It's well known that unstoppable forces require comfortable feet in lightweight, durable, high-performance socks. As a result, SolidFire has once again teamed with Save Our Soles to produce SolidFire Sock 3.0. New features of Sock 3.0 are immediately noticeable, including better graphics, protective white phalanges cover, and a nod to the new parent company with coloring compatible with its corporate motif.

1. Save Our Soles' homespun ingenuity and manufacturing (100% Colorado produced) is
based on yarns and knitting machines produced in Italy and Switzerland, due to Alpine and
sub-Alpine characteristics of the sock-knitting process being similar to those found on the
front range of the Rockies. I was assured this was true, and they weren't just
spinning a yarn.
The motif can best be described as "Elio's torso falling down the stairs" in a mix of blue and
white on a red background. The cuff brandishes the SolidFire logo, as has been tradition
with SolidFire Sock v1.0 and 2.0.
SolidFire chose the colors Red 03 (PMS 186C), Bahama Blue (PMS 660C), and white out of
the 65 colors available from Save Our Soles due to the similarity to corporate branding
colors of SolidFire Pantone Red 186C and NetApp Pantone Blue 300C.
The socks are delivered in redundant pairs in cardboard packaging (100% post-consumer content) with a gross shipping weight of 2.1
ounces (60 grams). Sock scale-out potential is nearly infinite, simply get as many pairs of socks as are needed for the unstoppable force.
As you've come to expect from SolidFire, scale out is entirely linear with capacity and performance increasing with each Sock 3.0
(pair) deployed. Performance is measured in the industry standard of STEPs. The number of STEPs is workload- and outer footwear-
dependent, but expectations are that each Sock 3.0 should be able to deliver at least 1,000,000 STEPs with proper care.
Socks are delivered in two configurations: "M" for lower capacity feet (US: Mens 7-9.5, Womens 8.8-10.5) and "L" for higher capacity feet
(US: Mens 10-12, Womens 11-13). This reviewer's size-14 feet begged for slightly more capacity than was offered by L. Despite this
limitation, Sock 3.0 performed flawlessly during a full-day stress test during "NetApp/SolidFire Day One," including an all-hands meeting,
various paperwork-signing lines, and an event not previously seen at SolidFire called a "Beer Bash."
A high-density cluster of rack-mounted
socks, ready for deployment.
Sock 3.0 Technical Overview
SolidFire + NetApp = Unstoppable Force
It's well known that unstoppable forces require comfortable feet in lightweight, durable, high-performance socks. As a result, SolidFire
has once again teamed with Save Our Soles to produce SolidFire Sock 3.0. New features of Sock 3.0 are immediately noticeable,
including better graphics, protective white phalanges cover, and a nod to the new parent company with coloring compatible with its
corporate motif.
Product Description
SolidFire doesn’t use your average yak fleece. Save Our Soles offers a variety of wools, for example quality Merino wool and Eco SoleMax
yarn made from recycled plastic bottles. SolidFire chose the CoreSpun CoolMax yarn, designed with a LYCRA fiber core to promote
moisture control for stressful situations, extra strength for unstoppable forces, and excellent stretch recovery for strenuous pushes. This
should not be confused with SolidFire Fibre Channel, which offers many excellent features, but was not used in producing these socks.

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Sock 3.0 Technical Overview by Andy Banta, @AndyBanta
Toe-to-Toe Comparison
In a quick comparison with Sock 2.0, Sock 3.0 measures up favorably. Comfort
right out of the box was good, and user reactions were positive. "Hey, I haven't
seen those before," and "Are those the new socks?" are representative of the
feedback. While the picture seems to indicate Sock 3.0 has a larger footprint,
SolidFire and Save Our Soles are quick to point out this is a difference in
workload, and not a factor of the sock itself.
Stretch Capabilities
Sock 3.0 "L" configuration demonstrated remarkable extensibility while in 16 hours of use on the admittedly over-provisioned size-14
feet. Once taken out of service following the stress test, the pair of Sock 3.0 models exhibited slight dampness and musk but quickly
relaxed to a mere .25 inches more than their original heel-to-toe length, a nearly insignificant 3% increase. Post-laundering
measurements are not yet available, as laundry day is Saturday.
Interoperability
It should be noted that, as with all SolidFire products, Sock 1.0 and Sock 2.0 are still within
their service lives and can be intermixed in a cluster with Sock 3.0 in any combination and
for any capacity. Sock 3.0 excels in both greenfield and brownfield deployments, for both
initial roll-out scenarios and sock-to-sock upgrades.
Usability
One of the cornerstones of SolidFire is usability, and Sock 3.0 is a perfect example of that.
Sock 3.0 is usable by most with a kindergarten education level with little or no supervision.
Administrative functions, such as laundering, sorting, and folding require slightly more
experience, but no special expertise.
Serviceability
Sock 3.0 is completely field replaceable. This is commonly done in pairs but can also be done individually when circumstances
require. Repairs might be available from outside services proficient in "stitching" or "darning," but no factory refurbishing is available
through SolidFire or Save Our Soles.
Reliability
Sock 3.0 is a freshly released product, but both SolidFire and Save Our Soles have extensive history of rigorously testing products.
Even so, I personally tested Sock 3.0 by putting on hiking boots, walking 20 steps, and taking off the boots 50 times. Results were
perfect: The socks "booted" 50 times without fail.
Physical Specifications
• Weight (per sock): 1 ounce (28 grams)
• Length (heel-to-toe): 9.75 inches (248 mm)
• Height (heel to cuff): 7.75 inches (197 mm)
• Nominal foot-size capacity was exceeded by 2 foot sizes (US Mens) with no adverse effects.
• Other nominal capacities were not measured.
All for as-tested Sock 3.0, L configuration
solidfire.com
@solidfire
#UnstoppableSocks