Sports & Socks: The Importance of Socks For Atheletes

Those who are involved in sports put their feet through high levels of additional stress that is not encountered in everyday life.

Ground reaction forces, pressure and rubbing are all things that are experienced by the feet of those involved in athletic activity. Studies have proven that ground reaction forces can approach three times body weight in a running athlete, for instance.

Shearing forces result from forward or sideways momentum of athletes who walk, run, jump or lunge in their activities.

Each of these additional pressures and forces can result in the formation of friction blisters in athletes. The type of footwear you are wearing can further exacerbate this process, making it all the more important to choose the right shoe for your specific activity's needs.

It has been found that socks play a key role in helping athletes to avoid specific foot problems and injuries. Both the fiber content and construction of a sock will help to predict its effectiveness in helping you to avoid injury.

The fiber content of a sock will play a key role in helping an athlete to wick away moisture from their feet as they continue their activity. Plain cotton socks are the worst choice for athletes as they absorb significant amounts of moisture rather than wick it away. If an athlete is not wearing the proper synthetic fiber sock, moisture will build up and blisters and/or athlete's foot might develop.

Several "smart" fibers have gained popularity in socks in recent years, including Coolmax. Coolmax is a wicking fiber that has four channels built into the cross-sectional geometry of its fabric. This gives Coolmax socks a 20% higher perimeter area than traditional round fibers.

In contrast, cotton or wool fibers have a much higher resistance to wicking. When wet, acrylic fibers swell less than 5% while cotton swells 45% and wool swells 35%.

Retaining all this moisture causes cotton and wool socks to stretch and lose their shape inside the wearer's shoe, causing discomfort and increased exposure to injury.

Just as you would protect yourself with the proper safety gear, so you should do the same with the proper foot gear. Wearing the proper socks can improve your performance and ensure that your feet stay free from injury and fatigue.