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Sock it 2 me – The best running socks

We all love having fresh kicks to run in, and there’s possibly an argument that a lot of people that are now into running first got into it because of the footwear hype.  Money, It’s gotta be the shoes?!

However, I think a lot of people mistakenly overlook the importance of investing in good running socks. After spending time and money getting the right shoe  (which I can help you with here) why go and spoil it by using a cheap unshaped sports sock?

During my first year running I tried numerous brands and types of running socks in order to find the one that I bonded with the most, yes I did say bonded. You read that right. If I’m running for 2 hours, then I need to be in comfort and that includes my running socks.

The biggest problem I came across was finding a sock that fitted my foot perfectly, I don’t like any excess material (as this can cause blisters) and being a UK8 (shoe size, not dress size) my biggest hurdle was finding a brand that had a size range that accommodated this without it being the smallest or largest size in a  range ( for example 5-8 or 8-11). I either found the sock  too small or too big. It seems that brands has recognised this recently as some now go to a 8.5, 1000 mile and Nike being 2 of those brands.

In my quest for sock harmony I tried offerings from Asics, X-socks, 1000 Miles and Nike socks. It might be a surprise to some that a Nike sock wasn’t my favourite,  in fact my number one choice was the 1000 miles compression sock, but you can check out my summary of each of them below.

running socks

 

1000 Mile Compression

These were my favourite sock by a country mile (or kilometre depending on how you role). For a start they are at a great price point, half the price of some of the socks I tested. They accommodated my foot size with their medium size covering 6-8.5. The height of the sock was spot one, and the thickness of the sock underfoot was great. I don’t really like a too thick a running sock as I feel that I don’t get as good a fit as I do with a thinner sock.

You can purchase these direct from 1000 Mile here

 

Asics Compression Sock.

By far the most expensive of all the socks I tried at £35. They fitted me nicely (foot wise) and they were a nice thickness underfoot, however I found that they weren’t long enough, they stopped about 5 inches from my knee. My juicy calfs may be a reason behind this……I wish!

If you have just won the lottery click here to make your purchase.

 

Nike Elite Cushioned Crew

Even though these are not my favourite sock I do still use  them, I also wear them casually as they are comfortable. As the name suggests they are well cushioned, maybe a little too much. If you already own your running shoes which of course fit nicely if you followed my guide, you may find these a bit to thick and find the shoe becomes a little tight. They do however come in loads of bright colours which I am a bit partial to.

You can get those here.

 

X-Sock Marathon sock.

Probably my second favourite sock to date, these are my go to summer sock as they are much lower than the others. Not much to really say with these except that they have everything I look for in a lower cut sock is in this pair. Good sizing, nice material and good price point.

Best price that I found is here at Wiggle.

 

As with your footwear choice, I would, if possible try as many running socks as you can until you find the right one, if you’ve spent good money on new shoes you can be sure  that it is worth the extra effort.

I wonder how many of all the people that get blisters how many actually put the blisters down to the socks their wearing. I bet most of them blame the shoes!!

Money, It might not be the shoes!