Inline skate socks may seem to many, an unimportant buy. But if you intend to take inline skating seriously, then proper inline skating socks are essential for an enjoyable, comfortable and injury-free ride. It is not advisable to set out skating using your pair of old, regular, hole-ridden socks. Regular socks are not designed for skating purposes; hence using them will likely do more harm than good – they leave you with blisters, rashes, and bad smell.
Inline skating socks offer the right layer of thickness required to prevent your skates from scrape the bottom of your feet, ankle and shin. Regular socks are not designed for the tight fit of inline skates, and they do not offer protection for the skin and ankle, making them susceptible to chafing and cuts when skating.
Benefits of Inline Skating
You have made up your mind to partake in inline skating; this is why you are looking out for the best socks for inline skating. But what exactly informed your decision to get in to inline skating?
Different people have different motivation to partake in inline skating- some do it for recreational purposes, as a form of sport that could feature competitions, or as a form of transport. Whichever is your motive, inline skating has numerous benefits, including:
- Improves dynamic balance, coordination, and agility
- Inline skating is a great workout activity – it improves core strength (abdominal, postural, and back exterior muscles)
- Builds aerobic exercise benefits – inline skating gives the benefits that come with aerobic exercise; increasing heart rate and getting the lungs working well.
- Gives anaerobic exercise benefits – inline skating comes with anaerobic advantages which include muscle strengthening and toning.
- Weight control – if you skate at 10mph regularly, you will burn 6 calories every minute (360 calories an hour). It also has a double benefit: that is turning fat into muscles.
- Increases self-confidence – The greatest benefit is that inline skating entails fun and gives you a feeling of accomplishment as you pursue new fitness challenges.
- Low impact exercise – inline skating is a weight-bearing activity and has minimal impacts on your joints.
Why Wear Skate Socks?
Having gear specific to a sport is essential in getting the best out of the sport. Socks are no exception – they make part of your significant accessories for a fantastic inline skating experience.
For beginners who just started skating, a pair of skating socks is a must-have. If you are new to skating, you will certainly lack the strength to skate with perfect techniques which can result in blisters caused by your skates rubbing your feet. Furthermore, skating socks help beginners fit into skates that they have not grown into.
Skaters who prefer to skate on low-end skates should wear skating socks because their skates cannot be appropriately baked without being weakened. This implies that the boot will not be completely form-fitted to the feet and will bring discomfort.
Experienced skaters should also consider wearing skate socks. Besides offering the shield from chafing, inline skating socks help to prevent bad odours. They are made from a material that absorbs more moisture, leaving your feet healthy and dry; thus, they will not emit a smell that permeates into your skates.
The 6 Best Socks for Inline Skating
The competition in the market is growing every single day; socks manufacturers, like any other manufacturers, strive to provide the best socks to woo more skaters into buying their products. Because of this, it could prove a challenging task buying the best pair of inline skating socks that will suit your needs.
This article discusses six of the best inline skating socks out there to help you narrow down your choices and find a proper pair of inline skating socks. The article also captures the features, pros, as well as cons associated with the different skating socks to guide your buying decision.
- Rollerblade Performance Men’s Socks, Inline Skating, Multi Sport, Black Silver
- Rollerblade High Performance Women’s Socks, Inline Skating, Multi Sport, Dark Grey and Pink
- Mondor Light Opaque Knee High Skating Socks
- Thinees Skating Socks
- EDEA Skating Socks
- Rollerblade Performance Kids Socks, Inline Skating, Multi Sport, Black and Green
1. Rollerblade Performance Men’s Socks, Inline Skating, Multi Sport, Black Silver
These socks the Rollerblade store (click to check them out on Amazon) are made for better skating. They are designed with optimal features and materials to ensure fantastic fit and performance. Their construction design offers all-round comfort and reinforcement in pressure points. The socks are left and right specific to optimize fit and padding when gliding. The construction materials provide soft comfort, prevent perspiration, and are long-lasting. They make a perfect choice for technical skating socks.
Features:
- Made with pique construction and double pique shin area
- Microlon and polypropylene is added to make them softer without affecting durability
- Wicking properties to absorb moisture
- Anatomic shape for best conformity with the feet
- 91% Polyamide 7% Polypro 2% El
Pros:
- Super comfortable
- Durable
- Increased shape retention
- Elastic
- Reasonable price
- Great fit
Cons:
- Too much padding on the ankle bone area
2. Rollerblade High Performance Women’s Socks, Inline Skating, Multi Sport, Dark Grey and Pink
Better socks make for better skating. These socks from the Rollerblade store (click to see them out on Amazon) is all the ladies need before they set out skating. The durability, better shape, comfort, and technical features make these socks the only thing that you or your loved one should have between the feet and skates.
Features:
- Made from Polyamide and Polypro
- Technical materials
- Skate specific design for anatomical fit
- Wicking properties
- Solid construction for increased shape retention
Pros:
- Suits skaters of all abilities
- Easy to take off
- Perfect breathability
- They dry quick
Cons:
- They are thin and short.
3. Mondor Light Opaque Knee High Skating Socks
The Mondor Light Opaque Knee High Skating Socks (click to view them out on Amazon) features nylon microfibers that provide softness. The stretch band is made of Lycra soft technology to enhance comfort and to ensure that this product stays in place while skating.
Features:
- 85% nylon, 15% elastane
- Mondor style 104 light, semi opaque knee high, 40 denier
- Available in junior and adult sizes.
