R&D
THE PROBLEM
Reality
in real military operations the foot sits in a hot, wet, closed space for hours. The skin's normal bacteria shift, friction climbs, and minor irritation turns into blisters, infection, and degraded soldier readiness. The sock is the layer touching the skin the whole time, and it's the least studied piece of gear in the system.
Reality
Existing commercial solutions rely heavily on marketing claims rather than standardized, repeatable testing under realistic military conditions.
- Marketing claims are rarely tied to documented test conditions
- Comparisons lack controlled variables
- Failure modes are not tracked systematically
Phase-I
Working thesis
Forge Operations develops and validates bio-responsive textile systems to reduce human performance degradation in military environments.
Phase I study design
Baseline
First testing environment
First testing environment
Participants wear standard-issue socks for a set period to establish a starting point..
First testing environment
First testing environment
First testing environment
Participants complete a loaded ruck march in 2 to 3 test sock materials and a control, wearing the same boots across conditions.
Sampling
Sampling
Sampling
Plantar skin swabs are taken before and after load, following established footwear-microbiome protocols.
Analysis
Sampling
Sampling
Samples undergo 16S rRNA sequencing through a partner lab, and temperature and humidity are logged every session.
RoadMap
Phase I: Can we measure it?
Show that sock material produces a measurable, repeatable microbiome shift under load.
Phase II: Does it matter?
A larger controlled trial linking material to outcomes soldiers feel: friction, hot spots, blisters, skin irritation.
Phase III: Build it.
Put the best-performing materials into Berry-compliant production socks, and extend the methods to gloves and base layers.
Status and Call to action
Where we are now
Phase I is in study design. We're looking for faculty collaborators, lab partners, and sequencing support.