OT: are Twin City socks really all that?

Submitted by 707oxford on

Three and Out kept getting pushed down my priority list until just recently. Despite the fact that I live in Florida and don't really wear socks very often, when I came across the following text, I knew I had to have these...

 

     But before the players do any of those things, they stand in line at the equipment managers’ window to get the gear they deem most important. It’s not the $257 helmets or $330 shoulder pads or even the $150 jerseys.
     Nope. It’s the $4 socks. But not just any socks. Twin City socks—the thickest you can find.
     Center David Molk, at the front of the line, handed me a pair. They are so dense, you could wear them as slippers around the home—or fill them with water.
     “Best part of being a Michigan football player,” Molk said, holding up a pair, “is these socks.” Every one of his ­teammates—and I mean every one—agreed with that assessment.
     At dinner Molk approached linebacker Jonas Mouton, who was enjoying a huge helping of pretty much everything.
     Molk asked Mouton if he knew where his Twin City socks had gone.
     “I don’t know, man,” Mouton replied, taking a bite out of his drumstick and chewing very slowly. “Go see Big Jon.” Falk, that is, the equipment manager.
     “It’s dinner,” Molk said. “He’s not here.”
     “Go see him tomorrow,” Mouton said, picking up a roll.
     “I want them now.”
     “Guess you’ll just have to wait, then.”
     After Molk turned and walked to the back of the buffet, ticked off, Mouton leaned forward and said, “I’m wearin’ ’em.”

 

Just a little googling reveals a huge number of cuts, styles, etc. from Twin City. So my question to the board is: does anyone know what kind the players get that are supposedly so good? If not, I would settle for a product review from anyone who has bought these, including the style they got and whether they lived up to expectations set by the description in the book.  Thanks in advance for any feedback.

Yes, my first thread on the MGoBoard is about socks.

Please hurry football season, etc., etc.

 

LB

July 27th, 2012 at 2:51 PM ^

Socks that Jon Falk hands out. Socks that Molk did not want to hit until they were a quivering pile of thread in the corner. FOOTBAW socks, for crying out loud!

Wolverine0056

July 27th, 2012 at 3:00 PM ^

They probably are all that. Since you have to think that with all of the running athletes (not just football players) do, these socks are probably pretty good at helping reduce blisters. And since blisters suck, I would be all about running in a good pair of socks.

Section 1

July 27th, 2012 at 5:00 PM ^

http://www.tcksports.com/index.php/tck-products/sock-styles/crew/uct-blister-resister-crew-sock.html 

Jon Falk offers(ed) two styles for games; the Crew and an over-the calf style.

You can order them through two places that I know of in Michigan.  (There probably are a lot more.)

One is the Varsity Shop in Birmingham (ask for Ryan White; he will know exactly what you are talking about):

http://www.thevarsityshop.com/about-us 

There is another place, whose name escapes me now, in the western part of lower Michigan, and I will post it later. 

Section 1

July 27th, 2012 at 9:26 PM ^

Seriously, the name I was blanking on is Gary at Sportsarama in Sturgis:

http://sportsarama-mi.com/ 

And the reason that I'd like to throw some business his way is because he is a friend of Jon Falk's, it's just nice to send business to guys like that, who are also friends of the Michigan football program.  Gary is a very good guy.

By the way, the monogrammed "M" socks is something I'd like to see Moe's carry; I called them about this a long time ago but the subject just died.

markinmsp

July 28th, 2012 at 9:02 AM ^

 Socks I have are the generic white ones with reinforced toe/heel. Is personally knowing Falk the only way you can get them with the Michigan “M” on them? Do they have the monogrammed ones at those two retailers you mentioned? (Sportsarama and Varsity?) Love the socks and I want some!

Section 1

July 28th, 2012 at 9:14 AM ^

The M socks are strictly a special order placed by Jon  Falk for the team.

The 2011 M socks were embroidered.  Back in the '60's, the circle-M socks were all silkscreened or printed somehow, such that they quickly got faded with washing (see the Michigan-OSU photo).