- Made with the 3D Lycra technology to provide compact foot support
- Matte finish, Knitted elastic band for calf/leg, with a super soft microfiber blend
- Each package contains 2 pair of knee highs.
- The large stretch band is knitted with Lycra Soft.
Pros:
- Thick enough to last through multiple washes
- Thin enough to maximize proper fit
- Great quality and superb fabric
- Durable and resistant
Cons:
- They are not true to size.
4. Thinees Skating Socks
These skating socks (Amazon Link) are designed for skaters who wish to experience a near-barefoot feeling in their skates while not actually going barefoot. The thin design, four-way stretch design, and wicking action make these skate socks the crème of the skate socks industry. The flexibility of these socks means that they can be used for any other sporting activity – hockey, ringette, figure skating, or even just to keep your feet warm during the undesirably cold weathers.
Features:
- Barefoot feeling
- Four-way stretch
- Wicking action
Pros:
- Versatile
- Seamless feel
- Super thin
- Soft and comfortable
- Unisex
Cons:
- Color bleeds
5. EDEA Skating Socks
These socks from Edea Skates (Amazon Link) are among the best little skating socks in the market. They offer superb fitting and are marvellously thin. These socks blends microfiber to wick the perspiration away, and cotton. The seam tends to vanish.
Features:
- Great fitting
- Perfectly thin
- Combination of microfiber and cotton
Pros:
- The seams seem to vanish.
- Blister and pain-free
- Wicks perspiration away
- Pleasant feel
- Sleek look
Cons:
- Not available in sizes above men’s 9 and ladies 10
6. Rollerblade Performance Kids Socks, Inline Skating, Multi Sport, Black and Green
These kids’ socks (click to check them out on Amazon) were designed specifically for purposes of skating. They come with comfortable materials and features that guarantee magnificent fit and performance. These socks feature a pique construction accompanied by a double pique shin area to give all-round comfort and reinforcement in pressure points.
These socks are left and right specific to enhance padding and fit when gliding in the park or rink. Exquisite materials boost comfort, durability, and wick off any perspiration. The product was designed with the importance of having the proper skating gear in mind. The excellent comfort, durability, technical features, and increased shape retention make these socks a must-have for your kid.
Features:
- Microlon and polypropylene materials
- Left and right specific design for a great anatomical fit
- Solid construction and shape retention
- Pique construction and double pique shin area
Pros:
- Long-lasting
- Easy to clean
- Superb wicking action
- Super comfortable
- Great protection and cushioning
- Great fit
Cons:
- Quite expensive
Tips for Buying Inline Skating Socks
It is normal that every skater would have their opinion with regards to the best type of socks for skating. However, most skaters tend to agree with the below points:
- Avoid cotton socks.
Yes, cotton socks are absorbent, but all the moisture gets absorbed by the socks and will remain next to your skin for the whole skating time. This implies that your feet will stay moist; hence giving ample conditions for bacteria and fungus development. Besides, the moisture will make your skating uncomfortable.
Another downside with cotton socks is that they are not durable enough for tough workouts that characterize inline skating. They wear out faster than the other fibers that are used in making socks.
Cotton socks are notorious for bunching up under your skates, resulting in uncomfortable wrinkles.
Cotton socks shrink and lose shape after cleaning.
- Double socks
It is advisable that you wear double socks to prevent ‘hot spots’ and blisters caused by your socks rubbing against the feet. Wearing double socks ensures that friction gets sucked in between the two socks rather than between your feet and the socks.
A viable alternative would be to wear socks with 2-layer construction or wearing stockings inside your skating socks.
- Do not purchase socks with cumbersome seams because they bring discomfort. It is advisable to wear inline skating socks that have no seams.
- Do not buy socks with rubber or elastic yarns; body oils will make them to deteriorate faster. Spandex stretch fiber lasts longer and is less binding than elastic.
- Select inner socks made of Dupont CoolMax. Although silk inner socks are more comfortable, they are less durable for athletic wear. If your skates have a very tight fit, knee-high nylon stockings would be your choice to wear inside, with a pair of CoolMax socks outside.
- Get socks that fit well; avoid socks that slide or roll around your feet.
- Always wash and dry your socks thoroughly after every use; this prevents bacteria development. Also remember to dry your skates after use, because a dry sock in a damp boot is not the best combination; bacteria will still grow.
Keep in mind that your comfort dictates what socks you wear. If you are a beginner, the above tips should sit very well with you. However, as you advance in skating, your experience could alter your decisions regarding the choice of skating socks to wear.
For instance, some skaters prefer cotton socks, arguing that CoolMax socks allow too much slipping of the feet inside skates – the bulkiness of cotton socks help prevent this slippage. Also, some skaters claim that the feel that comes with double socks is not pleasing as it allows their feet to slide around too much.
The Bottom Line
Skating socks improve comfort and control while skating. They reduce pressure points and adjust fit, making skating very comfortable. Skaters’ feet usually get gnarly after long periods of skating, but having the right pair of socks will help maintain the grossness at low levels. Keep in mind that if you intend to wear a pair of inline skating socks, you may need a bigger size of inline skates. This is because inline socks are thick; therefore, skates one size bigger is most ideal.
When shopping for inline skate socks, look out for socks made from a material that has magnificent breathability and moisture-absorbing properties. Also, ensure that your socks don’t sag, as this can cause painful blisters. Reinforced toes and heels will boost your comfort, and your socks will last longer. This article discusses some of the top socks available in the market that you can choose from. It should guide you when selecting a proper pair of inline skate socks to invest in, and make your skating experience a blissful one.
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