Injinji Toe Sock Review
My brother and dad used to wear toe socks with toe shoes to their martial arts classes. They said it helped them be able to feel the ground and have better balance without going barefoot.
I don’t remember how or why, but I ended up borrowing a pair of my brother’s toe socks years ago. It was weird at first to have all of your toes separated but I ended up really liking them. This was in my pre-hiking days.
When I started hiking, I decided that hiking in toe socks would be a great idea. Which it is! But beginner hiking Jenny didn’t know any of that, I was just going off a gut feeling and what felt good. As I got more into hiking, I finally stopped stealing my brother’s toe socks, got my own, started learning about the benefits like blister prevention, total foot utilization, and moisture management, and learned about the different fabrics. Now I can’t imagine wearing anything else for hiking.
When your toes are separated, it properly aligns your foot and lets your foot be entirely engaged in whatever athletic activity you’re doing. They also prevent blisters because they prevent your toes from rubbing together and eliminates skin on skin friction.
I’ve also started wearing them snowboarding, snowshoeing, cycling, and to the gym, in addition to hiking in them.
Injinji socks have a variety of sock options (with fun colors), it can be hard to choose which pair works best for you and your activities. Below I review the different Injinji socks I have tried.
If you’re struggling with sizing, I wear a size small in Injinji toe socks and I have a women’s 8.5 shoe size.
These are the socks I’m wearing on the John Muir Trail. They’re wool toe socks! Typically wool socks are popular among long distance hikers because of its ability to absorb moisture. Many hikers choose to double up with toe sock liners and add a wool sock on top, but I prefer just to wear one sock. Just personal preference. These combine both into one!
My feet sweat, and I’ve noticed because these socks are thicker, that they absorb moisture much better than the thinner socks I’ve worn on long hikes. At first, I was worried that my feet would overheat since they are thicker, but I haven’t had that problem at all!
I feel like the extra padding and cushion helps prevent the soles of my feet from starting to hurt sooner on 10+ mile hikes.
These socks also have an arch support built-in, mesh at the top which helps keep your feet cool and the cuff top keeps them from falling down and keeps dirt and rocks from getting into your sock.
I use these mainly for long distance hikes, but you can use them for running, biking, anything outdoors.
I also wore these to Havasupai. I hiked down to the falls in my hiking boots, but then hiking around Havasupai and through the waterfalls and crossings I wore Injinji’s wool toe socks with my water shoes. I walked straight through water crossings with these on and they dried within minutes!
These socks are so soft. So soft. They don’t feel as thick as the wool socks but they’re designed to keep your feet cool and dry too. These are the socks I wore on the High Sierra Trail.
They’re made with COOLMAX® fibers that keep your feet cool. They have a mesh top and the crew length helps to keep dirt and rocks out of your sock. They are padded around the toes which helps cushion and protect your feet.
These socks also have arch support. I have slighter higher arches than flat feet. I used to have flat feet but years of ballet and rolling my arches under golf balls for ballet helped lift them slightly. Typically arch support socks (and shoes) hurt my feet because they add extra pressure to my arch, but these don’t. If you need arch support, they will give you that, but if you have flat feet like me, the arch support won’t hurt your feet.
Added bonus they come in cute colors and designs.
I get the woman’s version because they’re designed to specifically accommodate the female foot.
Many hikers like this option. Having a toe sock liner with a normal wool sock on top helps reduce friction. It adds an extra layer of padding and helps reduce blisters. This is typically what toe socks are known for too.
The inner liner is an ultra-thin base layer designed to wick away sweat from your foot while keeping your toes separated and reducing friction.
The wool outer sock is also designed to wick away moisture while adding extra padding.
This layering sock method is very popular for all hiking adventures, everything from short day hikes to long backpacking trips.
If you have an outer sock you already love or just need more liners, Injinji sells just the liner.
This is a lightweight crew length sock specifically designed for runners.
They have a 200 needle count, the more needles, the better, they are lightweight, sturdy and durable.
The crew design keeps dirt and rocks out of your sock, the mesh top keeps your foot dry, there’s arch support and it’s made out of COOLMAX® fabric to keep your foot cool while having a lightweight sock.
This sock is designed for runners, but I don’t run because of my bad knees so I wear these to the gym and to my indoor cycling classes. I also wear this sock around town with my Converse.
I wear the women’s one which is designed perfectly to fit our feet. I like wearing no-show socks to the gym and in daily life. I also prefer thinner socks when working out and in daily life, so these are perfect for that. They have a little tab around the back of the ankle so it helps prevent your shoe from rubbing your ankle/heel and causing a blister, slipping and chafing.
These are also designed with COOLMAX® fibers to keep feet dry and cool. The design also has some compression and arch support with an increased stretch while maintaining a narrower profile.
I wear these when I go snowboarding. When I started snowboarding I got a pair of ski socks at one of the local shops in Mammoth but they were thin. I wore them for years, but as I hiked more and got into wearing toe socks for hiking, I switched to wearing toe socks for snowboarding too. I also noticed that in the thin socks I had gotten years ago my feet were wet by the end of the day versus in these, my feet were dry at the end of the day. That makes such a difference in preventing blisters, being comfortable, and not having cold feet when you change from your snowboarding or skiing boots into other shoes at the car. They’re also made from wool.
They are over-the-calf length which helps prevent them from bothering and poking you inside of your boots on the slopes, adds warmth and some compression to your calves to maximize blood flow and minimize fatigue.
They’re also cushioned at the footbed to add come comfort and insulation.
I’ve worn them in blizzard conditions in Mammoth to warm springtime conditions in Mammoth and my feet were not cold nor overheated.
Like a pair of good compression leggings but for your feet.
The toes are padded, I love that Injinji does this for all of their socks.
These socks are designed for long races and extended training days. They increase circulation while minimizing blisters. The over-the-calf length gives compression starting at the ankle and going up through the leg to aid blood flow. They also have some compression around the arch for arch support.
These have a 200 needle count, which makes them light, sturdy and durable, they also have reflective strips so you’re seen.
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Christy B.
Thank you so much for your in depth reviews!! I truly appreciate the time you spent doing this. I recently had major reconstructive foot surgery, unbelievable how much my toe socks help minimize the pain level when I put my shoes on. Although I’ve worn Injinji socks for a few years now, I had no idea they offered so many different styles. I’m definitely going to check out the ones with the extra padding in the toe area! That will be a blessing right now…. Thanks again!