Injinji Sock Review

Socks

Injinji Socks-I first discovered these socks when I was at REI one day. My life hostage is the one who found them, and thought they might be helpful. I was willing to try anything.

I was more than halfway through my training, and although I had no hint of black toenails, and my feet were holding up pretty well, I did have what I coined, “dinosaur toe.” It’s a little hard to describe, but basically what was happening was my toes were overlapping slightly and causing calluses on the inside of my toes from being crammed on top of the toe next to it. My toes reminded me of the ridges on a dinosaur’s back, namely a stegosaurus. My toes looked just like this creature’s back before I discovered Injinji toe socks. I am serious.

Although these socks look similar to the five-finger shoes, they are nothing like them. They are socks…with toes. They are to your feet as gloves are to your hands. Regular socks are to your feet as mittens are to your hands. Injinji socks separate your toes, just as gloves separate your fingers.

These toe socks offer:

• Proper toe alignment
• Superior moisture management
• Better posture, better balance
• Blister and hot spot prevention
• Better tactile feel

These socks come in a variety of styles and colors, and range in price from $10 for the lightweight up to $38 for the knee-high compression sock. My favorite is the lightweight (made with Injinji’s patented AIS technology and Coolmax lycra and nylon fibers) no-show in any color! (I have pink, green, blue, gray and white).

I wore these socks for the first time for my first 20 mile run during Boston training. It was instant love. My toes felt amazing after. I knew they were going to be a favorite sock, so I immediately bought another pair, and wore them for every run. Bye-bye dinosaur toe. The separate compartments for each toe keep your toes away from each other thus preventing rubbing of the toes. Each toe of the sock is like a protective casing for each toe. The only downside? They are a little more difficult to put on than regular socks.

The true test of these socks was during the Boston Marathon. Near 90 degree temps=very sweaty feet. But it wasn’t the sweat that was a concern. All the hoses and fire hydrants and human car washes we ran through to stay cool created large puddles to run through. My feet were sopping wet. I could feel my feet sloshing around in my shoes. But when I crossed the finish, and changed out of my wet Injinji socks, not even a hint of a blister was to be found.

As a distance runner who has battled, and subsequently recovered from “dinosaur toe,” I give these socks five toes up! Go buy yourself a pair…or five.

• Tweet
• Pin It