Hey people welcome to The Run Testers. In this video we’re talking about the joy of socks. Running socks to be precise. Whether you’re chasing fast marathon times or you just enjoy getting out for general fitness and feeling good, a reliable pair of running socks is an essential in your kit drawer. You don’t have to spend loads to get a good pair but it pays to hunt down running socks that feel great on your feet – and maybe even help ward off blisters. We’ve tested hundreds of different socks from dozens of brands big and small. So if you want to know which tried and tested running socks we turn to time and time again, hit play for our pick of the best running socks.
JUMP STRAIGHT IN:
0:00 – Intro
0:42 – Tom’s Picks
6:29 – Kieran’s Picks
10:39 – Nick’s Picks
13:42 – Mike’s Picks
CHECK OUT OUR PREVIOUS RUNNING SOCK RECOMMENDATIONS:
Best Running Socks 2023:
Best Running Socks 2022: :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTSguglaibA&t=0s
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HERE COME THE BEST SOCKS 2024 LINKS:
Stance Icon Run Crew (Mid Cushion), £12.49
https://stance.eu.com/products/icon-sport-crew-sock-white?variant=40317764173997
MonkeySox Mist Crew, £17
https://monkeysox.org/collections/crew-socks/products/classic-mist-sports-socks-yellow-blue
UYN Five Running Socks, £29.90
https://uynsports.com/en_gb/uyn-runners-five-mens-running-socks
NICK
Sporcks, £16
https://sporcks.com/en-am/products/stay-magic-calcetin-running
Stance, £16.99
https://stance.eu.com/collections/mens-performance-socks/products/run-light-crew-sock-black
Bombas, $18
https://bombas.com/products/mens-running-half-calf-socks?variant=foam-green
MIKE
Darn Tough Element Micro Crew, £24
https://darntough.uk/collections/micro-crew-socks/products/mens-merino-wool-element-micro-crew-lightweight-running-socks?variant=43554487795902
Hoka Crew Run Sock (3-pack), £35
https://www.hoka.com/en/gb/accessories-socks/crew-run-sock-3-pack/1122931.html?dwvar_1122931_color=WBGR
Soar Crew Sock, £22
https://www.soarrunning.com/collections/socks/products/crew-sock-dark-grey-yellow?variant=43557734318324
TOM
Brav Endurance Socks, £13.99
https://bravendurance.co.uk/collections/brav-performance
Smartwool Athlete Edition Run Crew Socks, £19.50 Asics
Fujitrail Run Crew Socks, £14
https://www.asics.com/gb/en-gb/fujitrail-run-crew-sock/p/3013A700-751.html
Hey people welcome to the Run testers And in this video we're going to be Talking about the joy of socks running Socks to be precise now no matter if You're chasing Marathon times or you Just enjoy getting out for general Fitness and use your runs to feel good a Reliable pair of running specific socks Is an essential in your kit draw and While you don't have to spend loads to Get a good pair it really does pay to Hunt out running socks that feel great On your feet and maybe even help ward Off blisters now here at the run test We've tested hundreds of different socks From dozens of Brands big and small and In this video we've each picked our top Three current favorite pairs so if you Want to know which tried and tested Running socks we turn to time and time Again watch On before I go into my socks I feel I Should caveat it by the fact that I do Not look after my socks at all I Basically look for socks that are quite Dark colors that don't need loads of Looking after that um can't be ruined Easily and will last me a long time I'm Not massively into fashion I'm not Massively into having bright colors and The most exciting looking socks that go With my shoes so really when it comes to Socks I just want a solid pair of socks That lasts a long time now my first pick
Uh and I apologize for the state of These socks because I've had them for Maybe around two years now these are the Brav endurance socks now these are Probably my most used socks I use these All the time for races I use them for Training runs easy runs every type of Run that I do I use these socks for it Um and when I got them uh these are two Different pairs I can't actually find The other pair of each I've been wearing These odd uh on quite a lot of runs Recently um when I got these they were Really bright colored and really nice Looking now because I've been washing Them with all different colors and not Doing what it says on the instructions They they look quite dark and not that Exciting but when you get them they are Really nice um the reason I like these Socks is that they are a nice balanced Um feel to them so they're not too thick Uh they're not too thin I find they work Really well with all of my shoes so Sometimes when you're wearing a ray shoe You don't want to wear a thick sock Because um Ray shoes tend to be a little Bit more uh leaner on the foot so you Want to wear a thin sock sometimes when You're wearing a comfy shoe you want a Bit more padding in it so you get a Little bit of extra um comfort in the Shoe these sit right in the middle so i' I can use them for everything I use
These for most of my races so when I go Do and things like that I tend to use These socks um but I use them all the Time as you can tell because they've Completely destroyed the color on them Um the other thing I like about these Socks is that uh these designs I don't Think these exist anymore they basically Just create new designs all the time so If you go on the brav endurance website You'll find loads and loads of new Designs I think they've got Halloween Series out at the moment so there's Always new designs and colorways that You can get from the socks uh and They're all $ 13.99 so really good Quality socks $13.99 all of them are the Same price Um and you're getting a great pair of Socks these have lasted me for a really Really long time even though I ruined The colors of them okay so my NE next Pick is the smartw athlet Edition run Crew socks now these socks are pretty um Dark pretty simple looking there's not Loads of there not a bright design or Anything like that um but I I'm not Really bothered about having bright Designs what I like about these socks is That they're really really comfortable So whereas the bra socks are a little Bit balanced um you can use for racing Things like that these are pretty much My go-to comfy socks for all of my
