Injinji Toesocks are those crazy socks that look like gloves made for your feet. Toe socks always seemed like a novelty to me and I never gave them a second thought, until I saw a YouTube video about Injinji Toesock liners and wool socks being this guy’s go-to system. As I was about to order some liners, Injinji offered to send a few samples over for testing. After having worn a pair or two, my mind has been changed.
Injinji Mini CrewAre Injinji Toesocks are better than traditional socks? On their website, Injinji states “the five-toe sleeve design allows your toes to splay naturally and align properly, enabling greater stability and more comfort”. Now, I am not a podiatris, or anything like that, but I can say that my shoes fit differently when wearing the Injinji Toesocks. Specifically, my feet seem to lengthen more when wearing the toe socks. So much so that I need a half size bigger shoe. This indicates to me that perhaps my feet are doing exactly as Injinji says. Luckily, no medical expertise is required to discuss comfort, and these toe socks deliver here. The fibers are nice and soft and feel great on the foot. I‘ve worn the Injinji Toesocks quite a bit on the treadmill and they really work to prevent hotspots and blisters on the feet. Regular cotton socks were causing hotspots on the sides of the balls of my feet. The problem is just gone when wearing Injinji‘s Toesocks.
Injinji Outdoor CrewThe Injinji Toesock Liners are a thinner lightweight sock that can be worn alone or inside a heavier sock. I only tried them as a liner and they do work really well. The way the liner moves inside the outer sock gives a nice feel and this setup is the best for blister prevention for me. The liners are made with a blend of Coolmax, Nylon, and Lycra to help move moisture away.
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Testing was also done on the Injinji Outdoor Performance 2.0 . This sock is available in a crew, mini-crew, or micro and depending on the style either in the original (thin) weight, or mid weight. These socks have a mesh top for good breathability, a reinforced heel, arch support, and a double thickness band at the top to hold them in place. The material of the Outdoor socks is made from NuWool, nylon, and Lycra. Padding in the mid-weight is excellent and the extra thickness adds a bit of warmth. The thinner original weight gets the nod for warmer weather.
Injinji Outdoor MicroMy shoe size varies from 10.5 to 11, and that is U.S. sizing. The Injinji size chart puts a 10.5 at the top of the medium size. The large is recommended for a size 11 to 13 shoe. I found that I could wear both sizes and tended to prefer the medium size for the light weight socks and larger for the mid weight. I do have to say that I had to get used to my toes being in their own little sleeves. I like the feel of the socks but there is a bunched up sensation around the toes at first. Getting each piggy into its own toe sleeve takes a bit of practice, but it gets easier with time.
MSRP on the Liners is $9 and the Outdoor lineup ranges from $16 to $20 depending on the exact sock chosen. Head over to Injinji‘s website to read about these socks and see if they are right for you.
– Mark