Most people think that a sock is just a sock but now there is a new breed of technical socks that are blister-preventing and especially suitable for marathon and endurance events.
Moisture is one of the biggest factors in producing a blister, caused by the weather conditions or sweat, produced by the body.
Keeping the feet dry during an endurance event is very important and the role of a technical sock is to prevent foot blisters
Friction against the skin is another major contributor to blisters and having a technical liner sock specifically to prevent friction will ultimately, stop blisters.
Listed below are our favourite technical socks and the reasoning on why we suggest them
Armaskin liner socks are fantastic at reducing friction against the skin, reducing the chances of blistering.
They are made of a material that is sticky on the inside, facing the skin, and slippy on the outside that is in contact with the outer sock, this combination reduces the friction action against the skin.
The socks also wick moisture away from the skin and the material has a heat-dissipating effect on the skin, which on hot humid days, decreases sweating and prevents blisters.
They will be an essential piece of your kit if you are planning to complete an endurance event.
For more information click here.
Darn Tough socks are the brand that we like the best, they are made with merino wool that keeps the feet warm in the winter and cools in the summer. They wick the moisture away from the skin preventing blisters.
Darn tough socks also have various types of cushioning under the sole of the sock, making them so comfortable to wear, they also wash easily and are guaranteed for life.
They are investment socks that you will wear over and over again, once you have worn these socks you will never want to try any other socks again. As practitioners, we even wear them in the clinic and have fallen in love with them for dog walking.
Injinji toe socks are also technical socks and are constructed from Coolmax Ecomade® material, which is also moisture-wicking, preventing blisters.
The difference between these socks and normal socks is they have sock material for each toe, ensuring there is no skin-to-skin contact in-between the toes.
For those who struggle with blisters in-between and at the ends of the toes Injinji socks are very effective at reducing the friction and moisture, that cause blisters.
The toe socks do look uncomfortable to wear but they are quite the opposite and incredibly comfortable to wear.
Injinji has made liner socks in both new wool and Coolmax ecomade® materials if you prefer a double sock combination, which works very well in blister prevention.
All the socks mentioned above have different lengths which give choice, it is just a personal preference which length you prefer
About The Author
I’m Lindsey Ebbs, a podiatrist with more than three decades of clinical experience and a passion for working in the world’s toughest endurance events.
