ONE of the best ways to prevent blisters while playing football is to wear football grip socks and they can also help improve your running.
According to APEX, 72% of Premier League footballers wear grip socks as it’s been statistically proven to help boost performance in a match.
So, what are grip socks exactly? There are a few types of grip socks available including ones for pilates or spinning, but football grip socks are uniquely designed with grippy material to help prevent slippage while running on grass or astroturf, which makes them better than regular socks.
This, worn with football boots, ensures players feel ‘locked in’ when running and can help bolster physical attributes like speed and agility.
I’ve been playing football for 15 years - from representing my school to now being in a grassroots team and over the years, I’ve learned that improving my stride has had a significant impact on my performance. I can’t count the number of times I’ve slipped over sprinting after a ball, and while I luckily have never had any broken bones, having a sprained ankle is never pleasant.
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In order to see whether they could really help prevent blisters and improve my game, I tested out the best football grip socks in 2023.
Best football grip socks at a glance
- Best overall: Umbro Protex Grip Socks
- Best for summer training: Adidas Running Grip Socks
- Best for football matches: UA Accelerate Over-The-Calf Socks
- Best protective support: Vypr Performance Grip Socks
- Best for endurance training: Falke RU4 socks
VYPR VENM 2.0 Performance Grip Socks
- Vypr Performance Grip Socks, £25 - buy here
Vypr’s grip socks have become increasingly popular online and their Performance Grip Socks are a particular favourite of footballers. Uniquely designed with SUREGRIP™ Unique proprietary grip technology, the socks have velvet grips as opposed to silicon and are designed in anatomical shaping to help stimulate nerve endings and blood circulation.
The result is that it’s got a tight grip but doesn’t feel difficult to move in at all and is extremely firm, even in rainy weather. I play in defence and a lot of my position requires kicking long balls so I need socks that will protect my feet from heavy impact. These were definitely helpful in keeping my feet secure and locked in while I kicked the ball and the material felt premium. Another benefit was that the socks come with small sizing options which made it fit well to my feet. Although I did find that the mid-crew length cut off at an awkward length on my legs, it didn’t dig into my skin and I really enjoyed wearing them throughout my training sessions.
Pros:
- Very comfy
- Good sizing
- Completely stops slippage
- Thick protection
Cons:
- Slightly awkward cut-off length
Rating:
5/5
GRIPWORX Premium
- Premium ankle grip socks, £14.99 from Amazon - buy here
Gripworx makes some of the more affordable grip socks you can get, but I was impressed with the performance nonetheless.
They don't provide the same level of compression support as some of the other socks in this article, but they are well-ventilated and help keep your feet cool rather than stuffy, which will be a help in the summer months.
The ankle socks I tested are ideal for training sessions, especially on artificial 3G/4G pitches where you've got the most grip underfoot and foot movement is at a maximum in your boot.
But if you're looking for socks compatible with shinpads, you'd be best off looking elsewhere.
Pros:
- Comfy
- Ventilated
- Excellent value
Cons:
- Only suitable for training
Rating:
5/5
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Umbro Protex Grip Socks
- Umbro Protex grip socks, £22 - buy here
Umbro has made a name as one of the oldest British football brands and so it’s no surprise that their Protex Grip Socks have been designed for football. Its main feature is that it’s equipped with Premgripp Technology and has silicon grips, enabling the socks to grip firmly onto the insides of football boots.
I wore these during a sweaty training session that included a lot of quick turns and I was happily surprised to discover that these socks did not slip during the entire 90 minutes. The silicon didn’t feel uncomfortable at all and my feet felt quite snug.
However, it’s worth noting that if you’re playing on grass, then white socks will stain easily with dirt. But, I’d buy a couple of pairs to keep on rotation to avoid constantly washing. Of all the socks, these were my favourites as they prevented slippage and my feet felt supported.
Pros:
- Strong grip on football boots
- Prevents blisters
- Stimulates blood circulation
- Thick padding
Cons:
- No S size available
- White colour stains easily
Rating:
5/5
Adidas Running Grip Socks
- Adidas running grip socks, £20 - buy here
When I first put these Adidas socks on, they felt lighter than I expected them to be and didn’t feel too restrictive on my feet. I used to dread putting on football socks as I often found them really tight on my legs, but these socks felt extremely comfortable to wear thanks to the lightweight material.
