I got these to use as winter socks - just wanted a little ankle coverage under sweats while working at the barn in the cold mornings. I needed a sock that was soft, would lie smoothly inside a heavy pair of water proof clogs or boots, and would not shrink or come out of the washer & dryer misshapen. Sounds pretty simple, right? After trying two other brands of similar styles that all either shrank or lost their elastic at the top with washing, I got these from Amazon. Very nice indeed! I go through two pairs of socks a day, so they get washed ALOT and these have held up well. They still fit smoothly around the top of the foot & the elastic is correct and they are very soft against the skin.