What Are Technical Socks?

If you’ve decided that it’s time to start taking physical fitness more seriously and are exploring your options for running, you’ve probably been looking at more specialized shoes. After all, running is a very specific activity, and purpose-built shoes designed to maximize this movement can really make a difference. But if you’ve been reading magazines, looking up articles on the Internet, or even just talked to more experienced runners, you may have seen the phrase “technical socks” come into use.

So what are these socks and why do they make a difference?

The Professional Difference

In the same way that you can buy highly specialized shoes built for running efficiency, you can also buy socks, just like our own Pro-Tect socks, that fulfill the same purpose. A technical sock makes several significant departures away from the much simpler sock designs that you may be used to in everyday life, because they are expected to do more. Among the things that technical socks do differently are:

Moisture Protection

Our Pro-Tect technical socks, for example, have a Trans-Dry technology for moisture wicking. This means that any sweat you build up while running does not get absorbed into the material and stay there, which can weigh you down as well as feel uncomfortable. Instead, the moisture is moved through the material, up to the surface, where it can evaporate through the air, leaving your feet drier and more comfortable.

Blister Protection

A combination of a poor fit and sweat build up in a regular sock can result in all that movement and friction eventually creating blisters. Blisters are both painful and can have a very real and negative impact on your running. Technical socks are designed to reduce as many of the factors that can cause blisters as possible, giving you the best chance to run without distractions or impairments.

Bacterial Protection

Good technical socks, like our Pro-Tect lines, have anti-bacterial properties that resist fungus and other forms of infection. We’ve even incorporated copper into our material so the skin can benefit from a healthy dose of copper ions for better health and healing.

If you’ve decided that you want to have a healthier, more active life, and running is going to be the way to do it, make sure to prepare yourself. Good shoes are important, but good technical socks can also make a big difference in your comfort and your performance.