Injinji Socks Review: Are Toe Socks Useful?

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.

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.