Lucky Socks

July 27th, 2012 at 3:11 PM ^

I own several pairs and love them (can you tell?). Supreme cushioning prevents blisters from even considering my foot as a habitat. Nice and warm for the fall or winter. Ankle coverage is a bonus. Could have a little more aesthetic appeal but I endorse them completely.

dayooper63

July 27th, 2012 at 3:18 PM ^

My son (a 9 year old "football player") loves them.  He is required to have black socks for games and that's what he asks for.  He doesn't know the brand, but remembers the package.

BTW - I bought these before I read Three and Out.

M Wolve

July 27th, 2012 at 3:26 PM ^

Everything about them is true. They're more comfy than wool socks and wont cause a rain forest-esk storm of sweat down your feet. The twin cities that all of the players talk about are the standard white socks that go just below the calf. Ill probably order another pair or two just because of this thread.

Section 1

July 27th, 2012 at 3:29 PM ^

I have some; from the team.  I'll put up pictures when I can.  And I'll explain which model to get, to get the ones like the team's socks.

They are yummy.  Can I say "Yummy" on MGoBlog?  I just did.

Edit:  Hey, Lucky Socks; you look like you've got the correct avatar.  "Blister Resister" crew socks are the ticket.

Section 1

July 28th, 2012 at 12:36 AM ^

The team-issued socks that I wanted, and got, were the white crews with the embroidered Block M's on them.  They were all custom-ordered from TCK by Jon Falk through a Michigan retailer.  With some very minor differences ("twin city" stitched in a different color thread) the Blister Resisters that we can buy are the same socks.

I am guessing that Jon also ordered plain navy socks too; along with whatever the players wanted and that he could get for them.

I diaried a bit about the M socks here.

Tater

July 27th, 2012 at 6:00 PM ^

Dude:  you live in Florida.  The only reasons to use thick socks here are as weapons filled with small rocks, or as containers, depending upon how civilized you are.  Putting them on one's feet would make a lot of microorganisms very happy, but probably not their human host.

XM - Mt 1822

July 27th, 2012 at 11:35 PM ^

Now I'm going to have to go buy a pair.   I never once looked at my football socks, and when I was a baseball player we just wore the typical, thin sanitaries.  

Hobo5589

July 28th, 2012 at 6:31 PM ^

I have a buddy that knows Big Jon and he got me two pairs of twin city socks.  One pair is a navy blue Mohair Tube pair and they are amazing in the winter, by far the most comfortable socks I have ever worn.  The second pair is the white with the black M's on there.  The package just saus "TCK Performance".  He said that these socks were the wrong length.  They are really comfortable as well, essentially the same as the navy ones I have.

Section 1

July 28th, 2012 at 9:20 PM ^

We have an Athletic Director (no doubt a great guy, whom we are lucky to have right now) who is so focused on selling branded and licensed stuff, that he messes around with the game day jersey designs, etc., to promote 'demand.'

And yet here is a product that has near-cult status, being worshipped on a kind of black market.  A ready-made market.

I do wonder how it works with adidas' control over such things.  Is the Athletic Department forbidden from acknowldeging the existence of the TCK socks?  I don't know.  (I am not going to leap to the conclusion that John U. Bacon's literary association with the product is what is poisonous to any official marketing.  I can't imagine it is that big a deal.)

Hobo5589

July 28th, 2012 at 9:42 PM ^

I dont know if UM cannot recognize the TCK socks but I know of a story from a guy who knows big jon and he said that back in 2008 when we went to that monsoon in South Bend, the players wanted gloves that were specifically made for the rain.  Well these gloves werent Adidas gloves, these were some other company who mades gloves that were good for wet/rainy games.  Big Jon handed them out that game and I guess Adidas was not to happy with them wearing some random company.  So now UM players have to wear Adidas gloves no matter the weather or Adidas gets pissed.

I love DB but I always give him crap for whatever he can do to make money to help the university like T-Shirts for these one time games or anything the team wears he tries to get it in the MDEN stores.  Yet, I sometimes end up being one of those people that end up in MDEN purchasing one of those warmups or workout shirts....oops