A Test of Two Blister Resistant Socks

When it comes to an adventure on the trails, I consider socks to be my most essential piece of clothing. It doesn’t matter if I’m chasing toddlers down an easy local trail, out for a morning jog or bagging a peak, a good pair of socks can make or break the day.

For the past several months, I’ve put two different pairs of running socks to the test, the Balega Blister Resistant Quarter and the Fitsok ISW with a no-show cuff.

Balega Blister Resistant Quarter

Since I have very blister prone feet, I was excited to test the Balega Blister resistant socks. But, at the same time, I’m always skeptical of socks that claim to prevent blisters and hot spots. So, I tried to get blisters while testing these socks— I wore them when running in the rain, with a pair of shoes that always give me blisters and while breaking in a new pair of shoes. I didn’t get any blisters or hot spots while wearing these socks.

These socks fit well and were snug around my arches and ankles. They stayed in place even when wet and they didn’t slide off of my ankles as I ran. They held up well to multiple days worth of use and abuse and several washings.

My only complaint is that I did find them to be too thick and too hot for my feet, even on chilly early morning runs, and they did not wick away the sweat like I expected.

Fitsok ISW No-Show Cuff

My first impression of the ISW was that the socks were incredibly soft and well-made. Once I tried them on, I discovered that they were the most comfortable pair of running socks I’d ever worn. In fact, they are so comfortable that I still wear them almost every day, even if I’m just running errands around town.

Fitsok claims that the ISW’s prevent blisters, which they did. They also boast the ability to fight bacteria and stay fresh and clean because they’re made with Isolwool— a combination of merino wool and polypropylene. I was excited to test this out and wore the same pair of socks for 7 days in a row to see if they would get nasty and crusty. They did, but it took 4 or 5 days before it felt like I wasn’t wearing clean socks.

The ISW is designed to work well in hot and cold environments. They did keep my feet at a comfortable temperature no matter when I wore them, and I’m looking forward to seeing how they hold up when the weather gets colder this fall.