Feet Sheaths: What's New In Golf Socks In 2012

Taken for grante, are the feet. Taken for granted, too, are the socks that protect them. It’s the shoe that gets the glory (can I get an Amen?) Fancy colors, swirls, chevrons and swooshes, with stripes thrown in for best measure. Kicks from the playground, retreaded with cleats for the golf course, but what of the humble hosiery?

No longer, say I. Walk a mile or three in these socks and feel what’s right in this tremendous season for golf of 2012

Types

I’ve encountered two types of sock on the market. They are distinct from each other and ultimately the decision to purchase rests with personal preference. From my perspective, both are most viable for proper golf support, although I might be persuaded by a fellow’s argument that one is better for his purposes (and certainly for hers.)

Performance Sock

The performance sock feels different from the get-go. It offers the sensation of a compression fit for the feet and calves. Materials with extra syllables, like polypropylene, nylon and lycra, combine to provide a compression that feels 10parts restrictrive, 90 parts supportive. This, my readers, is a wondrous thing. A number of these type are on the market, including the one that I tested, Pro Compression. The PC comes in four lengths: low, club, mid and knee (the knee also makes a great wear in western boots, I’ll admit.) There is a lively feel to the feet over the course of a 5-hour round of golf or a 9-hour day of work, making either experience more enjoyable (or at the very least, more palatable.)

Club Length Knee Length Tour Low Pat Perez

Comfort-Support Sock

The comfort sock has all the trappings of a treaditional (sorry for the pun…traditional) tube. The blend of cotton or wool with acrylics, marked by a particular sequencing of pads for support and shock cushioning, introduces a sock that’s way different from any you ever wore in gym class, or on the golf course.

Thorlo is a familiar name for runners and hikers. For golfers, the company produced rolltop, mini-crew and crew heights. A brew of cotton, wool and silk  (part of the proprietary THOR-LON fabric) provides protection, comfort, resilience and a hots of other benefits to combat the pounding and rubbing that our pedal contact points suffer on a daily basis.

Crew Height Mini-Crew Rolltop

ThorLo also has an Experia model that I’ll view in a future piece.

KentWool have been on my feet for a number of years. In fact, their eventual wearing out after a half-decade of abuse was the catalyst for this piece. What has happened in the interim, thought I? In addition to having a cool website and the backing of a number of touring pros, KentWool blended a spandex with its wool for a precise fit, with extra padding for comfort and support. Moisture management panels ensure that the ped is not a soaked puddle of odorous sweat when the sock is removed.

Augusta Sock

FootJoy Merino Tour arrived with a letter R on one sock and an L on the other. Of course, I mixed them up and wore them on opposite feet. Once I noted my error, I reversed breeches and began to feel the precise curve of the anatomical foot-bed that went into its development.

I hope that you consider all four socks mentioned above. There’s no one sock that puts the others to shame; all four companies (and others on the market) produce a high-quality product worth wearing. That said, it will take a good bit of swindling and ear-bending for me to remove the ones I have, the ones that have earned my trust.