Tennis socks

djNEiGht

Legend
i picked up some Wigwam King Crew socks. Almost as thick as Level 3s. a bit cheaper and feels good. the Thorlos do have more of that "barefoot on soft thick rug" feeling though.
 

Ronaldo

Bionic Poster
i picked up some Wigwam King Crew socks. Almost as thick as Level 3s. a bit cheaper and feels good. the Thorlos do have more of that "barefoot on soft thick rug" feeling though.

Are the King Crew socks 100% cotton? Wear the Double Sole Crew, really thick. All these socks are too thick for my Adidas.
 

The Big Kahuna

Hall of Fame
I am a footware/sock junkie, there is an OCD bug in me today due to some feet issues as a child. I literally rotate 3 pairs of shoes and search for socks...for tennis, I've found the following as providing enough cushion, without slipping:

1. Nike Dri-Fit Pro Compression Sock (Great Cushion, Weight, Moisture Management with incredible arch support, downside is cost and availability)

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These are the socks to beat from all of those I have ever tried.

+1 for Nike Dri-Fit Pro Compression Socks!
 

The Big Kahuna

Hall of Fame
I get to test all kinds of socks and for me thorlos are it. If you wash them is warm water and air dry, they can last you a year maintian their softness. The key is no hot dryer.

Cheers, TennezSport :cool:

Thicker the sock, the more moisture it retains. Thorlo Level 3 are the worst in this department. After three sets you have soaking wet feet and lots of slippage in your shoe.
 

Alistair23

New User
Thorlo's are my preferred choice.

Yes they are expensive, but they last.

Level 3 for Winter, level 1 for Summer.

Roll on epic times.
 

TennezSport

Hall of Fame
Well........

Thicker the sock, the more moisture it retains. Thorlo Level 3 are the worst in this department. After three sets you have soaking wet feet and lots of slippage in your shoe.

Funny that you put it that way because I sweat very heavily and when I tried thinner socks I found my shoes got soaked, which caused all kinds of issues. With Thorlos L3, the sock does absorb more moisture but my shoes do not get as wet and play better, at least for me. As far a slippage, I never have that problem with Thorlo socks, wet or dry.

Cheers, TennezSport :cool:
 
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tarkowski

Professional
I've been using Feetures the past few years and have been very happy with them. My recent purchase of a few more pair left me a little disappointed however. They have made them a little thinner overall, with more venting on top. The venting is great, but now I find them too thin and a little slippery.

So I went on a quest and bought a pair of each of the following: DryMax, Adidas ForMotion, Nike Dri-Fit, Nike Cushioned Dry-Fit (70% cotton), VitalSox, Thorlo 3, and Thorlo 1. All in crew.

I could NOT get on with the Thorlo 3. For me it is just way too thick, too hot, and too slippery (inside the sock, as opposed to sock on insole). If you like these, then I can't see you liking the following: :)

Thorlo 1 was ok, more to my preference but still not as good as the others.

Given that I prefer a sock that is easy to get into and a crew portion that is a little looser around the ankles - I'm really liking the DryMax followed closely by Adidas and Nike. All of them are thick enough, don't slide, and keep my feet cool. The DryMax are the easiest to get on and the crew portion is the most comfortable. None of them slip, but the Dry Max may be the most slippery...again relative to the others but not in absolute terms.

Hope this helps someone!
 
I get to test all kinds of socks and for me thorlos are it. If you wash them is warm water and air dry, they can last you a year maintian their softness. The key is no hot dryer.

Cheers, TennezSport :cool:

TennezSport - Have you tried the Adidas Formotion, Under Armour Heat Gear, and the Nike Elite Baseketball socks and Nike Compression Pro socks? How would you rate them in terms of arch support, moisture management, and cushioning?
 

TennezSport

Hall of Fame
Yup......

TennezSport - Have you tried the Adidas Formotion, Under Armour Heat Gear, and the Nike Elite Baseketball socks and Nike Compression Pro socks? How would you rate them in terms of arch support, moisture management, and cushioning?

