Review: PONGO London’s Dip Socks
(2024) Flashy cycling attire is rarely seen around the locker room area of creakybottombracket.com. There might be the occasional dayglo on a hanger, but Mario Cipollini-inspired kits are hardly stomached. We believe cycling gear should be minimalist, simple, and straightforward. There are no zebra print speed suits hidden away, and there never will be bodysuits mimicking the musculature of the human body. Our stringent expectations of cycling wear extends from head to toe, which is how we select our socks.
PONGO London has occupied the Review column before. We even went a little dangerous ordering white socks with black paint dripping down the side. It looked cool on social media. It was a deeper dive when the array of Dip Socks were discovered, and they were scooped up. Simply - PONGO London’s line of dip socks have a thin color across the top, a thick contrasting band immediately below, and a white base along with heel and toe variations. The contrasts are hi-vis and navy, yellow and red, or navy and orange. Simple design with simple colors.
Having used the recent PONGO London Dip socks, there feels an improvement in the fabric from our prior pair. The Italian material is smoother, stretchier, and carefully selected. Perhaps PONGO’s material selection is how the socks appear so stylish. Their design reduces the dreaded twisted sock appearance. It’s hard to be taken seriously at the local group ride when patterns are askew.
It should be highlighted that these socks clean up easily. On our first outing, road drainage was everywhere, taking the brilliant white and replacing it with dingy gray. An immediate removal at the end of the ride and right into the washer, the socks cleaned right up. These might be the socks for cross riders insisting on white, but don’t quote us on the socks holding up to slinging mud.
PONGO London’s sock design is definitely worth the purchase for a host of reasons. The socks are soft and comfortable. They look fantastic. And with so many color combinations, it would be easier to line up with the team kit. Act quickly, though, as we missed out on PONGO London’s Band Royal socks. We kept assuming we would get around to ordering them, but they were sold out recently. For now we will keep admiring the craftsmanship of PONGO London’s cycling socks. Simple is best.
