NEW YORK CITY — Another winter, another struggle to keep your feet warm.
But before you impulse-buy a pair of high-tech arctic thermo boots, listen up: A growing number of companies are harnessing nature's most insulating fibers, often from animals native to frigid winters.
Forget Merino and cashmere. Here's where to buy a pair of made-in-America socks that are warmer, lighter, less irritating and more durable than wool.
ALPACA
Alpacas are native to the South American Andes, so their fleece is designed to handle extremely cold climes. Alpaca hair is great for sensitive skin because it's hypoallergenic and feels soft and silky like cashmere or mohair — only it's much lighter, stronger and better at wicking moisture away from the skin. Like sheep, alpacas are usually shorn annually, and then the fleece is graded by color and fineness. Domestic alpaca fiber production is relatively small compared to countries like Peru, so many sock companies import the fleece and do their manufacturing stateside.
Where to buy:
Dalhgren
Warrior Alpaca Socks
America's Alpaca
The Alpaca Fiber Cooperative of North America has around 2,000 members who send in fleece to be turned into yarn, blankets and apparel under the America's Alpaca brand. The popular "Extreme" sock line is out of stock for the time being, however you can still purchase black or brown dress socks for $20. The yarn contains 54 percent alpaca fiber from right here in the U.S.A.
BISON
At the end of the 19th century, the American bison or buffalo had been hunted to the brink of extinction. But the continent's largest land mammal has returned to healthy population numbers, and ranchers now breed them for their meat, leather and down. Once slaughtered, the animal's winter undercoat is harvested for down; the process is labor intensive, so be prepared to pay a premium for the luxurious results. The fiber is lightweight, durable (read: machine washable) and hypoallergenic; it also insulates and wicks moisture better than wool, which means warm, dry feet all winter.
Where to buy:
United by Blue
Buffalo Gold
Lester's Bison Farm
MUSK OX
The musk ox lives in the frigid Arctic, and its fur is multiple times warmer than wool or even alpaca. It's a protected species in Alaska, and like bison, the American musk ox was once dangerously close to extinction. Fiber made from the musk ox's undercoat is known as quiveut, or quiviut, and is extremely light and fine. It's also very rare, since it's usually harvested by hand-combing the animals or collecting fibers from the ground after they've naturally been shed.
Where to buy:
Quiveut
At her studio in Alaska, artist Margaret Rye weaves and knits custom quiveut blankets, shawls and accessories — including slipper socks you won't want to take off all winter. Each order is knitted by hand (allow 4 weeks) or on a machine (allow 2 weeks) using 40 percent quiveut blended with Merino wool or silk for elasticity. Since these are handmade socks made from hand-harvested fibers, they don't come cheap: women's sizes range from $195-$225 and men's are $210-$240. If you're handy with a pair of needles, you can buy a skein of sock yarn instead for $75.
Plus: Although they don't make socks, the Arctic Quiviut company and the Oomingmak co-operative do sell American quiveut apparel and yarn. Time to get crafty!