Over the last few decades, has become a staple of outdoor gear. It keeps you warm when the weather is cold but helps you stay cool when it’s warm out. It never gets stinky even with high-intensity, sweaty activities and it’s soft against your skin – unlike old-school wool.
Best of all, it’s a and therefore biodegradable. Today, there are two standout companies creating outdoor apparel using merino wool: Smartwool and Icebreaker. These brands have many similarities, and a few key differences so we decided to take a deep dive into both companies, looking at where they came from, what they stand for and the quality and value of their products.
Smartwool claims to be the first company to create merino wool . It was founded in 1994 in the resort town of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, by two ski instructors – Peter and Patty Duke – who say they just wanted to ski without getting cold feet. Fair enough.
The husband and wife team started out their venture in their garage making ski socks using merino wool treated with chlorine to make it itch-free and resistant to shrinking. The same year, the Dukes sold Smartwool to Denver-based VF Corporation, whose subsidiaries include The North Face, Dickies, Vans,and Timberland. In 2018, the reported that VF moved the headquarters down to Denver, so while it’s no longer based in a mountain town, it’s still considered a Colorado company.
Today, Smartwool is the best-known merino apparel brand in the US and they still make ski socks .
