Walking in Wool

Brand spotlight: Giesswein.

Trainers that you can wear without socks. We’re already sold.

Nothing beats the feeling of toes stretched into the corners of your shoes, your feet breathing as you walk, and knowing that your shoes are ethically made too.

That is what you get with Giesswein trainers. They’re made from Merino wool, which is a renewable and sustainable fibre, keeping your feet temperature regulated and if you step in a muddy puddle, you can pop them in the wash, perfect if you end up on an unexpected adventure.

Merino wool is made from two different cells and when they rub together, they have deodorising properties, meaning you can hop, skip and jump without the risk of smelly shoes. So there is no smell and no sweat, but that isn’t all that these trainers have going for them. 

When we road-tested them, we noticed how lightweight they were. All too often we find trainers and workout shoes that are padded and cushioned within an inch of their lives, leaving us feeling like we are about to walk across the surface of the moon. But, these guys are far from that. They are super light and breathable, weighing around 200 grams each. If that doesn’t mean much to you, we can tell you they feel weightless on your feet.

We love that they look good as well as doing their jobs properly, which is something that the designers put a lot of pride upon.

Now it would be easy to think that these are a fair-weather shoe, being light-weight and woollen, but they are proving to be just as good in the rain as they are in sunnier skies. They have the technology to absorb up to 33% of their own weight in moisture, so it’s one less excuse to avoid a walk in the rain.

We have been trying them out on our morning workout as well as walking round the Moddershall Oaks grounds. Next on our list is to try them during our Made in Hell challenge to see how they face up to that!

We’ve retired the trainer socks and we are happily walking in wool.