What Are Best Socks For Mud Runs? I Love These!

Socks are a very important piece of clothing to wear on a mud run, but what are the best ones? Well I’ve used a specific pair over and over and here they are:

They are called the mud gear compression socks and I’ve worn this SAME pair for at least 2 mud runs. I’ll explain further one the details of this brand, but I want to mention that these aren’t the only ones you can wear, and there’s other recommended ones that are also good.

During a mud run, although your whole body is tested, your legs and feet are going to take the biggest punishment since even during breaks, you are always using them which is why the socks you wear and the sneakers you wear over them are going to help a lot.

Although I’ve talked about sneakers before, we’re going to discuss the best socks you can wear for mud runs here, including the pair I mentioned.

I’ve had a lot of close calls in these things with not being dressed properly, especially in foot wear.

During my first 2 events, before I started the race, I wore regular cotton socks, but when my uncle, who was also with me heard it, he said I was crazy and gave me an extra pair of his he brought just in case.

Had he not done so, I would have been in trouble because I’ve seen people destroy their feet not because of sneakers but because they didn’t wear good socks and ended up having blisters and have worse problems.

What happens when you don’t wear the right ones to these events:

Obviously, everything you wear is going to get dirty and the wrong footwear in particular are dangerous to have on if they’re wet and dirty, not because of what they endure, but what happens to them as they dry.

Usually cotton socks are the worst because if they get wet, typically they drain badly and as you’re running through a course, that can dry up and tear against your skin. It can get worse if they get dirty or worse wet dirt which in addition to also draining badly and then drying will tear and rip even more.

What are the right types to wear?

I have tried 2 that are ideal:

Regular ones made of polyester, spandex, nylon, the types you wear when you jog or play sports. I didn’t know the brand I was given my uncle the 2 times he saved me, but the next 2, he again got me good ones, but they were under armor and green in color.

They were about a foot in length (well height if you put them on) and each pair lasted about 1 race. Although they felt good to wear, the problem is that they tore pretty easily because they weren’t made for these events.

So I could have kept buying a new pair each time I ran one of these races or I could have explored other brands and that’s what I did, and I happened to find ones that are designed for these races:

Why MudGear Compression socks are the best for these events:

Among other supplies I have prepared for my next race, one of them are them is called the Mudgear Compression Socks which are ideally made for mud running:

The ones here come in 2 colors, one is black/orange and the other is light grey mixed with dark grey. I got the grey one because it better matches the sneakers I go along with them, but the fabric mixture is the same I said is necessary for these mud runs:

It’s mainly nylon, about 30% polyester and spandex. 

Are these socks better than the ones I’ve worn before? 

Yes. In terms of comfort, the ones I used to wear, I felt less on my leg which did feel good, but remember, they tore easily.

These ones also feel much more stuck to my leg. They do use the word compression and you really do feel it when you put it on. Is compression good for the leg?

Well it depends. I wear compression clothing for training and in cold weather, it’s very good to have it on. They say these types of clothes are good for maintaining warmth in the muscles and I can see that. I can also see that by wearing these, a person is less likely to experience cramps in their legs due to the muscles being kept warm.

Also I doubt any dirt or sand will be able to get into them because they are on so tight that it’s almost impossible. 

In regards to the fabric, it’s very strong and as long as you don’t literally tear at them, you should be able to wear them for at least a few number of the more tougher mud runs and many more times for the easier ones! 

What about warm weather? Won’t these make your legs feel hot?

I think it will, but you really won’t notice it. I did a number of races in the summer and wore 2 shirts during the event and I never felt the heat. I was too busy worrying about the race and I’m sure you won’t even feel them on after running for sometime.

Pros:

• They increase the protection you get on your leg (from getting scratched or getting wounds). 
• Less chances of injuries and cuts as a result.
• These are literally made for people who do mud runs (hiking too).
• Last a lot longer than most other acceptable socks you’d wear for these races.
• Will keep your legs warm in any environment and that is particularly good if you do these races when it’s cold.
• The fabric also protects you well if you do tough challenges on the courses that can tear at your skin. 
• These things won’t rip or tear easily so if you go through to a branch or thorn, it won’t get stuck there.
• They are used by many mud run goers. 

Cons: 

• Might take a little while to get used to the actual compression feeling, but if you’ve ever worn a rash guard or leggings, that’s exactly how it feels and you know after a short while, it feels comfortable.

• If you don’t want to wear the one that covers most of your leg (up to your knee), you can get the same exact brand, but a shorter version which only covers you up to your ankle, but I don’t recommend it if you’re doing a mud run as it’s better to protect more skin. 

Will regular socks that have the same materials also work for mud runs? Sure, but be ready to change and buy new ones very often. These are much more adjusted for those races and have a much longer time that they’ll last.