Injinji Compression OTC Toesock Review
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Let’s get a couple things out of the way up front. To begin with, I have purchased Injinji products before. Second (and perhaps most importantly) when Injinji took note of the fact that I had both purchased their product and used them extensively, they graciously sent over some toesocks for review – this makes them pretty cool in my book. Third, “toesock” is now a word.
Feel free to head on over to my Injinji sock review to check out what I thought of their lineup – this review will focus solely (pun completely intended) on my use of the Injinji Compression OTC Toesock. I’m no stranger to compression gear – I’ve tested several products with compression during my time at Active Gear Review, and I’ve loved some products… and disliked a few too. I will be as critical in this review as I think necessary, so let the “fan boy” naysayers get their shouts out of the way up front – it’s no secret I love Injinji socks, and now love wearing the Injinji Compression OTC Toesock.
Getting ready for an 18 mile trail run in the Injinji Compression 2.0 OTC Toesock – first outing.
Testing the Injinji Compression OTC Toesock
I’ve now run about 50 miles in the Injinji Compression OTC Toesock; the bulk of these miles was completed in two runs – one trail (shown above) and one pure road. The best thing about this was that I got to wear the Injinji Compression OTC Toesock in a few different pairs of shoes. Let’s be clear – people that love compression socks claim a lot of benefits and Injinji is no stranger to the world of boasting. One of the reasons I love Injinji, though, is they largely follow through on most of their boasting. I began running in Injinji (and continue with the Injinji Compression OTC Toesock) primarily to combat blisters, and the Injinji Compression OTC Toesock was no surprise here. Even though the Salomon XT Wings 3 do gave me some blistering the first few runs I took them out for the season (or rather pick them up again after a trail running hiatus, the Injinji Compression OTC Toesock held this in check nicely. Even after spending 18 hard trail miles in these shoes, I had only minimal blisters/hot spots – this is a big win for me.
The height of the Injinji Compression OTC Toesock is comfortable – I’m 5″10.5, and liked where it stopped on my leg.
As for the litany of other claims – I have success with pretty much all of them. I want to highlight a couple of them which are my favorite. Look, you’re going to be sore after a long run. Soreness is one of the biggest reasons new runners quit the sport because they lack the ability to tell soreness from injury. I personally feel less sore after long miles in the Injinji Compression OTC Toesock, and for that reason alone will keep them handy for all endeavors over, say, 15 miles or so. They provided compression without being TOO tight, which is a major problem of a lot of compression gear. The other main benefit which I really enjoy from the Injinji Compression OTC Toesock is the toe splay. In traditional socks, toe splay is limited to the tightness of the sock. Trust me on this – it’s a bit like switching from tighty-whities to boxers. You don’t know you’re confined… until you aren’t. I get A TON of comfort from natural toe splay when I run, so when I had the option of adding compression to my increasing comfort level it was a no brainer for me. As for sizing on the sock – I really liked where the sock hit me, and I’m average height. I felt the sock ran pretty true to size (I wear a 10/10.5 in running shoes, and went with the medium) – but I had actually purchased several pair prior to this test, so I knew what I was getting into. I’d recommend buying them from a store which allows returns, or even asking to try them on in the store prior to purchase in order to get the fit right.
The Injinji Compression 2.0 OTC Toesock – well worth the $49.00 in my book.
Final Thoughts on the Injinji Compression OTC Toesock
To conclude – I believe the compression socks are well worth the price tag. Really, my only complaint is the lack of color options. Injinji sells socks in a broad array of colors (visit them at the Injinji website or www.amazon.com to see for yourself), and it’d be nice to be able to get these in a broader array of colors than just plain pink and plain black. Let’s see some polka dots or something. Remember to head over to my review of Injinji as a whole if you want to read up further on the socks themselves, including what sets them apart from other socks, and why I like them so darn much (pun completed intended again).
