Creature Comforts

[eleveneightnate]

Weird one but.. Stance X Injiji X Scotty Wittlake socks. Yeah, they’re weird toe socks. I could never get my feet to stop being clammy and would end up being freezing cold in a variety of conditions. Those thin, stick-on toe warmers were a band aid fix for awhile. Different boots, plenty of different socks, anti-sweat lotion, etc. Found a random pair at my local shop in 2014, no one was buying them. Owner gave me a pair for free, changed my life! I think I have 6-7 pairs in rotation now and will seek them out once a season or so for back ups.

Might be something to do this. This post inspired me to bust out my dormant Injinjis for an hour at the skate park. My feet cramped less and maybe all in my head, but I had a really good session... I was just feeling it today. Gonna keep them in rotation for a bit and see how I feel.

I've never tried them on snow, might give it a shot. I've talked at length about my boot fit / foot pain issues. Most of those are resolved with Adidas but my feet still cramp up occasionally. Maybe "weird toe socks" get me a little bit closer to 100% painfree.

Experimented with a bunch of different socks the past month skating, running, and lifting. Provisional rankings:

1. Injinjis toe socks.
2. A few pairs with dedicated left and right socks from Bombas, Stance, and Shred Sox
3. Various "universal fit" socks, from cheap Costco Adidas to ultrathin Smartwools.

I have better underfoot awareness and less foot cramping going bottom-to-top on my list. From 3 to 2 is drastic. From 2 to 1 is less drastic but noticeable.

I'm a split millisecond faster in making adjustments and reacting to what's happening underneath me. I can't tell the difference 95% of the time, but the 5% tends to be critical moments: exploding upwards on a power clean, sudden lateral cuts while running, riding crust on a skateboard, reacting to losing my footing on a hike, etc.

After the experiment, I'm planning to switching over entirely to toe or at least L/R dedicated socks for any athletic activity. Whenever I've hurt myself, I've flubbed on one of those critical moments I mentioned. If I can save myself a few injuries and some wear and tear ahead of my impending middle age, well worth the investment.

Nice! I feel that same difference backpacking/hiking with ultralight Darn Toughs. Think I’m gonna snag a pair of their ultralight snow socks since I’ve had so much luck with their hiking ones. I first heard about them when Blauvelt signed with them a while back.

[G.D.]

It's silly and quite surface level, but socks with all the toes looks really weird to me, almost to the point that it kinda creeps me out haha

[michaelangelo]

dude all my friends roast the shit out of me when we gear up. I tell them to just be glad I’m not wearing the vibram toe shoes too

[kimchi]

Lol it looks pretty kook to be honest. But the bigger issue for me, and the reason my Injinjis sat in a drawer for years, is they're a pain in the ass to put on and off. Gotta line up each toe to the appropriate pocket, and then make sure they don't turn inside out when you pull them off.

[eleveneightnate]

Add these to the list. Picked them up last weekend, they're merino blend and super thin. I don't think I'll ever go back to bulky cushioned riding socks.

Screenshot 2023-11-23 at 11.13.33 AM.png (874.13 KiB) Viewed 1739 times

[unsuspected]

Add these to the list. Picked them up last weekend, they're merino blend and super thin. I don't think I'll ever go back to bulky cushioned riding socks.


Screenshot 2023-11-23 at 11.13.33 AM.png

Im all in on ultra thin merino socks. My feet gets way too sweaty for anything else. Have a pair or two of those and the compression version Bought some Smartwool cheap to try.

[coleslawed]

ultralight merino ftw

[Vanni]

2. High quality socks. Speaking for experience, the difference between the $25 Burton sock and the $35 Burton sock is enormous. I have a cheap set I got for free I literally never wear, and the high-end option I paid for with my own money. The pricier socks perform better because of less foot slip, retains shape better, can be worn for multiple days before needing to be washed, protect against blisters better, etc.

ultralight merino ftw

Add these to the list. Picked them up last weekend, they're merino blend and super thin. I don't think I'll ever go back to bulky cushioned riding socks.


Screenshot 2023-11-23 at 11.13.33 AM.png

Im all in on ultra thin merino socks. My feet gets way too sweaty for anything else. Have a pair or two of those and the compression version Bought some Smartwool cheap to try.

fuck! I always rode with basic midweight burton socks, but with all this talking I just took the plunge at high end Burton socks, various pair, ultra thin, light weight and mid weight, just to test them and find the right one for me.
Let's see

[unsuspected]

I sometimes change socks for a dry pair mid day as my gf does. Warm boots and sweaty feet does that.

[benjinyc]

any of you use pull over mitts? Kincos are my go-to for all temps, but there are days where I wish I had something warmer, before buying something I figured wearing pull-over mitts on top of them should suffice?

- sidenote, I wear Hanes cotton crew socks when I ride 90% of the time — mostly because the majority of my riding is during my lunch hour, so cold feet hasn't been an issue, I'll usually just do 4-5 runs and go back to my car. Cold feet doesn't bother me as much as damp/moist feet