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"Dahlgren Footwear, Inc. was founded in 1979, by Ray Dahlgren, the eldest son of Babe Dahlgren who replaced Lou Gehrig at first base in 1939 with the New York Yankees, an occasion that has become known as one of the greatest moments in sports history. Ray Dahlgren followed his dad's footsteps as a professional baseball pitcher in the Houston Astros, San Franscisco Giants, Atlanta Braves and Boston Red Sox organizations. After his retirement from baseball, Ray turned his attentions to the sporting goods and outdoor industries. At that time, there were only two types of socks available to serious, performance-minded athletes: all cotton or all acrylic. All cotton provided the benefit of coolness necessary for active sports in varied climates. Yet cotton was problematic because the tops fell down consistently, bunches up in the foot area and causing discomfort. All acrylic proved more efficient in holding up the top, yet was undesirable because it made athletes' feet hot and sweaty, giving the sensation of a "foot on fire" and hampering performance.

Prompted by the problem professional athletes were experiencing with typical socks, Dahlgren created a sock with a cotton foot, to provide the desired coolness, and an acrylic top, to help the socks stay up (this sock became known as the Cotton FootTM). This was an entirely new concept that would be the first in a long list of breakthroughs for this budding, young company. The sock was extremely successful and adopted as part of the official uniforms of teams such as the Los Angeles Rams, the San Diego Chargers, the Seattle Seahawks, and the Oakland Raiders.

After three years of success on the retail market, Dahlgren decided it was time to take technology one step further. In deciding how to improve upon an already excellent product, Dahlgren turned to the shoe industry. Shoe technology had evolved to improve the comfort and fit of a shoe by the strategic use of cushioning and structure. Therefore, a sock that was merely padding or cushioning was redundant and wasted space. In order to create a more efficient system, Dahlgren realized that moisture control should be the primary focus of a sock.

Sixteen years of extensive research in the area of podiatry and the properties of different fibers produced the pride of Dahlgren Footwear: the patented Dri-StrideTM System. This system, designed from the inside out to be the first of its kind, is zone constructed to suit the needs of the foot, utilizing specific yarns in specific zones (high moisture zones and moisture transfer zones) to help control the climate and temperature of the foot.

At Dahlgren Footwear, we believe that spending a great deal of time and money selecting the perfect pair of outdoor, athletic, or comfort shoes becomes completely worthless when they are paired with just an average pair of socks. That's why we don't make socks, we make technical footwear."