the sparkling moments in ordinary life; these tiny sparks are what people live for. I've always believed people's base color is pessimistic, bravely seeking things meaningful to oneself against this pessimistic background. Most people are ignorant of this, and their ignorance actually lets them live more simply and easily - they don't need to know this point.

I usually don't express personal feelings in fashion articles, but the information I've been receiving lately has been quite impactful - I'm still processing it.

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