The dreaded blister is every athletes most inconvenient enemy. Not a big enough injury to stop you from outright playing, but annoying enough to hamper your performance levels.
New boots, pre-season, different surfaces, climate changes, time away from playing - an endless list of things can cause blisters. BUT they don't have to...
Grip Socks (for Soccer/Football) are purpose built to be comfier, fit better, dry faster, and stop the friction between your feet and your boots. We've picked out the best 5 grip socks on the market for putting an end to blisters:
Why You Get Blisters
Before we jump into the list of game-saving grip socks, let's make it clear why you get blisters:
Poor Fitting Boots
If your boots don't fit properly - wether you have space at the toe or the heel, your feet are going to slide around and cause that friction that leads to blisters.
Poor Fitting Socks
People don't think about this one - but if your socks are loose, move, slide, or don't fit your feet and toes, this is going to equally cause friction between your feet, socks, and boots together.
Trapped Moisture
Normal football socks are made from basic materials that trap water and sweat. When moisture can't escape your feet, this soften the skin and speeds up blisters.
Wrong Stud Type
Ever worn soft-ground (SG) studs on hard dry pitches during pre-season? This will mess your feet up - choose your stud type carefully (or rotate 2 pairs of boots)
The 5 Best Grip Socks
Let's countdown the grip socks that will save your feet (whether you're playing soccer/football, rugby, cricket, American football or any sport) - these have 'skin in the game'. Pun again intended.
#5
VYPR SUREGRIP
VYPR have made great strides in improving the base material of their socks. They use a 3rd party material called DriRelease that is very soft, wicks away moisture incredibly quickly, and is antibacterial.
We've tested the VYPR SureGrip at length and it really does provide that comfortable and soft fit you need even in torrential rain. They are quite thick and have good cushioning. They do not however have an internal grip system to stop the foot sliding inside the sock.
#4
TRUSOX 3.0
The grip sock king of the last 10 years still reigns strong - but is being overtaken by competitors in 2024. The 3.0 has great cushioning along the forefoot and heel, performing great on both dry hard pitches, as well as those rainy day matches.
The sock ensures you won't get blister if your boots fit properly. However, if you don't get the right Trusox size, or the right boot size, you'll have issues as the Trusox doesn't hold to the shape of your foot.
#3
FALKE 4
Falke are the old man of the sock game - producing leading socks for decades. Their Falke 4 is an evolution of their grip sock line, with a lightweight, moisture wicking material stops moisture build up. Their own blend of Polyester, Polyamide, and other breathable materials make these Falke socks a high performer game after game.
They are slightly thinner socks, so make sure your boots fit correctly around your toes - and importantly make sure your socks are dried properly between matches.
#2
NIKE GRIP STRIKE
Interestingly, Nike have their own NikeGRIP material that they use in their pro team kits. They use a special yarn that grips to a players boots and feet - stopping any slippage and improving comfort. There is a reason a lot of Nike athletes don't decide to opt for an external grip sock provider.
In saying that, the Nike GRIP yarn is not for everyone. it can get harder over time (when washed a lot) so these socks need replacing. However, they are brilliant at redusing the chance of you getting blisters.
#1
APEX PRO 3.0
Combining a unique ExoFrame that wraps your foot to ensure the sock fits your own foot perfectly PLUS their own DriWick material base that wicks away moisture and sweat 4 times faster than normal materials.
Throw in a gentle cushioned fit, soft flexible grip pads, and lightweight shape the PRO 3.0 is leading the way in stopping blisters. You must keep the socks air dry between washes to maintain the softness - but otherwise these will protect your feet to the ends of the earth.
Summary
Grip socks will forever be personal preference - so choose for your feet. Here are some things to consider:
- Your Foot Shape
- Pitch Conditions
- Thickness vs Thinness
- Material Blend (Look for Polyester/Polyamide)
- Sizing
- Boot Age
We've not included heaps of grip sock brands - a lot of these use basic cheap materials that are a) not durable, and b) only going to cause your feet issues. We've found this through extensive testing of almost every grip sock on the market.
