Outdoor Apparel Company Showers Pass Has Brought Waterproof Socks To Another Level And To Diverse Clients
Rain can be the ruin of a pleasant day in the great outdoors, but it doesn’t have to be. Beyond ponchos, waterproof gloves and hats, an often-overlooked attire are socks. Hikers, runners, and other outdoor enthusiasts often result to extreme measures to keep their feet dry such as plastic grocery bags put on with duct tape, however technology has relatively recently invented the waterproof sock.
“We are not the first company to make waterproof socks, but we refined them to make them wearable to all sorts of consumers,” says Kyle Ranson, president of Showers Pass, based in Portland, Oregon. Showers Pass originally, and still does to a large extent, develops and markets technologies that appeal to bikers and runners – from marathon participants to commuters and regular joggers. “We have been in business 20 years, an impressive feat in the outdoor industry. Since then, we’ve realized our appeal reaches well beyond bikers,” Ranson chuckles, “I remember this time a 7’2” burley guy came into our office. He barked ‘aren’t you the people that make waterproof socks? I’m with the fire dispatch and those would be good for us.” After that, Ranson and his company realized that these socks are reaching a broad spectrum of consumers. Fire fighters, hikers, runners, and construction workers – they all are known to use the socks offered by Showers Pass.
Do they actually work? “Yes, they do,” as Ranson explains, “the socks have three parts – a loose knit inner layer, then the waterproof membrane, and then a loose knit outer layer. The membrane keeps your feet completely dry and the other layers make them comfortable and act like a regular sock.” This three-layer system is typical in waterproof socks. What sets the Showers Pass socks apart are the “comfort” and the “wear ability.” “We have an employee that wears the socks all day – he loves them. He wears them in while commuting on his bike and then just keeps them on. He says they are as comfortable as any other socks.”
A concern with waterproof socks would be breathability. If one imagines having plastic bags on their feet, sticky and sweaty would be accurate adjectives to describe the feet at the end of the day. Showers Pass’ socks state this is not the case with their socks. Ranson offers an interesting analogy: “imagine you have a screen door. If you throw a tennis ball at it, the ball won’t go through, even though there are holes in it. The membrane is like a screen door where water molecules can’t get through, but air can.”
Something that adds to the comfort, Ranson explains, is the way they form the sock in the factory. Many waterproof socks are formed on a 2D plywood mold which, when the sock is heated and fused together, created an unnatural crease in the socks. Showers Pass uses “something like mannequin feet” for their molds, creating a more accurate representation of the human foot, and a 3D mold that avoids the crease.
Ranson also has personal experience with the socks. “Our marketing director kept on pushing me to wear them while I ran, as I am an avid runner. I was skeptical and have specific socks and shoes I like to wear when running, but decided to give them a try. It was a torrential Northwest downpour and I went for a run with our socks. I noticed about a half a mile into my 6-mile run, I stopped jumping puddles and kept my stride. It was very impressive.”
Along with waterproof socks, Showers Pass has many products geared towards outdoor activities under any weather conditions. “We all love the outdoors,” Ranson says speaking about his employees, “cyclists, runners, hikers, you name it – being outside is what we do.”
Ranson believes in having products that offer consumers a great value for their money. He says that he knows that “we don’t have the cheapest product on the market,” however “we don’t have the most expensive either.” He says that he wants Showers Pass to be known as a company that is accessible to all types of people who like to be in the outdoors. He says, “I want a person that has $100 to spend to get the best they can get for $100.” He mentions that the waterproof jacket they sell is a little under $300, which may seem like a lot to some people, however a same quality jacket runs about $450 at a store like Patagonia.
For a company that has been in business since 1997, their goals are aligned tightly to the vision of creating the best products for cyclists and other outdoor enthusiasts by offering “a wide range of apparel and unique accessories for anyone that faces the elements,” according to the website. Ranson says he never thinks they will be Patagonia. But Patagonia for cyclists in the elements? “That would be nice,” he laughs.
Andrew Malo
A graduate of Northeastern Illinois University in Education, Andrew has taught for the past decade in Chicago, New Mexico, and Japan. He enjoys tinkering with trucks and motorcycles, woodworking, reading and computer programming.
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Showers Pass, born from the desire to develop clothing and gear that would get more people out on their bikes, no matter the weather. Inspired by the challenging rides and variable conditions of Northern California and the Pacific Northwest.