I’d also like to add that in my experience, cheap doesn’t necessarily equate to poor quality. I’d estimate that for 75% or more of my runs I wear thin C9 by Champion socks that I buy at Target (3 pairs for $9.49). I’ve been running in these regularly for years now, and I don’t think I’ve had to retire a single pair yet. No wearing down, no holes, no thinning. Amazing socks for the money (as a side note, other places to buy socks cheap are The Clymb (on-line) or a local TJ Maxx or Marshall’s store).

So with the above as a preface, I’m going to say that the socks I’m reviewing here are relatively expensive and for the most part unnecessary for most of my needs. But, there are times when I do find them useful, and I’ll try to explain the value of each.

Injinji

I’ve used Injinji socks for quite a long time. I started using them back when they were pretty much the only option for a sock that would work with Vibram Fivefingers – the socks have individual toe pockets so a thin pair would fit inside the toe shoes. But, as I started wearing them with other shoes I discovered that they did a great job preventing toe blisters, which used to be a big problem for me on long runs and in marathons. I think I’ve worn Injinjis in my last 3-4 marathon races, and I can’t recall the last time I got a blister on my toes from running (gaining a better understanding of proper shoe fit for my feet has helped with this as well).

Several months ago Injinji sent me a selection of new sock models to try out. Included were a few pairs of light weight and original weight Run 2.0 mini-crew socks (below left image), and a few pairs of Trail 2.0 Midweight socks (below right image; Disclosure: these were media samples and were provided free of charge).

All of the socks that Injinji sent feel thicker, and all seem better made than my older pairs of Injinji socks (I first reviewed them back in October, 2009!). I tend to prefer the lighter weight, no-show models myself, but the Trail socks have a nice thickness to them, kind of like a more traditional wool running sock. The drawback with Injinjis is that in winter, I actually find that running in socks with independent toe pockets leads to cold toes. It’s analogous to wearing gloves versus mittens – mittens keep my fingers much warmer because they allow skin-skin contact. Similarly, a traditional sock (even a thin one) without toe pockets keeps my toes warmer on cold, winter runs. As such, the thicker material of the original weight Run 2.0 and Trail 2.0 doesn’t do much for me except as a thicker friction barrier (could be good for hiking). I don’t tend to use them for running very often (thick socks also make for a tighter fit in shoes).

What I like most about the Injinij socks is that the toe pockets don’t squeeze my toes together as some tighter weave socks can. I’ve grown to hate almost any kind of constriction at my toes, be it caused by socks or shoes, and the Injinjis shine in this regard.

I should also point out that my wife is a big fan of Injinji socks, if for no other reason than the fact that she can wear her toe spacers over them inside her shoe (she uses Correct Toes when she runs since they seem to help with her neuroma pain).

So the big question for me is would I regularly pay $12-15 for a single pair of socks? Probably not. But I do like to have a few pairs of Injinjis in my sock drawer for those long runs and races where I do worry a bit about toe blisters.

For more information, visit Injinji.com. Injinji socks are available for purchase at Amazon.com.

DeFeet Socks

I was contacted last year by a rep from DeFeet asking if I’d be interested in trying out some of their socks. To be honest, I had never heard of the brand, and I rarely accept socks for review since there really isn’t a whole lot to write about a pair of socks (hence why this review is about half a year late!). I agreed to give them a try, and just as Injiniji did they sent me a selection of their running socks to try out (Disclosure: these socks were provided free of charge as media samples).

I’ve tried all of the socks that DeFeet sent. They’re all plenty comfortable, they seem well made, and there’s really nothing bad to say about them other than the fact that like most specialty socks they are pricey (over $10 a pair). Of the pairs that DeFeet sent, my favorites are the D-Evo Low Cuff socks (side note: I find their naming scheme a bit confusing). The D-Evo socks are made of CoolMax EcoMade Fiber, which is made from recycled material – kind of cool to have comfortable socks derived from plastic bottles. The D-Evos also come in a Merino wool version for a few dollars more. I’ve actually mostly used them for casual wear this winter since they have a nice thickness to them, but I’ve used them for running a bit as well.

