Thinking about getting your next pair of grip socks? Can't decide if grip socks are worth it for you? Need new grip socks?
Let us outline the 5 key reasons grip socks are vital to boost your performance:
What are grip socks?
Grip socks are athletic sports socks - usually crew or ankle length socks - that have integrated grip pads built into the sole. These grip pads can be made from PVC (Rubber), Silicon Composite, or Faux Suede (and equivalents) and are small enough to cover the whole base of the foot.
Who wears grip socks?
Grip Socks specifically for elite sport have evolved over the years and are now commonplace at the very top of sport across the world. But more recently grip socks are now being worn at all tiers, leagues, and levels.
They are usually worn by Football, Rugby, and Cricket players - but at Apex we're starting to see Lacrosse, NFL, Golf, and Runners choosing grip socks.
Now The 5 Reasons Grip Socks are vital:
Comfort:
- Grip socks help reduce the chance of blisters (especially in pre-season)
- Traditional full length football socks hold water, meaning they get heavier, and can lose structural fit over 90 mins
- Grip socks offer a more snug, athletic, and locked-in feeling and are often made from lighter, more hydrophobic material
Confidence:
- Grip socks look professional.
- Grip socks ensure your foot, sock, and boot to perform as a single unit
- The confidence you gain from trusting your standing foot during high speed turns, initial sprints, and 1 vs 1 situations is vital
Injury Prevention:
- Being able to trust that sharp twists and sudden directional changes are going to be supported by your footwear - boots and socks
- 20% of all football related injuries (source) are ankle or foot derived. This on top of the fact that 74% of injuries come from direct player-to-player contact, means you want all the biomechanical security you can get
Performance:
- You'll be faster, more agile, more stable, and be able to play game after game.
- You want any 1% advantage you can find. Grip socks reduce the external slippage between your sock and the boot for improved speed and acceleration
Affordable:
- If you do the maths Grip Socks work out to be ~£1 ($1.50) per week depending on the durability and number of games you play in a pair of grip socks.
- If you're striving to get to the next level, play academy football, or make it pro, grip socks are a small outlay in comparison to your boots.
How much do grip socks cost?
There are a variety of grip socks on the market and they vary in cost. The cheapest and least durable will cost between £5-£10 ($8-$16) per pair. Mid range grip socks cost between £10-£20 ($16-$28). Elite tier grip socks are made from performance materials and will cost between £20-£35 ($28-$50)
Still not sure if grip socks are for you? Read our Top 10 Best Grip Socks blog
NEXT-GEN FOOTBALL SOCK
If you're interested, we’re currently developing the PROTO-1, a prototype football sock designed to push performance further across different playing conditions and athletes.
Rather than a single sock, the PROTO-1 is being built as a performance sock system with multiple variantsoptimised for different needs.
While the Apex PRO 3.0 is built as an elite all-round performance sock, the PROTO-1 is designed to go further.
We’re opening our waitlist to the PROTO-1 for players and teams who want priority launch access, limited-run pricing, and behind-the-scenes updates as we finalise the product.
But if you just want the best performance sock for football today, the Apex PRO 3.0 is the current matchday standard.
