When I tell people I’m wearing toe socks, the most common reaction goes along the lines of, “That’s so weird!”
Why Would You Wear Toe Socks?
Essentially, toe socks are to gloves as socks are to mittens. The same reason you’d wear a pair of gloves over a pair of mittens is the same reason you’d choose toe socks over normal socks: more mobility (except there are some objections to this which I’ll go over in the Cons section.)
The foot is an incredibly complex body part, and we have 19 different toe bones (phalanges) in each foot. Leonardo da Vinci once stated:
The human foot is a masterpiece of engineering and a work of art.
Injinji toe socks let your toes do their thing without being restricted.
The Unboxing:
Until last month, I had never worn a single pair of toe socks in my life. So when the FedEx man dropped my Injinji package at the door, I was eager to try them on.
I ripped the package open and took out the first pair of socks I saw, the solid black Injinji golf socks.
With toe socks, you can’t just slip them on your foot and go. You’ll need to make sure each toe goes into the right toe socket.
After I got the toes in the right places and started walking around my living room, the main things I noticed were the spaces between each of my toes and their increased ability to move around. To be honest, I only really have control over my big toe and small toe, so there wasn’t a big difference in mobility for the three middle toes. I adjusted to the toe sock feeling pretty quickly, and life went on as normal from then.
Injinji Toe Socks Review:
Here are some of the socks I received to review:
- Golf Original Weight No-Show – the Golf socks are quite similar to the running socks, except a bit thicker
- Outdoor 2.0 Original Weight Crew NuWool – the outdoor socks are made of a merino wool blend, “NuWool”, and have a good amount of padding
- 2 Everyday Lightweight Crew – these are simple casual toe socks for any shoe
- RUN 2.0 Lightweight Mini-Crew – lightweight and breathable running sock
- RUN 2.0 Lightweight No-Show – exactly the same as the other running sock, except no-show
Although the names of the socks have specific purposes, like running or golf, you can use them for anything. When it’s particularly hot out, I prefer to wear the running socks because they’re thinner and airier. I usually wear the golf socks to the gym and if I want more cushion, I tend to pick the outdoor socks, even if I’m taking a trip to Manhattan.
During my testing period, I wore Injinji socks just like I would my normal socks. I’ve run about 50 miles so far in the running socks and have used others for going to the gym and taking trips to the city.
Pros:
- Comfortable
- Versatile, for any type of shoes
- Easy to hand wash and quick drying
- Breathable and moisture wicking
- Toe spaces give more mobility
- Prevent blisters and hotspots between toes
Toe sockets aside, Injinji’s socks are premium and comparable to those from Icebreaker, Smartwool, Point6 or REI. All of Injinji’s socks are anatomically shaped and have arch support, as well as breathability.
As an impromptu and unscientific test of toe mobility, I tried picking things off the floor with my feet. Once while wearing my Icebreaker multisport merino wool socks and once while wearing the Injinji outdoor socks. It was by far easier with the toe socks, (not that it really makes my life any better that I can pick things up with my toes).
Injinji makes several styles of socks for hikers, runners, golfers and for everyday wear. The versatility of the socks is really useful, especially when traveling. Another aspect which makes these socks great for travel is that they are quick drying and easy to wash.
One aspect which I’ve noticed about the toe sockets is that they prevent blisters between toes when running. Since the socks go between the toes, chafing is reduced.
Fit:
I wear size 9 shoes and size medium Injinji socks fit pretty well.
Cons:
In the beginning of this review, I gave some examples of why you’d want to wear toe socks, but for the sake of objectivity here is a reason you might not want toe socks:
- When you’re wearing shoes, your toes can’t move around very much, negating their benefit
Injinji claims that the toe compartments allows for wearers to have more balance but honestly, if there’s a difference, it isn’t very obvious. If you’re wearing shoes that don’t allow your toes room to splay, you won’t notice or be able to use the toe socks’ extra mobility.
The Verdict:
Although the usefulness of the toe compartments is debatable, the Injinji socks are high quality and a good fit for runners, travelers and everyone in between.
Most Injinji socks retail at about $10 to $20, which is normal for premium socks.
Injinji Socks Ratings
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Fit/Comfort - 9/109/10
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Style - 8/108/10
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Durability - 8/108/10
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Value - 8/108/10
Where to Get It:
- You can find Injinji socks here on Injinji.com
- Also on Amazon.com
Would you wear toe socks? Leave your comment below.
The Injinji Toe Socks were provided for this review. As always, this Injinji Toe Socks review contains only my honest views and opinions. Some links found in this review are affiliate links, meaning that I get commission if you decide to make a purchase, at no additional cost to you. This helps to fund the site. 🙂 Read more about me and this site.