I have tried the Adidas and Nike socks and while they are good, they just don't feel as good as the Thorlos for me. There is just a confident, plush comfortable ride that I get with the combo of the Thorlo3 and CB2.3; really a personal choice.

Cheers, TennezSport :cool:
 

djNEiGht

Legend
Are the King Crew socks 100% cotton? Wear the Double Sole Crew, really thick. All these socks are too thick for my Adidas.

95% Ring Spun Cotton, 3% Stretch Nylon, 2% Elastic (rubber)
according to the them...

Previously I would just use cycling socks as I would ride the the courts. My current show was a 1/2 size too big by accident so that's how i ventured into the thick socks such as Level 3s. I missed out on sp0rt chaletz "buy 3 get one free" thorlos and found the wigwams to be a couple bucks cheaper. doesn't seem as thick but pretty good.

If you want to go thick socks make sure to wear them when you try on your next pair of shoes.
 

The Big Kahuna

Hall of Fame
Funny that you put it that way because I sweat very heavily and when I tried thinner socks I found my shoes got soaked, which caused all kinds of issues. With Thorlos L3, the sock does absorb more moisture but my shoes do not get as wet and play better, at least for me. As far a slippage, I never have that problem with Thorlo socks, wet or dry.
:

Perhaps this difference could be caused by the shoe or the climate you play in - I can't explain it. All I know is that like any fabric, the thicker it is the more potential for moisture retention it should have. A think towel absorbs more than a thin one, for example. Further Cotton holds moisture to the kin and synthetics tend to wick it away from the skin - which explains why every high performance product made now is a synthetic of some kind.

Thorlos - even the ones using Coolmax - just don't seem to manage moisture well from my personal experience. They are a well made, plush, durable, product in my mind, but they just don't work for me. They get too wet and too heavy.
 

The Big Kahuna

Hall of Fame
According to Sports Doctor Stephen Pribut:

"Blisters, corns, irritations, infections, athlete’s foot – all of these can happen from bad fitting socks made of the incorrect materials. In fact the use of inappropriate socks has even led to what has been called the “toxic sock syndrome”. Pitted keratolysis, as unpleasant as it sounds occurs in feet which have suffered from excessive perspiration, occlusion, and moisture often in the presence of an increased surface pH. And as far as athlete’s foot goes, remember that a “Dark, Warm, Moist Environment is fungous heaven”. Let’s at least get rid of some of that moisture!

The most frequently used fiber which measures up is CoolMax®. Recently Smartwool has been added to the list of acceptable materials. At times polypropylene has been used for making wickable material for socks. The fibers being hydrophobic is not the sole consideration for the choice of an optimal sock. The mechanical structure of the fibers and their being constructed for “channels” to allow moisture to flow through and the compressibility of the material is also important.

Fibers made of materials that swell with moisture tend to hold moisture and lose their shape. The natural fibers seem to swell more than synthetic fibers: Cotton swells 45%, wool swells about 35% while acrylic will only swell about 5%. Cotton is more than 2 times resistant to the flow of moisture. The cotton sock absorbs and retains moisture and reportedly has more than 10 times the moisture retention of CoolMax®. When the cotton sock is wet, it compresses and loses its shock absorbing properties. And the sock can not breathe while the fibers are swollen and clogged with fluid. They are also subject to shrinking during the washing and drying cycle.

Polypropylene will also shrink in the dryer, so allow them to drip dry. CoolMax® socks may be machine washed and dried and are considered shrink resistant. They are also the fastest drying material. While your feet may not be dry when they perspire, the moisture on your foot is moved to the outside of the sock where it can more readily evaporate.

Wicking is a good thing. It helps keep your body and feet cool in hot weather and helps keep you warm in the cold weather. It assists the thermoregulatory processes of your body."
 

Alistair23

New User
do you also change shoes? i need to wear a shoe 1/2 size larger to use my L3s

Dj, I don't change shoes at all. When I tried my CB 3.3's on, I tried them wearing both Level 1 and Level 3 Thorlos.
With Level 3, I don't tie my shoelaces up very tightly at all. With Level 1, I tied them up.
 