Easier training runs and things like That they're a little bit um softer than The BR socks a little bit less Performance orientated um but they're Just really nice on the feet I I tend to Wear these all the time when I'm just Walking around town in my high tops and Things like that I tend to wear these Because they're really really Comfortable um now there is a lot of Technology in these that are on is on The um smart wall website there are Things like indestructable wall Technology with extended durability Zones there's a 4 Dee Elite fit system For a dialed in performance orientated Fit there are shred Shield technology uh For reducing wear from toes mesh zones For added breathability and apparently There's a virtually seamless toe for Enhance Comfort now all of those things Sound quite marketing to me um and when It comes to socks I didn't really notice All of those things but what I would say About them is that they are really Really comfortable so when I'm out Wearing these whether I'm walking Whether I'm running anything like like That these are great socks just to pick Up they've got a lovely fit to them they Just very comfortable don't feel too Tight don't feel too restrictive um and They just are very soft and nice to wear You can actually get these in different
Colors so I've got the the black version Of these obviously cuz I don't look After my socks so I like to have socks That are quite dark so I don't ruin them Um but they they do have a lot of socks That come in different colorways as well So these are well worth looking at if You want a running sock that is it's got All the benefits and performance related Things that you want from a running sock But the focus is very much on Comfort my Final pick are the A6 Fuji trail run Crew socks now these socks are designed For trail running but I don't think that Really means a lot in the world of Running I think you I use these socks More for Road running than I do for Trail running thing I like about these Though is that they are very they They're fairly well padded but they're Very much designed they're quite a lean Fit on the foot so I tend to use these a Lot more when I'm going out and doing Faster sessions um I definitely use These if I'd go if I was going to race In a shoe that was probably a little bit Leaner on the feet um they're made with Marino wools so they're very breathable Very comfortable there's a lot of padded Zones on there so there's plenty of Comfort in there in the areas that you Need but it's lighter and thinner in the Areas that you don't need a lot of Padding on as well um but despite the
Fact that their Performance Based socks They're still very very comfortable as Well they come in I think three Different color versions of this um and Even though the standard price is around £5 I think you can get them on sport Shoes uh and some of places for at £ at The moment which is pretty cheap for a Really good performance pair of socks so Uh yeah well worth looking at if you Want a just a solid pair of socks that Skew a little bit more towards running The faster stuff and maybe if you're Going to be wearing shoes that are more Orientated towards speed as opposed to Sort of roomy Comfort um but you can use Them for everything as well and don't Don't think that they're just designed To be used for the trails because you Can use them for everything most socks Will do that Stance makes many many great running Socks and in most cases you can't go far Wrong with a pair of their run technical Socks now The Stance icon run crew Though is a standout option if you're Looking for a mid cushion sock that's Great for longer run Comfort or you want Some extra padded warmth in the winter The thicker fabric of these socks Doesn't always work well with kind of Snug fit race shoes or tighter fitting Shoes things can get a bit squeezed Because there's quite a lot of sort of
Thick fabric to these but for RIA daily Trainers trail shoes I think these are a Fantastic option ideal for when you're Thinking about running long and you want To go in Comfort there's a considerable Amount of padding here in the reinforced Heel and into the toes and pretty much All the way around the foot it even Extends up to cover the ankle which I Find helps prevent rubbing from your Running shoes kind of sidewalls and heel Collars and all of that kind of stuff They manag to feel super plush though Without overheating I love the midcut Rise that brings some added warmth and Protection again great if you're cutting Along Wild trails with brambles and Whatnot I've done hundreds of miles in My two pairs of these socks over maybe Two or 3 years and they're still going Strong though they do now look somewhat Sort of gray they've DED a bit in the Wash but as a daily Workhorse sock that Delivers comfortable blister-free miles These are hard to F I've used them for Ultras all sorts really really love them One of the go-tos that I pick up every Time this one is an interesting one for Me because I've never really gotten Along with toe socks but that all Changed this summer I have a recurring Problem with toe toe aggression I've Said it many times on the channel but Basically my toes are too close to