Nice review, but I would also recommend trying out vibram Five Finger shoes to go with your injinjis. The mobility is very nice, I wear Injinjis and VFFs everyday. Nearly 7 years now. Also check out Free Your Feet on Kickstarter now https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/swissbarefootcompany/freeyourfeet-with-the-worlds-most-minimalist-footw
Thanks, Wil! I’ll have to try the VFFs out sometime. I remember when they were really blowing up a few years ago, but never really jumped in on it. Do you run with the Five Fingers?
I’ve been hearing a lot about the Free Your Feet thing on Kickstarter, looks like they’re pretty much toe socks, except meant to be worn alone without shoes.
Another con you may want to add is that everyone’s toes aren’t the same size, in width or lengths. For me, the toe sockets pinched each toe making them uncomfortable to wear. They were also too long for each toe making extra cloth getting bunched up inside the toe box of my shoes. Plus, since you need to be sure each toe gets placed into the right socket, it takes longer to put this, rather than slipping into them. I didn’t find these socks to be comfortable or useful at all. I did get them to keep toes from rubbing against each other and to minimized sweating and odor, but they weren’t worth the effort…
I am a keen runner and after a friend’s recommendation of the support offered by running socks to runners I purchased Injinji Running Socks.
After spending a significant amount of money on just two pairs after the firsr wear my toe is swollen and each toe has multiple blisters.
Worst purchase ever!!!
Hi Georgia,
Sorry to hear about that. Interestingly, I’ve run at least a few hundred miles with the socks and haven’t have any issues. It seems like it depends on the person. I think you best bet would be to email Injinji’s support directly (http://www.injinji.com/contact-us/, cs@injinji.com), they might be able to give a refund or exchange. Also, it might take a while for your feet to get used to the socks, so maybe trying it again could work. Hope that helps.
I have an interesting comment about this Injinji socks. Some people may not believe it but it is true. As I’m writing this comment, I am wearing one. I think there may be some people out there that have similar challenges like me but still have not found out the solution. I have suffered ATHLETES FOOT as a result of constantly wearing shoes and conventional socks to work since 2001. I have applied all known medications and they never worked. I am not diabetic. My toes are too close and don’t not allow air circulation in between them. I did a lot of research never got a solution. My wife suggested I put cotton material or tissue papers in between my toes before wearing shoes. I tried it and it looked promising but messy. I started to research to see if there was a socks that could separate toes. That was how I found Injinji on the internet.Infact, I searched for toe separators in the internet and Injinji came up. I ordered some in 2013. It was delivered from the USA to Australia on my door step. I ordered different types to suit the weather and occasion. I started wearing it and today, I’m happy to announce that my Athletes foot has cleared. Thanks to Injinji. The only setback is that if I stop wearing it, the athletes foot comes back within a couple of months because my toes will not allow air circulation and rub together. I have been wearing this stock since 2013 on a daily basis all year round. I will soon deplete my stock and surely will order another set. Just leaving this comment for some other blokes out there who may have similar medical challenge. Injinji stocks is it!
Hi Kris,
Thanks for the comment! That’s really interesting, and I’m glad to hear your condition is all better now. That’s one benefit of toe socks I had not thought of!
You’re lucky they didn’t pinch your toes or were too long in the toe sockets. I thought they’d keep my toe joints from sweating between the toes, which they do, but the discomfort wasn’t worth it. Plus they take forever to put on. Glad they worked for someone!
Complete bullshit, it’s not athletes foot, you’ve got a fungal AND a bacterial infection, you need to clear both of them up.
I really like these. I prefer the low cut sport versions as they are much cooler and don’t pinch down on my legs. I agree with the folks that say these are great with the VFF foot glove shoes. I find the shoes way more comfortable with the thin versions of the socks, though out in the sun my feet get very hot. Actually I found the black versions of the socks look just like VFF’s and so have tried wearing just the socks around. This works in places like the mall or the movies where you don’t have to spend too much time on the parking lot, which will shred the socks. (actually they are SUPER comfy to wear to the movies…and no one will notice as it’s dark…downside…the sticky floors. I’ve actually had a couple of peole ask me if I like wearing my Vibram toe shoes…only to tell them “Fooled you…these are only toe socks!” I find I have a little better balance even in runners with them. They are also great for wearing flip flops or slides out in the cold. Let’s me wear slides to the mall even in the winter and not get cold feet.
I would agree that wearing Injinji socks with regular shoes negates the benefits of toe splay. However, if you’re going to wear Injinji’s, you should also wear footwear that also allows toe splay. You can find out more about shoes having a wide toe box at https://www.correcttoes.com. I do not benefit at all from referencing Correct Toes, I just recently did a lot of research due to bunionette issues and am trying the Correct Toes device out as a possible resolution.