There is no more underrated piece of clothing than socks, especially for us ultrarunners. Selecting the wrong socks for an ultra could be a huge mistake and inevitably end our race. The best socks will not only make blisters less likely and keep your feet dry and cool, but they’ll also make the whole run just feel so much more comfortable…enter Balega Socks!
Simply pulling on the perfect pair of socks can do away with the worry of getting blisters or hot spots and they could help keep those toenails which seem to be one of the luxuries of being an ultrarunner. In the past running socks were very plain affairs, but over the years running brands like Balega are pushing the designs and quality to make the best pair of running socks possible.
Now I’m going, to be honest, I had never heard of Balega Socks before but when they reached out to our testing team we were intrigued to see what they had to offer.
Balega Socks are designed for marathon runners, so I’m hoping they will survive the brutality of an ultra marathon. To test these to the max I took them to Chester to suffer with me whilst I compete in the GB Ultras Chester 100miles. A course that’s a mixture of hard and soft trails with plenty of canals and of course being Chester, a bit of tarmac.
Balega sent me a pair that was from their Support Quarter Running range and I decided to take a gamble and run in these without testing them out on a small run first. What could go wrong?
Balega Socks First Impressions
They look and feel like a top quality socks. Soft and inviting, but they felt thick enough to support the impact I was about to give my poor feet. Balega has infused this sock with Mohair fibre and Drynamix yarn. This basically means they are a wool like socks without the itch, they won’t smell at the end of the run or over time and they will dry pretty quickly. Great start.
It’s now June and the Chester ultra is nearly a distant memory but guess what, Balega socks were a huge success and they are still part of my running arsenal.
They didn’t move and roll up within my shoe and for the first time, I had no hotspots or blisters apart from the usual under the toenails. But that’s normal for us ultra runners, isn’t it? Balega Socks wanted to create a seamless design. The science behind it is that having seams in socks can cause friction and over time cause blisters. Makes total sense to me.
Balega Socks Negatives
The only negative and that being a small one was that there was a little bit of wear around the ankle due to my shoes rubbing, but again these socks are not designed with the ultrarunner in mind. If I’m honest the wear isn’t substantial enough to say they would have to go in the bin but I think after a few ultras these would probably see better days, especially if the ultras were really wet and muddy. For £16 I still think these are a value for money. I can truly say I will be looking to purchase another pair of Balega socks in the future. Grab yourself a pair you won’t regret it.
Balega socks come in a variety of stylish and vibrant colours, that can be matched with other key running pieces to offer fit, feel and comfort runners need – from their first mile to their last. What’s more, they will support you in your challenge whilst giving back to communities, charities and programmes in both South Africa and the States where the socks are manufactured.”
Visit www.balega.co.uk
About Balega Socks
Back in 2003, husband and wife team, Bert and Tanya Pictor, set out not only create the world’s best performance running sock but to give back to the community with every pair sold. Now, it is an award winning and category leading brand in the UK, US and South Africa. Beyond the fabric, thread and tech from which they are made, every pair of socks bought, gives back to communities, charities and programmes in both South Africa and the States where the socks are manufactured. As well as supporting its team with training programmes that focus on personal development and self-empowerment, it also supports projects for less able and disadvantaged children in South Africa and works in partnership with Breast Cancer Prevention Partners (BCPP) to fund vital research.