Together my little pinky toe sits Underneath the next one and after a While that little Pinky gets battered From basically being trodden on by its Neighbor now until recently that also Meant I found getting my squished Pinkies into the fingers of toe gloves You know these kind of ining style socks Almost impossible but having used a Silicon toe spacer in the beginning of The year to ease that problem a bit I Then tried these win five running socks And used them for the Berlin w 100 Ultra Plan was to wear them up to the first Bag drop where I could change if they Weren't working in the end I kept these Socks on for the whole race the full 22 Hours and the whole 102 miles basically They were simply excellent I've never Finished a race of that length even Shorter with my feet so intact there's Just enough padding here with a thicker Fabric in all the right Paces to boost The Comfort but they avoid being too Heavy they're not as thick as the STS And we run in 27° through the day in Berlin and the ventilation around the Toes in the middle then I never felt too Hot or too sweaty and that kind of Medium padded fabric also helped now Sometimes you're desperate to freshen up Your socks if they get too sweaty but Each time I went to change my shoes During the 100 mile ultra these were
Still dry and still comfortable so I Didn't have to now I ran 100 miles with No blisters no hot spots no discomfort And after my feet were still in near Perfect condition now I can't put all This down to the socks but they Definitely helped and I'm now a full Convert to the toe socks of which these Wind socks are a really good option Definitely check them out next up I've Got monkey socks and firstly and Arguably most importantly these are good Comfortable reliable running socks and I've been using them as one of my Staples over the past few months since They came in for testing but then you Throw in the fact that 50% of the profit From each pair sold is donated to Charity and the cracking Unique Designs And it's hard not to love monkey socks They're designed to be odd they're Odd Socks the idea here is this represent How it feels to live with multiple Sclerosis which is the charity they Donate the money to uh they come in crew And ankle and full length compression But the pair I've been using loads Recently are these crew classic Mist Design I'd say they're a midweight sock They're not quite as thick as the st's Performance maybe on even thinner than The wind socks that I picked but they're Not sort of race thin either they're Somewhere kind of happy in between
They've got seamless toes uh a double Cuff up here that stays put it's thicker Into the kind of wall of the sock up up The up the calf they don't fall down all Roll down plus you get plenty of pretty Generous padding in the heel and I Really like the different designs too They've been a really good addition to My running sock draw I suggest you check Them [Music] Out so my first pick for the best Running socks this year is sporks so They've got a range of socks I've picked Out the icon socks in particular which Are the ones that are now my go-to Racing socks but they also have some Really good Ultra lightweight socks Which you know really live up to that Title they are very lightweight socks You know very breathable really good for Running in hot countries and very thin Sock feel if you like that within your Shoes but they're not the most durable Ones I would say in terms of socks in General icon ones I think have a bit More cushioning are a bit more durable Main reason I picked out these ones in Particular is for the Unicorn stay magic Socks that my daughter picked out for me This year that I've run several PBS in So they're obviously doing the business Uh depending on how you feel stay magic Is either very inspirational or a little
Bit embarrassing but actually in the Marathon I was running London Marathon These socks started thinking about it And it became my mantra for the last Kind of you know 10k of the race stay Magic you know that was going through my Head so yeah big fan of these socks I Like the designs I like how comfortable And lightweight they are even with the Icon socks which are a bit more Cushioned they are you know still really Breathable and nice to have in your race Shoes that give you that thin racy feel Not the cheapest socks in the world they Cost £16 or $22 but durability looks Pretty good on the icon socks say if you Really worried about durability I Wouldn't go for the ultr light ones but If you love that feather light feel to Your socks then they are a really good Option you know just be prepared to go Through them a bit more than others Because they are so lightweight so That's my first pick it's a sports socks Then second pick is a brand I've been Using for many many years and using you Know certain pairs of socks from them For many many years and that's stance Main reason I picked them out is that Durability like they are unbelievably Durable I've got some pairs that I've Been using for I think five or six years Like weekly you know going through the Wash and they still feel pretty soft
They're still comfortable there's no Holes or anything like that so you pay a Little bit more You' be paying £7 or $20 For a pair of the Run Cru socks from STS But they are really durable they also Have a really nice range of designs if You're an NBA fan you can get all the NBA team socks I think I don't there's Other sports involved as well Fortunately I haven't been able to get Any hold of any Charlotte Hornets ones Yet but it's not necessarily A Team you Want to advertise that you support at The moment I would say so yeah the main Thing is the durability and how they Feel they drive very quickly on the Run They're comfortable and cushioned They're fairly you know not the thinnest Socks in the world but they are very Breathable and like I say that Durability is topnotch so yeah that's my Second pick stance running sock and for My third pick is a brand that I don't Think actually selling in the UK at the Moment but you can still find through Third party retailers that's bombass and They running socks I think they're $18 In the US and these are a more running Sock than the other ones I've picked out Here they are a little bit more Comfortable for kind of easy long runs Training runs that kind of thing design Is very good and again durability is Excellent for these socks I've been
