Toe socks may seem like a novelty but I‘ve found that them to be quite a bit more. I began to realize that these socks were different because my shoes fit differently when I am wearing Injinji Toesocks. Injinji says “the five-toe sleeve design allows your toes to splay naturally and align properly, enabling greater stability and more comfort”. My feet lengthen when wearing the toesocks so that I need a half size bigger shoe. Not only do my feet seem to spread out more but the fibers in the sock feels great on the foot. I‘ve worn the Injinji Toesocks quite a bit on the treadmill and on the trail and they really work to prevent hotspots and blisters. Regular cotton socks cause trouble pretty quickly for me but the problem goes away when wearing the Injinji Toesocks.
I‘ve tested the Injinji Outdoor Midweight Toesocks lately and with no trouble from blisters or hotspots while wearing them. The Outdoor socks are available in a crew, mini-crew, or micro. Depending on the style, you can get original (thin) weight, or mid weight. They 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. NuWool, Nylon, and Lycra make up the material of the Outdoor socks. Padding in the mid weight is excellent and the extra thickness adds a bit of warmth.
My 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. Injinji recommends a large for a size 11 to 13 shoe and these fit me great. I really like the Injinji liner socks and prefer the size medium in that style. There is a bunched up sensation around the toes when wearing the Injinji Toesocks and I had to get used to my toes being in their own little sleeves. This isn‘t uncomfortable for me unless the socks are pulled on tightly enough for the little sock toes to dig in between my toes. Putting on the socks takes a bit of practice since you have to get each toe into its own sleeve. I get my toes into the ends of the socks and then tug them out a tiny bit.
MSRP on the Outdoor lineup ranges from $16 to $24 depending on the exact sock chosen. Pick some up for yourself or give someone a pair for a gift for Christmas. Everyone needs to be brave and try something a bit different once in a while. Head over to Injinji‘s website to read about these socks and see if they are right for you.
Mark
Thanks to Injinji for sending over their Outdoor socks for testing and review.