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Running in bad socks sucks. If clocking up more than 65 marathons and 20 ultras, and plodding most of the way across Europe has taught me one thing, it is this: A runner is only as happy as his or her feet. You can drop hundreds of bucks on the best running shoes, but if you stick your foot into an old gym sock, you still risk ending up with blisters.
Running socks—along with running underwear—are probably as mission-critical to your comfort as anything else you work out in. It’s why regular ultra runners change their socks for a big psychological boost mid-race. If your socks fit poorly, hold onto sweat, or fail to cushion your steps, it’s a fast ticket to hot spots and Blisterville. And if they don’t look the part, forget the PR.
To help you avoid all of that, we’ve run our way through the unending variety of cut, cushion, and yes, color, to find options worth their price tags. Whether you’re someone logging daily miles for fitness, a trail-taming ultrarunner, or a twice-a-week jogger, there’s a sock for you. Don’t see anything you like? Check out the rest of our outdoor guides, including the Best Rain Jackets and the Best Sunscreen.
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Best for Every Day
Under Armour
ArmourDry Run Cushion
Runners often lace up daily trainers for their regular mileage and save race day running shoes for when things get serious. I take the same approach to running socks. I’ll train in my race socks–because “nothing new on race day”–but I avoid putting too much mileage and wear into those pricier options. For soaking up the strain of the everyday mileage, I reach for a reliable, hard-wearing, daily workhorse sock. These tick all the right boxes: excellent mid-cushion with extra protection where the impact hits hardest, great fit, blister-busting seamless toes, and effective moisture control. That’s a lot of performance for a $30 three-pack.
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Best Race Socks
In race mode on the road, over almost any distance, I reach for Stance socks. I’ve run countless blister-free marathons and ultras in the Stance Performance Run Crew. But these lighter, thinner crew socks work even better with the snug fit of the latest carbon-plate super shoes like the Puma Fast R3. You get a happy balance of ample road-softening under the ball of your foot, at the heel, and across the top of the toes, but they’re thinner elsewhere to stay light and race-shoe friendly. They handle moisture well too—an excellent mid-cushioned sock that’s great for comfort on longer runs.
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Best for Long Distance Comfort
Asics
Performance Run Sock Crew
When you’re long-hauling, guaranteed comfort is critical. These performance crew socks have it all: plenty of cushioning on the sole, extra toe box padding to protect your pinky toes, and cuffs that stay put but don’t dig trenches in your calves. The highly effective mesh ventilation also means even my very sweaty feet finished two-hour marathon training runs relatively dry. You can also get them at a quarter height, and Asics is kicking out some pretty snazzy designs.
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Best for Trail Adventures
Feetures
Trail Max Cushion
Stepping off the asphalt onto the trail calls for different sock considerations, like more ankle coverage to protect you from the brush and extra cushioning to dampen the shock from roots and rocks. The Trail Max Cushion does both. The low-ish 2-inch quarter length shields your ankles from scrapes and scratches and deflects the dirt and debris. The high-cushion and seamless toes offer easy comfort, without being so thick that you lose that all-important connection with the terrain underfoot. They’re also well reinforced with nylon in high-wear areas, so they’ll go for hundreds of miles.
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Stox
Sports Compression Socks
Not all compression socks are made equal. While plenty claim to offer the boosted blood flow benefits of the big squeeze, few actually deliver the medical-grade compression you need to reap the rewards, like delaying muscle fatigue, clearing lactic acid, and speeding recovery. Stox’s graduated 23- to 32-mmHg compression is the real deal, delivering excellent calf support that’s great for longer runs, races, and recovery plods. The seamless circular knit helps ward off blisters, and there’s extra padding in the toes and heels to boost comfort. They’re also great for trail runs to protect you from scratchy foliage—or ticks.
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Best for Multiple Sports
Swiftwick
Aspire Zero No Show Ultra Thin
The WIRED test team are longtime fans of Swiftwick’s line of minimal socks. The thinner fabric performs well in hotter weather, and there’s a small tab to prevent heel rub. What I really love is the Y-shaped heel that molds to your foot and stays there—no slipping, sliding, bunching, or rubbing. They’re thin enough to work well with closer-fitting running shoes and a great option for shorter races and hybrid workouts. If you’re looking for a great thin sock that works for many sports, these are the ones to get.
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Best Merino Wool Running Socks
Darn Tough
Run Quarter Cushioned Ultra-Lightweight Running Socks
There are some big upsides to slipping your feet into merino socks. The natural material is thermoregulating, moisture-wicking, and sustainable. (And really soft and comfy.) These quarter-length trail and road-ready numbers from Darn Tough blend merino with nylon and lycra and have become a favorite. I like the lighter mesh across the top of the foot for airiness and flexibility, and the leg cuffs don’t droop, even after many months of wear-wash cycles. If you stray into wet weather or you’re forced to plod through puddles, they dry fast.
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Best for Not Showing Dirt
Tracksmith
Speed Crew Sock
Adrienne So hesitates to recommend expensive socks, but these are compressive, they don’t fall down, and they’re black, so they don’t get as stained and gross as white ones. Crew socks are better for cooler days or anywhere you might get a little dust or mud on your ankles, and Tracksmith’s gorgeous and simple designs—for these socks, as well as shorts, shirts, and hats—are some of the best in the business.
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Best Toe Socks
I have a recurring problem with toe-on-toe aggression. Basically my toes sit too close to each other, so after a while the little pinky gets battered from being trodden on. That’s not great for an ultra runner. But UYN’s toe-separating Five Socks are a revelation, albeit an expensive one. I’ve used them twice to run a 22-hour, 100-mile ultra along the Berlin Wall trail, and I’ve never finished a race with my feet so intact—no blisters, no hot spots, no discomfort. Beyond the toe-sock design, the padding puts thicker fabric in all the right places for long-haul cushion, and they handle heat exceptionally well. I ran in 80 degrees and the ventilation was top notch.
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Best Value Socks
H&M
Sports Socks with DryMove
If you’re a casual runner, you probably don’t need the highest-end socks around. Instead, snag a multipack of these totally serviceable socks from H&M. The blend of cotton, spandex and nylon is quite thick, can get a bit hot, and wouldn’t be my first choice for runs over an hour. But they’re more than up to shorter jogs and jumping from the treadmill to the gym floor. The high-rise ribbed legs don’t sag, there’s an almost-seamless toe, and plenty of cushion in all the right places. At $18 for a 5-pack, they’re excellent value.
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Best Reflective Socks
Lululemon
Power Stride Crew Reflective
Whether it’s there for safety or style, we’re not 100 percent sure. Maybe a bit of both. But the reflective grid pattern built into Lululemon’s unisex Power Stride Crew socks does a good job of making you more visible when you’re running in the dark. The cushioning is on the lighter side, and if you like lots of padding there are better options. But I like the way the heel cup wraps your foot for excellent hold, and I also like the extra midfoot support from the arch band.
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Best No-Show Comfort Socks
If you’re after maximum cushion and comfort in a no-show running sock, you can stop looking right now. Balega’s Hidden Comfort socks take plushness to the next level with a thick layer of super soft, almost terry-towel-like fabric right across the bottom of your foot and an extra-deep heel pocket for some serious coziness. Up top, it’s all much thinner, more flexible and breathable. That offsets the weight of the underfoot cushioning, helps dissipate heat, and keeps the sweat at bay, even when you’re grinding hard. The heel tabs are highly padded too. Some no-show socks risk heel rub, but there’s none of that here. Oh, and they come in a huge selection of colors, so it’s easy to round off your matchy-matchy run fit.
