Swiftwick Socks

Several weeks ago I received three pair of Swiftwick socks to put through my running test. I have professed my love (fetish?) for running socks on here in the past and shared with you that I feel they are an important component of my running ensemble. Why are they important?

Socks:
- keep our feet warm
- keep our feet dry
- help prevent blisters
- can cushion our feet, or
- can help our feet to breathe

The wicking abilities of socks are very important to me. I prefer breathable socks that help wick sweat away from my foot and allow my feet to stay dry and cooled off. In the summer my sock motto would be “the thinner the better” – if there is such a thing as a sock motto.

When I saw a Facebook message posted by Aardvark Sports Shop a couple of months ago touting a new sock line at the store, my first reaction was I have to go try these. I received two pair of Olefin socks and one pair of Merino wool socks from Swiftwick.

Zero Olefin sock

The Zero Olefin is a below the ankle sock that has about a half-inch cuff. I am beginning to prefer this length over the tab socks because it helps protect the back of my heel better from rubbing against the shoe, and it also helps keeps little stones and gravel out of my sock. (This is a big problem when running on gravel paths.) The fabric has an interesting “feel” to it. Sort of a smooth, glidy texture. It is really hard to explain, you’d have to feel it yourself, but this is the olefin fiber. The fiber make-up of this sock is 80% nylon, 15% olefin, and 5% lycra. Olefin has very low moisture absorption which means it wicks extremely well. As someone who cannot stand having sweaty feet, I can attest to the fact that this sock does an outstanding job at wicking away sweat. It is also one of the thinner socks out on the market and extremely comfortable to wear. It is not too thin that it doesn’t keep it’s shape and begins move around and rub at certain spots. The olefin fiber is very strong as well, and this thin sock retains it’s shape and hugs your foot for the entire length of your run, no matter how long you are out there running. The compression properties of this sock helped keep my feet very happy, even after running 20 miles in them.  This sock retails for $10.95.
 

Twelve Olefin sock

The Twelve Olefin is an over-the-calf sock with all of the above properties. I have been wearing this sock as a compression sock since it hugs my calf very well. I wear this most often after my long runs and speed sessions for the remainder of the day. Again, two thumbs up as far as sock comfort, satisfaction and wear. Swiftwick markets all of their olefin socks as compression socks. This sock retails for $24.95.
 

Zero Merino sock

The third sock which I tested was the Zero Merino. As you know, merino wool comes from sheep and is considered to be some of the finest and softest wool. I have been walking around and running in merino wool socks ever since I discovered the SmartWool brand. The Swiftwick Zero Merino is extremely comfortable and warm. It is made of 60% merino, 30% nylon and 10% lycra. I tried running in these in September and had to push them to the back of my sock drawer for cooler weather, they were a tad too warm for my comfort on September’s warm days. Now that the weather is turning cooler it is time to bring these socks out for some runs. This is a sock of medium thickness and perfect for the sub-40° morning temperatures. If you like socks that act as padding as well as wick exceptionally well, this is a great sock. They retail for $14.95 which might hurt a bit. This is very comparable to other merino socks in this category currently on the market.
 
Final Assessment:
In June I stated that Balega Hidden Dry and Feetures Light were my two all-time favorite summer socks. The Swiftwick Zero Olefin socks have easily edged out the Balega’s and Feetures (although those still remain in the top 3) as my absolute favorite sock for running.

The Swiftwick Zero Merino sock is a great sock but I cannot say that it is either better or worse than the Smartwool socks. I would rate it about the same.

You can find Swiftwick socks at Aardvark Sports Shop in Bethlehem.