The History of Metal Equipped

1952
Foundation
Metal Equipped, ME, was founded in 1952 under the name Trico – as a textile company focusing on providing socks and specialised items of clothing for the domestic market.
1952
VIÐAR
80s
Focus shift
The focus of the company changed in the 80s to producing protective footwear following the growing presence of metal smelting industries in Iceland – especially aluminium smelting.

The smelting industry in Iceland is built on the abundant renewable, carbon free energy on the Island – stemming both from volcanic thermal heat and hydroelectric power from glacier waterfalls. This industry sets high standards for both environmental and work safety.
80s
90s
Award-winning products
During the nineties Metal Equipped pioneered the development of heat resistant protective socks under the leadership Mr. Viðar Magnusson, the owner and managing director – winning a number of awards. His innovation was to use designed blend of fabrics (Kermel, Viscose FR and Wool) to deliver maximum amount of heat resistance while maintaining comfort and flexibility. Mr. Viðar Magnusson´s socks have until this day been produced and sold under the name of Viðar and Týr.
90s
Helga Viðarsdóttir
Early 2000s
Generational shift & expansion
In early 2000 there was a generational shift in Metal Equipped as Viðar’s daughter – Ms. Helga Viðarsdóttir took over as a managing director. Helga shifted the focus of the company towards international sales – marketing the well tested Icelandic socks to wider world.
Early 2000s
Today
Best in class, worldwide
Today, Ms. Viðarsdóttir is a member of the European Committee for Standardization, Technical Committee 162 / WG2. The scope of CEN/TC162 is to prepare European Standards (requirements and testing) in the field of clothing to protect against physical and chemical hazards.

We have hundreds of happy customers around the globe that chose to be Metal Equipped, backed by 60+ years of experience on the PPE market. Our expert knowledge of specialist textiles continues to grow.
Today

Our fabrics

Kermel

Kermel is a polyamide-imide, classified in the meta-aramid family. This very high technological fibre does not melt nor burn when exposed to extreme high temperatures. Its excellent properties make it the ideal choice for heat and flame-resistant textiles.

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Lenzing

LENZING™ FR is a sustainably produced inherently flame-resistant cellulosic fiber based on Lenzing’s renowned Modal fiber production process. LENZING™ FR is commonly blended with other high-performance fibers to produce unique protective solutions for a variety of industrial applications.

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WOOL

Wool is naturally flame resistant and offers a greater level of fire safety than other fibres. In addition, wool does not melt, drip or stick to the skin when it burns. Wool’s flame-resistant properties make it an ideal for personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect firemen, military personnel and anyone else exposed to fire or explosives. Wool’s characteristic of only smoldering and not melting or dripping onto skin, can itself be a lifesaver.

Choose your preferred footwear
For heavy metal industry & Military

VIÐAR

VIÐAR

The thick boot sock

Choose VIÐAR
TÝR

TÝR

The thin boot sock

Choose TÝR

Metal
Equipped

Military grade fire retardant socks. Designed in Iceland.

Contact us

Order our socks

About ME