FITSOK Full Lineup Review

The folks over at FitSok were kind enough to send over the full lineup for us to review. Some would say that all socks are created equal – I’d say no, good sir (or madam) try a pair of these and you’ll become a believer in inequality. Of a good kind. One run in a pair of Fitsoks, and I wasn’t just saying “hey, it fits – ok!” (Get it? Fitsok = fits ok?) I was saying – wow, I have no blisters, my feet stayed cool, dry, and comfortable, and wait a second, these have the softness of a cotton t-shirt? Ok!

Seriously, though, get rid of your itchy, fake feeling tech socks (I know the people at those big box running stores have been selling you those for years now) and get a few pairs of these; I promise you’ll love the soft feel and performance that is present throughout the entire lineup – I know, I ran and biked in all of them and even wore them for my triathlon brick workouts in which I had to transition from swim to either run or bike – while I’ll get into the different offerings a bit later, all fitsoks have the same great moisture wicking capabilities, and share a few things.

Don’t let the appearance of them fool you – for looking like a simple sock, all fitsoks share similar, useful traits. My favorite is the anatomical shape – your left foot is opposite and (probably) a bit bigger or smaller than your right foot, so why should your socks be exactly the same? Combine that with fitsok’s patented “perfect toe” technology, which really does eliminate bunching and sore spots from poorly placed seams, and you have a fit specifically tailored to each foot. Both my wife and I tested these socks (or soks) over a period of a month (that’s how long it took us to wear all of them), and since we both write for AGR, it was a necessity to test them in various new pairs of shoes. We found them great for just about every type of activity, whether it was shorter tempo runs, pace runs, long runs, or pedals. I really enjoy the ISW for pedals of any distance, as the quarter length comes up over my ankle.

Merino Wool? In a sock? I think so…

Let’s check out the ISW first, one of four in the lineup. Made from a fabric called “Isolwool,” it’s designed from actual merino wool – which in practice is just as comfortable as it sounds. I love merino as it has all of the temperature regulation properties of regular wool, but all the comfort of your favorite old t-shirt. I especially liked these for cycling, as the cushioning properties really worked well for long rides. The length was also great for trail runs, as it kept all the debris out off of my ankles, thus preventing further chafing.

Race day comfort? Don’t mind if I do.

While all fitsoks were great for eliminating chafing, the F4 was great for people who love low cut socks. This offering is what you’ll be replacing all of your former “tech” socks with, as it features a fabric called “Sorbtek.” Sorbtek uses FLOWtek moisture channels to move moisture away from your foot, and keep you dry on race day/really hot days. It’s easy to err on the ankle collar of the sock, as too little fabric will cause the sock to slip down into the shoe, and create massive blisters. Fitsok sewed an additional “tab” or layer into the front and back of the sock, which stabilized the sock for either dynamic workouts (think track sprints) or long distance runs.

Thermal Balancing? Yes, please!

For the bulk of my long distance runs, I found myself reaching for the CF2. The CF2 uses a fabric called Shadow Yarn to keep your feet “thermally balanced.” This is just a much cooler way of saying it kept my feet comfortable over any distance. True “thermally balanced” sounds much sexier, but comfortable feet over long distance runs? That’s what truly sends me back to the sales rack for more. We had the CF2 in a crew length, which was great for those crisp spring mornings as they left no gap between the bottom of my tights and the top of the sock. Whether it was cold temps or high(er) temps (we haven’t seen the top side of 80 degrees yet), the CF2 never failed to keep me comfortably “thermally balanced.”

Meet your “go anywhere do anything” sock.

Some people, however, don’t want to pick up a different sock for every different occasion. They want a simple offering for any activity. Fitsok thought of that, too, and offers the CX3 with coolmax for those who just need a pair of socks. The CX3 performed beautifully in all types of workouts, whether I was running, biking, lifting, or even suffering through a kettle bell series. Coolmax does the trick – I found myself wearing the CX3 for everyday use, just cause they felt good.

Fitsok is a runner centric company, who’s main focus is on the comfort of the runner himself/herself. You won’t find them in any big box chain stores, so you’ll need to head over to your favorite running store to get them. If not, Jeff and the people over at Fitsok would really appreciate you requesting that your local store carry them – I promise if you give them a call, they’ll actually get right back to you. Of all the products I tested this year, Fitsok was the only company to include a hand written note requesting that I contact them with any problems/issues. This is because they care about actual runner feedback. My feedback for them? Get me some more Fitsoks! Don’t let socks become the weak link in your in your running arsenal – head on over www.fitsok.com and support a company that wants to support you (and your running addiction.