They’ve got mesh ventilation and HEAT.RDY tech to keep feet cool and traction pods on the heel and toe area that help with grip. I didn’t have any blisters while wearing these socks and they were very easy to slip on and off. While my feet didn’t feel tightly locked into my boots, the socks provided decent traction when I was running on a grass pitch.
Sometimes, I found that the back of the socks slipped down my ankle as the size was a little bit too big for my feet. But when the weather gets hotter, I’ll definitely be using this pair to train in.
Pros
- Feels comfortable
- Subtle grip helps anchor feet
- Lightweight and sweat-wicking
Cons
- Slips down ankle
Rating
4/5
Falke run socks
- Falke RU4 Endurance socks, £20 - buy here
With the exception of being a goalkeeper, most positions in football require a heavy amount of running, especially in defensive midfield, which is the position I play. The Falke RU4 run socks are a pair of lightweight socks designed with endurance in mind. The socks help keep sweat off with a three-layer construction that keeps feet protected from blisters.
I liked the medium cushioning and when I was jogging on an astroturf pitch, I found that the socks gave me a decent bounce in my run and there wasn’t much slippage. The grip wasn’t as strong as other pairs but its padding helped to keep my steps springing on hard ground.
They are designed for running so while I’m not sure whether I would wear them during a game as I’ll need to make faster turns, overall, I think they were great for improving my running abilities.
Pros
- Supportive material
- Medium cushioning
- Very comfortable
Cons
- Runs big
Rating
3/5
Unisex UA ArmourDry™ Playmaker Mid-Crew Socks
- UA ArmourDry™ Playmaker Mid-Crew Socks, £16 - buy here
Under Armour is known for being a pioneer in running gear and these mid-crew socks are made to be worn for hot weather thanks to its sweat-wicking material. They’re designed from a supportive knit fabric that has ArmourDry® yarns that disperses moisture evenly so you avoid sweating through the socks.
While the grip feels subtle in texture, I was actually pleasantly surprised at how snug my feet felt in my boots. I had a tumble during an 11-aside match on a grass pitch but managed to recover pretty fast as my foot was secured tightly in my boots. I’d definitely pick these socks for a match as the cushioning provided all-round protection and I walked away without any blisters after a 90-minute game.
Plus, the socks dry quickly so I was able to wash and wear them to the next day’s training. The only downside was that the unisex sizing was a bit too big for my size 5 feet and I wish more football grip socks were designed with more options for smaller feet.
Pros
- Very supportive material
- Foot felt snug
- Nice design
Cons
- Big sizing
Rating
5/5
UA Accelerate Over-The-Calf Socks
- Unisex UA Accelerate Over-The-Calf Socks, £13 - buy here
These over-the-calf socks from Under Armour are the ideal pick for football matches as the supportive knit keeps legs cool while holding shin pads in place. I used to dread putting on long socks because they felt so tight around my calves and these ones took a bit of a wiggle to get on. However, once on it felt quite comfortable around my legs and didn’t dig in too much.
It also stretched nicely over my shin pads and helped them stay put throughout my 5-aside match. There’s very subtle contouring around the ankle to help mould the sock to the foot and the main grip comes from its material, which is sweat-wicking to prevent slippage.
I’m shorter so I found that the material did bunch slightly around my ankle, but overall I enjoy playing in these socks. Plus, the simple design makes it work for most kits so it’ll definitely be staying in my rotation.
Pros
- Supportive fit
- Sweat-wicking
- Fits over shin pads
Cons
- Bunching at ankle
Rating
4/5
What grip socks do footballers wear?
Grip socks are now worn by the majority of the players in the Premier League but they really became more popular in 2012, when former Tottenham Hotspur striker Gareth Bale started wearing Trusox grip socks in his matches to improve his goal-scoring performance.
Trusox was the first brand to pioneer grip socks and since then, has been worn by Raheem Sterling, Eric Dier and Dele Alli in the 2018 World Cup. In addition, Heung-min Son has been seen training in We Foot socks, while Erling Haaland has worn GearXPro SoxPro Socks.
How long do grip socks last?
Typically, they can last anywhere from 6 - 12 months. But this is dependent on how often you wear them. It’s always recommended to wash the socks after each use so you can care for them in the long run.
Always make sure that when washing your socks, you turn them inside out and put them on a gentle run to preserve the grip. Either air dry them or put them on a low-tumble dryer setting.
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