As a graphic designer, most of my work days involve me sitting at my desk for hours on end – debugging code, tweaking colors or designing postcards. Towards the end of the day (and sometimes even early in the afternoon) I find myself kicking off my shoes to help my feet and my legs relax a little bit. Scratching my nylon-covered legs (or more accurately – rubbing to prevent any tears) is not uncommon. And while I used to think that wearing nylons was too constricting and just kind of annoying, recent developments in fashion technology have made the FUTURO Hosiery brand of nylons not just something you can wear, but also something that can actually benefit you.

3M has recently launched a new brand of hosiery designed specifically for men and women who are on the go, or are stationary for most of the day. The new brand, FUTURO, uses advanced compression technology to help us keep the pep in our step throughout the day, while also helping to address some physical symptoms that may result from different lifestyles. According to Paul Hansen, general manager of 3M Consumer Health Care, the graduated compression therapy technology utilized in the FUTURO hosiery products “help[s] to keep blood moving and restore energy.” The graduated compression means that the compression is strongest at the ankle and then decreases the higher up the leg you go.

FUTURO Hosiery is designed to address four different types of conditions:

Energizing:  Uses mild compression to help improve blood circulation, keeping your legs energized. Ideal for people who are frequently on their feet or are stationary a lot.

Restoring: Designed for active workers, post-surgery patients and pregnant women. Provides an increased compression level to address symptoms of leg fatigue and heaviness, and may relieve symptoms of varicose veins, ankle swelling and edema.

Therapeutic: Helps relieve conditions of varicose veins, ankle swelling and chronic leg fatigue or heaviness. Also available are FUTURO Therapeutic Diabetic Socks which feature Microban Antimicrobial Finish odor-fighting technology.

Anti-Embolism: May help reduce the danger of thromboebolic disorder – a disorder that causes the formation of blood clots inside a blood vessel. People who are most at risk include women who are pregnant and people who stand or sit for prolonged periods of time, such as at work or while traveling.

There are also three different compressions available. Mild and Moderate compressions provides light (or moderate) compression to help relieve symptoms of mild varicose veins, swelling, and tired or aching legs. Firm compressions helps to address chronic aching legs, leg pain, and more severe varicose veins and swelling.

I had the opportunity to try FUTURO Energizing Ultra Sheer Pantyhose and FUTURO Energizing Ultra Sheer Knee Highs for Women. One of the first things I noticed when I pulled the product out of the box was how much sturdier the fabric felt than other nylons. The FUTURO Nylons that I tried are 85% Nylon and 15% Spandex. Whereas with most nylons, the fabric feels very flimsy and easy to tear with a snag of the cuticle, I felt like the FUTURO nylons were much more durable.

As I put them on, I definitely noticed the change in tightness of the nylon depending on if I was closer to my ankle, knee, or hip. Around the ankle, the nylon feels firmer and tighter, while around the waist and hips, it’s much easier to pull – which is useful for those of us who may have a little extra junk in our trunk. While this gradually change in tightness may make the nylons easier for us ladies to put on, and more comfortable for us to wear, I think what I was noticing was the “gradual compression” technology built into the nylons. While there’s really no way for me to test for improved blood circulation, I can say that after wearing both the FUTURO Knee Highs and the FUTURO pantyhose to work, I did not notice any leg fatigue after sitting at my desk for hours. There was even a point late one Friday afternoon, when I was standing at the printer waiting for a flyer to print, that I actually noticed the firm yet comforting pressure of the nylons around my knees.

The pantyhose and knee highs that I received were in the Medium Nude color. You can see from the picture, where my left leg has on the FUTURO Energizing Knee high and my right leg is my normal skin, that the medium nude color gives my legs a nice tan in the middle of winter, but still looks very natural. Another feature that I really liked was that the reinforced toe looked like it was actually reinforced and was thick (but not too much,) unlike some nylons where the toe portion is still relatively thin and one good toe-stub would initiate a tear in the reinforced portion.

If you have to wear nylons, then I highly suggest you try a pair from the FUTURO Hosiery product line. They are a high quality nylon that also can offer health benefits while you wear them. While they may be higher priced than other nylons on the market, the potential benefits far outweigh the costs. Especially if you consider that you usually have to toss out the cheap-o brands after one or two wears because by then they’ve torn. And even more so if wearing FUTURO Hosiery is able to reduce chronic leg conditions. (Trust me…FUTURO Hosiery is still much cheaper than a trip to the doctor’s office.)

FUTURO Hosiery from 3M is currently on sale at drugstores and online retailers nation wide from $10 to $35, depending on the product and style. Available colors include nude, navy, black, brown and white in sizes small to extra large. Both men’s and women’s styles are available. For more information about FUTURO Hosiery from 3M, please visit www.futuro-usa.com.

What’s Cooking at DD FUTURO Hosiery Giveaway!

The Prize:

Three winners will receive THREE FUTURO Hosiery from 3M products!

To Enter:

Make sure you follow the directions carefully. All giveaway entries should use the ENTRY FORM. You only need to fill out the ENTRY FORM once, unless you decide to additional earn extra entries at a later time. You can earn up to 12 entries into the WCatDD FUTURO Hosiery Giveaway by doing one, some or all of the following:

Ways to Earn Entries:

Make sure you use this ENTRY FORM for your entries to count!

1. THIS ENTRY IS REQUIRED FOR ALL OTHER ENTRIES TO BE VALID (+1): Visit www.futuro-usa.com and tell me one thing you learned about FUTURO Hosiery or one product that you would like to try.
2. Post this giveaway on your blog (+3)
3. Tweet about this giveaway using the “retweet” link at the top of this post or by tweeting “Keep your legs energized and healthy whether on the go or staying still by winning the @WCatDD FUTURO Hosiery Giveaway! http://bit.ly/bhjcsp” (+1)
4. Subscribe to WCatDD (+1)
5. Follow WCatDD on Twitter (+1)
6. Fan our WCatDD Facebook Page (+1)
7. Follow us on Google Friend Connect (+1)
8. Follow us using Network Blogs (+1)
9. Add the WCatDD button to Your Site (+2)

The Rules:

Three winners will be selected at random for this prize.

Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM EST, March 1, 2010.

Visit our Giveaway Rules page for general giveaway rules that also apply to this giveaway.

Disclaimer: This post consists of my (and/or fellow tester) opinions only. Your experiences may be different. No compensation was given for this review/giveaway. I did receive free FUTURO Hosiery from the manufacturer or their representing PR agency to use and test for the purposes of this review. This did not affect the outcome of this review.

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