Using these for two or three years I Think again they're a sock that are Always at the front of my sock drawer I Use them every week they go through the Wash every week they still feel soft and Comfortable got no problems of wear and Tear so yeah again the designs pretty Good range of designs they're a little Bit more understated than others which Will obviously appeal to lots of people As well these are quite Jazzy but there Are some pretty plain ones and yeah They're comfortable great for training Runs probably a bit thick and heavy for Me to use as a racing sock not that it Really matters but I would just Veer Towards something lighter like the spork Socks but yeah really good pair to use Week in week out great durability great Comfort that's the bombass Socks so in terms of socks that I'm Using for my runs at the moment I really Kind of break things down into probably Three categories ultimately I have a Pair of socks that I use that are Probably a little bit thicker a little Bit more comfortable I know it's going To be a little bit more durable and it's A good for kind of more relaxed runs uh Kind of easy long runs um you know I Have something for that then I kind of Move into a sock that I would use for When I'm doing more focused training Ultimately it's going to be a little bit
Thinner still going to give you that Kind of level of durability I get from The kind of slightly thicker socks where You know you know you're going to use Those on a more regular basis and is a Better fit for those kind of shoes I Would use for those kind of more Focus Sessions and can ultim be used for Racing as well too and then I do have Something reserved for race day as well Now in terms of that kind of sock They're kind of as I said them slightly Thicker more comfortable one I did have A different brand that I would go to for Those types of runs but ultimately I've Discovered something that's worked for Me very well this year so that brand is Darn tough and these are the kind of Micro crew uh socks um they were a lot Whiter and so I kind of threw them in With the colors uh but these are socks And I've only got one pair and I've used Them for a range of different runs as I Said shorter and longer distance runs Generally my you know know more you know Easy style runs I think the first thing For me they're really comfortable to Wear they don't sag which is great as Well too for me it's the durability side Of things I've worn these on a lot of Runs I said I've only got one pair and I've had no holes uh or no kind of you Know signs that there's issues in terms Of that durability these socks so for me
You know these have been perfect and They just work very well and also quite Nice to wear outside of running as well Too getting into that sock that I use Kind of training days I've used a lot of Different uh kind of socks from running Shoe brands some are good and some not So good the ones I've really settled on I found I've used on a regular bases are The ones from Haw and as you can see I've got quite a few pairs here and I've Invested in a few more pairs because They just work very well for me they are Ones ultimately I have raced in as well Too but they are a good thickness again Similarly like the darn tough one they Don't sag uh you know and they fit very Well with a lot of the training shoes That I have used and durability so far Has been very good for me and reason why I have invested in getting more pairs so That is kind of the Hawker um their kind Of crew running sock uh which has worked Very well for me then we get into race Day and this is you know a brand that Ultimately I haven't really moved away From in terms of just being great um Socks to race with work very well with Most of the kind of carbon top tier Racing shoes that generally I would be Running in and that is s and again I've Got a few pair few pairs here um that I Have you know I've bought extra pairs Cuz I know these work well for me I've
Even got kind of a pair that I've kind Of ripped and I still keep hold of Because it's like a lucky pair for me But ultimately these are super thin um Socks protect they give you the right Level of protection I think and work Very well with carbon Racing shoes um Durability apart from that issue which Is me kind of being a bit too you know Aggressive in terms of pulling them up Uh generally they've been fine for me And there's been a reason why I've Bought more pairs uh they just work very Well for me in terms of uh racing and I Think you know in terms of that fit the Comfort and you know being things you're Not going to have to play around in Terms of that fit they are ultimately You know they deliver what they want I Want them to deliver on race day so yeah Those are my top three picks in terms of Running socks that I am using right now On my runs on a regular basis so there You have it that is our list of tried And tested running socks we hope that's Been useful if so we'd really appreciate A like maybe a share or why not go Full Tilt and hit that subscribe button that All helps us keep on testing and Bringing you the best multi-tester Running kit advice we think on the Internet but speaking ofice if you have Any killer sock recommendations why Don't you help your follow run test of
Viewers by sticking them in the comments Below so many socks out there tell us Ones you use why you like them all those Kind of things whack it in the comments Otherwise it's been a real pleasure Chatting to you and we hope to see you Again soon on the Run testers happy Running everybody good luck hitting all Your running goals
