Armaskin socks are a liner sock and would wear under neath your normal socks. We at Blisterhelp, only wear moisture wicking socks, merino wool or coolmax are great examples of moisture wicking socks. If you are going to invest in Armaskin sock, then we strongly recommend that you also invest in a moisture wicking sock to go on the top of the liner, both work really well together in blister prevention.
We are a stockist for Armaskin Uk
How do Armaskin Anti-Blister Liner Socks Prevent a Blister?
Blisters are primarily caused by friction, pressure, moisture, heat and bone movement.
Armaskin liner socks have been designed to reduce the friction and moisture element of a blister formation.
Technical explanation below;
- Friction – The inside of the sock has a silicone coating (si - fusion) this is semi adhesive and gently sticks to the skin, temporarily. The outer surface of the sock has a smooth friction reducing surface which allows your outer sock to glide across it. Any friction generated by foot movement is taken up with Armaskin liner and the outer sock and not the liner sock and the skin…. the outcome is- no blisters on the skin.
- Moisture- The Si fusion coating on the inside of the sock is water hating(hydrophobic) and any sweat produced by the skin is rapidly shifted away from the skin into the outer layer of the sock which is water loving (hydrophilic). The moisture then is taken up by the moisture wicking outer sock, keeping any moisture that might be generated by the skin well away from it and totally reducing the chance of blister formation on the feet.
Why Do I Need an Armaskin Anti–Blister Liner Sock?
Originally, Armaskin liner socks were designed for the military as foot blisters are one of the main causes of training drop outs. Blisters can take up to six weeks to heel, which is way too long when the military training is already six weeks in duration. If you tried to carry on with blisters on your feet, you could end up with blisters on top of your blisters and the skin doesn’t recover enough to be trouble free, hence the high dropout rate.
The simplest solution for blisters is to prevent the blisters forming in the first place and that’s where the Armaskin liner socks come into their own.
Although the military use the socks and this who we did our Beta testing on (as we do not sell anything in the store that we haven’t tested out already) they are also great for training /racing, for events like marathons. They are also brilliant for a game of tennis, football matches, ice skating or a planned walking holiday.
As you can see from the photo below, Mark Zirbsters feet in 2017, when competing in the Dragons back race compared with 2019, when he wore Armaskin liner socks.
They really do make a difference
How Do I Put on a Pair of Armaskin Anti- Blister Liner Sock?
There is definitely a knack to putting on these socks and the correct heel placement is paramount to the longevity of the sock. There is a right and left sock and the labels should always be matching together on the inside of the ankles. Do NOT stretch these socks as that will increase the pressure around the toe area and will stretch the sock material around the heel, quickly wearing it out.
We made a video to make it easier to show how to put the socks on:
How do i wash Armaskin anti-blister liner socks?
You can wash Armaskin socks in with your normal wash as long as its without bleach and fabric softener. Although I would always hand wash them for increased longevity. As a general rule they are best left to air dry overnight after a gentle sink wash but that very much depends on the ambient temperature of the room in which they are drying. Cleaning also gets rid of any sand and grit that might be present in the socks after a hike.
The inside of the sock is bio- static, this will keep the socks clean for a few days or if participating in a trail event it might be wise to have two pairs and then one pair can be drying whilst the other is worn
How long will an Armaskin anti-blister liner sock last for?
This very much depends on what they are going to be used for?
With reasonable care, 250 to 300 miles is the average but, in some cases, they have lasted for 620miles.
Armaskin are a technical sock liner and as such, should be viewed as a piece of sports equipment, which will enable you to be blister free. Whether that be running in the London Marathon, walking the Camino Santiago or competing in football matches every week.
Here are some of our tips to extend the life of an Armaskin Liner Sock;
- Pull them on the foot correctly, without stretching the material of the liner and making sure the heel seams are located in the right place.
- Do not wash in bleach or fabric softener
- Do not Hand wash with vigorous rubbing as this will degrade the inner layer of silicone.
- Leaving grit, dirt and sand within the sock without washing them, will cause the sock to deteriorate quicker than normal average wear
- Wear moisture wicking socks, like our favourite Darn Tough as an outer sock
- Make sure you buy the correct size for your feet, too small and the material will have to stretch to fit your feet and wear out quickly.
- Do NOT use a Lubricant like Vaseline or other lubricants on the feet under the sock as this will prevent the moisture wicking ability of the sock.
How do I know what size I am for a Armaskin sock liner?
These are different liner socks to anything you have tried before. They are more of a compression sock, and designed to fit snuggly next to the skin. If you have ever had those compression socks after a surgery then they are bit like that.
They are usually true to the size on the chart shown below.
If you are on the cusp of two sock sizes, then we recommend the following;
- If you have a wide foot, or feet that swell, when competing in an event- then go up to the size above.
- If your feet are narrow, slim and never swell - then stick to the smaller size option
| Size | US M | US F | UK M | UK F | EU | AU M | AU F | JP | CM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S | 4-6.5 | 5-8 | 5-6 | 4-5.5 | 36-38.5 | 4-6 | 4-6.5 | 20-24 | 20-25 |
| M | 5.5-10 | 7-12 | 5-10 | 4.5-10 | 37.5-45 | 5-11 | 23-29 | 23-29 | 24-28 |
| L | 10.5-13 | 12+ | 8.5+ | 8+ | 43+ | 9+ | 9+ | 27+ | 27+ |
| XL | 13+ | 15+ | 13+ | 12.5+ | 47+ | 13+ | 13.5+ | 31+ | 29+ |
Do Armaskin liner socks get rid of all blisters on the feet?
The customer satisfaction rate, presently is at 95% for these socks. (Data from the manufacturers)
We found with our army beta testers, who used them for 7 days over 280 miles tabbing, that they had no blisters on the foot itself. However, as their feet became swollen due to the activity, their toes pushed together which caused blisters to form, in between the toes. We resolved this problem by weaving Alpaca wool between the toes and placing the Armaskin socks on after wards. The army guys were also testing our Blisterhelp Kits out at the same time and the alpaca wool is included in the Blister Prevention and Treatment Kit but it also available to buy separately in the store.
Armaskin do make a sock with the toes in already but they are not quite there with the customer satisfaction rates compared to the original socks but I know Armaskin will be working on improving those statistics but in the mean time we have solved that situation should it arise with anyone else by using the alpaca wool?
We have chosen to use Alpaca wool as it has a much lower micron size than other wools, making it softer to wear, it still does a great job of keeping the areas of the skin, blister free, plus it is lanolin free.
Whilst these sock liners are brilliant at preventing blisters caused by, friction and moisture, they are not going to resolve every blister problem. Some blisters are caused by pressure from footwear or biomechanical issues which create abnormal bone movement and tissue stress, these particular problems will need extra help from a podiatrist.
Please use the knowledge base on the website, helping you use other methods of blister prevention, in conjunction with Armaskin socks, enabling you to become blister-free.
