These socks do shed, a lot.  The feel is very much like a normal white athletic sock except its black.  The shedding doesn't really bother me.

What I do like is they tend to stay up on your ankle like an athletic sock rather than sag down like the thin dress socks.  Since they look more like athletic socks than dress socks I guess one wouldn't call them elegant, but real men don't pay any attention to each others socks so I wouldn't hesitate to wear them formally anywhere.  They are thicker than normal and give you a little more cushion, and I suspect more blister protection, although I haven't tested that yet.

After one week I got no complaints.