JoelDali

Talk Tennis Guru
Just got the Elite dry fits and they look and feel really awesome.

Will try them tonight with CB 3.3

I'm not sure why Nike doesn't sell some tennis themed similar socks.

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JoelDali

Talk Tennis Guru
Played 3 sets with the Nike Elites.

Great sock but still too thin.

Will stick with Thorlos.

But I hate how they have no Swooshy Swooshes.
 

Bri-guy

Semi-Pro
Joel,

Double up the socks! I wear two pairs of the elites or the elites with a normal pair of Nike tennis socks on top. Always wear two! Heck, even Federer does it with his player exclusive, quite thick socks!

fed.jpg


Cheers!
 

hcb0804

Hall of Fame
Played 3 sets with the Nike Elites.

Great sock but still too thin.

Will stick with Thorlos.

But I hate how they have no Swooshy Swooshes.

Wore the Nike Elites today for the first time, great sox
Paired black Elite BB sox with Barricade 6 black with Superfeet green: schweeeet!! Nike should just re-name the elite basketball sox as tennis sox, cause they are the best sox for tennis Nike has.............
 

The Big Kahuna

Hall of Fame
If you search the Nike website for the old Nike Dri-Fit tennis crew sock (Item# SX3698) - no longer sold by Nike or TW.com - it will take you to the Nike Elite Basketball sock.

Obviously, Nike feels this is the closest thing they have to that classic sock. They simply changed two things in the sock:

1) Mid-foot compression fit (which is terrific).

2) Fabric: Dri-FIT 62% polyester/21% nylon/15% cotton/2% spandex - the old tennis sock used to be almost 60% cotton.

Hopefully, TW.com will start to carry these socks in white and black. They may be the best sock for TENNIS made now.
 

ci2ca

Semi-Pro
How's the sizing on the elite socks guys? I can wear the usual dri fit nike sock in a large but I heard these run really big.
 
Okay, so I ordered some Elites on amazon haha. Now my parents are probably gonna think i'm a bit weird because I bought socks with a gift card that I just got. Hopefully I'll get to the package first and things will be a bit less awkward. They should be arriving on thursday
 
Just got my Elites in the mail, and they do run fairly big, and really tall; they go to my mid calf. very nice material, and fairly thick, but not the same as two pairs of socks. Still high quality socks, and I think they look awesome
 

dodgers

New User
I've been wearing some Solinco socks. They dont just make great strings, their socks are great too. I picked them up when I was in LA.
 
I've been wearing some Solinco socks. They dont just make great strings, their socks are great too. I picked them up when I was in LA.

Solinco makes socks?! strange... haha Strings, Grips, Rackets and socks? I wonder if they're gonna start a full clothing line like wilson
 

BajeDuane

New User
I have seen some players wearing Nike socks with a stripe down the back of the sock. Where can I find these socks? I have been looking forever...
 

hcb0804

Hall of Fame
I have seen some players wearing Nike socks with a stripe down the back of the sock. Where can I find these socks? I have been looking forever...

They are Nike Elite Basketball socks, discussed on previous pages of this thread. Also seen on numerous players in the NCAA BB tourney. they are available on Nike . com and on e b @ y
 

TechnoJock

New User
I hate Thor-Lo. My feet are always sliding inside the shoe jamming my toes. Also, when they get wet, they are like wet towels - awful. I like the Adidas and found a thicker version of the Adidas socks, but those things tore way too easily in the heal, ball and especially toe area.
 

JoelDali

Talk Tennis Guru
Thorlos rock. I wear the black ones to work and the white ones for tennis.

Anything else and my feet scream bloody murder.
 

T21D

Semi-Pro
They are Nike Elite Basketball socks, discussed on previous pages of this thread. Also seen on numerous players in the NCAA BB tourney. they are available on Nike . com and on e b @ y

or just walk into your local Champs/Footlocker.
 
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