The other socks they sent were in the DV8 line (images below). These are a bit thinner than the D-Evos, also made of CoolMax EcoMade Fiber. The DV8s come in a wide variety of colors and cuts (tabby to crew), and I prefer the thinner feel of the DV8s over the D-Evos for running.

For more information about DeFeet socks, head over to www.defeet.com. DeFeet socks are available for purchase at Amazon.com.

So there you have it, all of the socks mentioned here are solid options for running socks, but for me personally I find it tough to justify a big investment in expensive socks (some may disagree, which is fine). I find it worthwhile having a few pairs for specific uses, but for the most part I’ll stick to cheap and thin for most of my needs.

Earlier today I got a message from a fellow New Englander asking about how I keep my hands warm on winter runs, so I thought another post on the topic of keeping warm on winter runs might be helpful. Here goes!

Keeping Hands Warm

I used to have a lot of problems with my hands freezing on cold winter runs. Then I discovered running mittens. Problem solved.

For the longest time I had only ever used gloves, and when it got really cold out they just weren’t cutting it. My fingers would get frigid to the point of hurting, and this discomfort added to the list of reasons my brain would confront me with in an attempt to keep me from running outside in sub-freezing temperatures. My brain never won though since my hatred of the treadmill is greater than my fear of cold fingers.

I don’t recall if it was last winter or two winters ago, but I was in the Fleet Feet store in West Hartford, CT (my hometown) and I saw a pair of Saucony Run Mitts on the wall. I’d never tried running with mittens, so I figured what the heck – they weren’t terribly expensive, why not give them a try?

There’s nothing particularly fancy about the Saucony Mitts – just a layer of windbreaker type material on the outside and a softer layer of knit material on the inside. They aren’t particularly thick either, and other brands seem to have comparable options (if you have a favorite, leave a comment). But man do they work!

If you’ve never used mittens for cold-weather running, I highly recommend that you try them. I ran seven miles earlier today, it was about 20 degrees F outside and breezy (downright balmy compared to the past few days!), and with the mittens my hands were sweating within a few miles into the run. By keeping your fingers in contact within a single, enclosed compartment, the body heat generated keeps things nice and toasty. And if your thumb starts to get cold, you can just pull it into the mitten and make a fist to warm everything right up. Mittens are so effective for me that I typically only wear them when it’s below freezing out, otherwise my hands get way too hot. If it’s above 30 degrees F or so I opt for thin gloves.

I would like to make one distinction – I also have a pair of mittens where the fingers stick out and a mitten flap can be wrapped over them when desired. I don’t find this design to be nearly as effective as a standard mitten where everything is fully enclosed in one big space. Keeping skin-skin contact between the fingers seems to be the key.

Keeping Feet Warm

I personally have never had a problem with cold feet on runs. My feet might be chilled for the first 5 minutes or so after leaving the house, but once I’m a half mile to a mile into the run they warm right up. It’s all about blood flow I think – once I start moving and blood starts circulating faster, my feet are fine. I actually don’t tend to wear thick socks on runs in the winter for this reason. I find that thick socks make for a tighter fit inside my shoes, and I think this impedes blood flow to my feet. My tactic instead is to wear thin socks and to make sure my shoes are not laced too tight. Let the blood flow as easily down through the skin of my feet as possible. This approach has never failed me.

A quick note on socks. I do like to wear thicker socks around the house and with casual shoes. I love the thicker Injinji  trail socks (all Injinji socks really), but they don’t work well for me in extreme cold for the same reason gloves don’t work for my fingers – skin to skin contact is key for warmth. I also like double-layered Wrightsocks for blister protection, and I was recently sent several pairs of DeFeet Merino wool socks that are nice. But, and I’m somewhat ashamed to admit this, the majority of the time when I run (year round) I wear Champion C9 socks from Target. They come in packs of three pairs for just over $9.00, and I have yet to wear a pair out. They’re really thin, but they seem to last forever. Wore them today for seven miles in the cold and had no issues at all.

That about covers my thoughts on keeping hands a feet warm on the run – if you have any additional tips and/or suggestions please leave a comment!