Sof Sole Coolmax Trainer Socks

I was sent some Sof Sole socks and insoles in April to test out and review. Sof Sole is owned by parent company Implus Footcare, the company which also owns and manufactures Yaktrax. The socks which I received were the Coolmax Trainer Socks, part of the Coolmax Sock Series. From what I can tell on the Sof Sole website, there are three socks in this particular series: the Coolmax Lite, Coolmax Runner and Coolmax Trainer. The Coolmax Trainer is the thickest and most cushioned of the three.

When testing new socks out I try to think about the overall comfort level, shrinkage from washing and drying, any rubbing or hot spots that might suddenly appear, how high the sock sits on my ankle and whether or not they will provide protection from my skin rubbing against my sneaker and lastly, how sweaty my foot gets and whether the sock wicks sweat away from my foot during a run.

I’ve been wearing the socks fairly consistently from week to week for the past month. I will wear them one day and then the next day I’ll wear a different brand of socks in order to test out the differences and see which type of sock I prefer best and how the sock which I’m testing holds up to my favorites. The Coolmax Trainer Sock is a low-cut sock with a deep heel pocket. They feel comfortable with plenty of cushion and I have not noticed any shrinkage from the washing machine or dryer. I have washed the socks in both hot water and cold water as well as drying them with both high heat and no heat.

Since I only wear one brand and model of running shoe from day to day there was no shoe conflict going on while I tested this sock out. I tend to prefer thinner socks in the warmer months of the year and the fact that these socks have a thicker bottom than most socks that I am wearing right now had some influence as to how I feel about them. It would be easier for me to compare the Coolmax Lite or Coolmax Runner socks right now since I am selecting lighter socks for my runs at the moment. That said, we did recently experience some cold snaps here in the Northeast and I was grateful for the Coolmax Trainer’s thickness on those mornings. On cooler mornings this sock held up great, keeping my feet warm due to their thickness while at the same time wicking sweat away from my skin. On warmer mornings this sock continued to wick sweat very well and keep my feet dry. I will note that the bottom of the sock is the thickest part and the top of the sock is thinner and more breathable.

While this is a low-cut sock, it did extend high enough above my sneaker so as to prevent any rubbing or blistering that might have happened if my skin were rubbing against my shoe. I have been fairly happy with these socks but will probably add them to my cold weather running socks since I don’t necessarily like hot feet in the summer. I cannot speak for everyone on this particular matter. I know for a fact that my running partner prefers thicker socks, even in the summer.

Would I recommend these socks? Yes, especially if you like thicker cushioned socks.

Would I purchase these socks if they were available locally? Yes

A quick search showed that locally, Sof Sole socks are sold at National Footwear, Dick’s Sporting Goods, The Sports Authority, Famous Footwear and a few other places around town.

Watch for a review of the Sof Sole Insoles next week.