I fought the no-show sock wars of the '90s, so as a veteran, I cannot concede the hill on which I died. That said, I'm a big Swiftwick Aspire fan and I've been a big fan of their rebrand. Can't go wrong with Feetures either. On the other hand, Bandit socks have been poor in durability and mediocre in feel for pretty much every pair I've had. Look great but the $ doesn't justify the performance.
I like that you took this route. My sock drawer is extensive so I appreciate you taking time to write this.
Any sock made in Italy seem to do the trick. I like the Rapha Team sock. The DIstrict Vision Sock with Cordura is great but does lose its softness after a while.
Im a fan of toe socks for longer trail runs. Injinji does it right for fit, branding and colors are another story. The Satisfy Merino toe sock creates a nice little house for each toe, and they have improved durability since the first round. Arc’teryx also has a nice merino blend that I find myself leaning towards. Stance socks are incredibly durable if you want bang for your buck.
I also liked the race day sock from Near Earth, first wear was really nice and it kept my feet blister free after a full day running in the rain.
Not sure if it matters but I like having a direct L and R on the sock.
Nash needs to fire you over his Currently Running waffles. Love your breakdown above. Near Earth, Christian, is such a veteran to the game; one of running's best photographers and all in all stud. From the ultra humble beginnings to where he and the socks have gone, it's incredible. For the culture! <3 ya man, big time stan over here
Everyone will have their favorites, but I've been running in WrightSock Coolmesh for 15 years and have never (that's never, if you're keeping score at home) had a blister. They are dual layer, so the sock slides on itself instead of your skin. You can categorize these as "uncool" for sure, though.
Regarding the Bandit Socks: They come in SM and L sizes. In the end the S were just too Big for a 38 EUR and I got big blisters in them (on trails). A shake, because they do Look/feel Great on Skin.
Coming here from yesterday’s post (June 13th) — while there are some real contenders here and some I haven’t tried — I think it’s a miss to not include Lululemon’s Power Stride Crew. While they aren’t as fun as Courier (who have a great team that respond to instagram DMs) and they aren’t has hype as Near Earth (also a very cool sock) the Power Stride do stay white. I don’t know what it is about all my other white socks, Bandit, Near Earth, Courier, Feetures, etc. It’s like after 5 - 6 washes they all tinge a little. And don’t tell me — I wash them separate in hot water with a whitening booster (e.g. OxiClean and the like) but only the Lulu’s have held up with brightness.
Hard agree on a lot of the commentary though. Bandit socks are a miss, crew is the only sock length acceptable, and if you’re not wearing white socks what are you doing?!
Looking forward to trying out the Rapha and On socks…if they ever come back in stock.
Ha, I saw "Ankle length socks look silly" and thought immediately Cole must be Gen Z.
Also, ankle socks keep you so much cooler in humid environments. Moisture-wicking tech doesn't work very well in high humidity, so taller calf socks get heavy with sweat.
Millennial 😂 I wore no shows for a long time. Very true for the super hot and humid weather - I haven’t suffered that too much in Boston and tend to wear the super thin ones which don’t absorb much
I fought the no-show sock wars of the '90s, so as a veteran, I cannot concede the hill on which I died. That said, I'm a big Swiftwick Aspire fan and I've been a big fan of their rebrand. Can't go wrong with Feetures either. On the other hand, Bandit socks have been poor in durability and mediocre in feel for pretty much every pair I've had. Look great but the $ doesn't justify the performance.
I like that you took this route. My sock drawer is extensive so I appreciate you taking time to write this.
Any sock made in Italy seem to do the trick. I like the Rapha Team sock. The DIstrict Vision Sock with Cordura is great but does lose its softness after a while.
Im a fan of toe socks for longer trail runs. Injinji does it right for fit, branding and colors are another story. The Satisfy Merino toe sock creates a nice little house for each toe, and they have improved durability since the first round. Arc’teryx also has a nice merino blend that I find myself leaning towards. Stance socks are incredibly durable if you want bang for your buck.
I also liked the race day sock from Near Earth, first wear was really nice and it kept my feet blister free after a full day running in the rain.
Not sure if it matters but I like having a direct L and R on the sock.
No toe socks??? Gimme a shout when you want the lowdown on true covert fashion.
They're so annoying to put on! I did not love my Injinji's from my Vibram days
Greatness is worth working hard for 🤪 I love taking a little extra time getting my piggies snug.
The basic Gorewear socks are both affordable and excellent. First thin sock I’ve ever liked, but I still go Drymax for ultra races
Nash needs to fire you over his Currently Running waffles. Love your breakdown above. Near Earth, Christian, is such a veteran to the game; one of running's best photographers and all in all stud. From the ultra humble beginnings to where he and the socks have gone, it's incredible. For the culture! <3 ya man, big time stan over here
Everyone will have their favorites, but I've been running in WrightSock Coolmesh for 15 years and have never (that's never, if you're keeping score at home) had a blister. They are dual layer, so the sock slides on itself instead of your skin. You can categorize these as "uncool" for sure, though.
Regarding the Bandit Socks: They come in SM and L sizes. In the end the S were just too Big for a 38 EUR and I got big blisters in them (on trails). A shake, because they do Look/feel Great on Skin.
Best socks in town: ON Running socks. Period.
Honourable mention: Feetures Elite Ultra Light Mini Crew. A PR Sock!
people LOVE Feetures. Haven't tried them out yet.
Coming here from yesterday’s post (June 13th) — while there are some real contenders here and some I haven’t tried — I think it’s a miss to not include Lululemon’s Power Stride Crew. While they aren’t as fun as Courier (who have a great team that respond to instagram DMs) and they aren’t has hype as Near Earth (also a very cool sock) the Power Stride do stay white. I don’t know what it is about all my other white socks, Bandit, Near Earth, Courier, Feetures, etc. It’s like after 5 - 6 washes they all tinge a little. And don’t tell me — I wash them separate in hot water with a whitening booster (e.g. OxiClean and the like) but only the Lulu’s have held up with brightness.
Hard agree on a lot of the commentary though. Bandit socks are a miss, crew is the only sock length acceptable, and if you’re not wearing white socks what are you doing?!
Looking forward to trying out the Rapha and On socks…if they ever come back in stock.
I thought I was along in sweating it down to the socks. Never have been more validated with my overthinking tendencies 🤝
I'm really liking Danish Endurance socks. Just as good as the lux brands on this list and much cheaper.
Ha, I saw "Ankle length socks look silly" and thought immediately Cole must be Gen Z.
Also, ankle socks keep you so much cooler in humid environments. Moisture-wicking tech doesn't work very well in high humidity, so taller calf socks get heavy with sweat.
Millennial 😂 I wore no shows for a long time. Very true for the super hot and humid weather - I haven’t suffered that too much in Boston and tend to wear the super thin ones which don’t absorb much
Sweet Feet NYC seems to be popular among my run group. I could never leave my trusty Nike crews