Universal Colours Spectrum Tie-Dye Merino Socks

The Universal Colours Spectrum Tie-Dye Merino Socks are fairly thick and warm, and they fit securely and comfortably. They stay that way when soaked, too. What's more they're ultra fashionable – you can tell from the lower-case logo and the high price – rather than old-fashioned like other tie-dye stuff.

The fabric is 69% merino and at the thicker end of mid-weight, and it's very nice to wear – soft and warm, if not instantly toasty-feeling like some fabrics. With the rest being nylon and a 2% dash of Lycra, the stretch is strong enough for complete security; they're not tight enough to be compressive, and not loose enough to slide down. Perfect.

Wales has had just the occasional drop of rain lately, so I really appreciate how well these keep working even when wet. On one night-ride in particular I coasted into a bit of flooding that just kept getting deeper and longer so that, at about the time I reached periscope depth, I had to start pedalling. My feet were going completely under with every revolution, but even with socks and shoes utterly drenched, my feet stayed just as comfortable for the rest of the ride, with no sense of extra windchill through the upper bits either.

These socks seem less happy with washing, though. The first time through the machine saw the toeboxes emerge looking like hammerhead sharks, and since then I've had to be quite careful about stretching and arranging them on my feet so the extra width doesn't bunch up inside my shoes.

Universal Colours says the dyeing process makes the fabric shrink, and they'll 'ease' with use and washing, so perhaps something about the construction is making that expansion particularly noticeable at the toe. I tested the larger of the two sizes, by the way, and overall they feel just right given I'm right in the middle of the UK 8-11 range.

> Suffering cold feet? Find out how to keep your feet warm cycling through the winter

Washing doesn't seem to affect the dye, and for the record they really are dyed rather than printed – consequently the patterns are unique. If you can understand how this uniqueness means 'you can style and complete any outfit', as Universal Colours claims, then that's presumably worth quite a bit to you.

If you don't fancy this 'Bold Apple Green', there are Navy Blue and Mars Red versions as well.

Value

I was going to say £25 is a lot to pay for a pair of socks, but this is 2023 and £25 probably won't get you a coffee by the time you read this. These are actually on par for designer-brand merino, and close to the MAAP Alt_Road Merino socks that Emma reviewed, which cost £28. Those have a slightly higher wool content (80%) however, and they're a bit lighter too.

The Velocio Winter Wool Sock that Vecchiojo rated is a tiny bit less at £23, and only 58% merino, while the very similar Monton Pro Suutu Merino Socks that so impressed John are £20.

It's not purely the merino you're paying the premium for, though. Those Monton socks are almost constantly discounted to £12, for instance, while the Planet X Holdsworth Argyle Thicky Merino Cycling Socks are £4.99. Okay, they're only 50% wool, but... £4.99.

They were £3.99 at the start of this test (and the MAAPs were £25), but as I said, it's 2023.

Overall

These are great socks, though arguably they should be, given the price. You're definitely paying a premium for the fancy looks and designer branding, but if you like the style the result is very comfortable and works very well.

Verdict

Comfortable, warm and very 'designer' – the high price is as much for the last one as the first two