RedClayFan
Rookie
Unfortunately I got meme'd into buying a few pairs of Thorlo socks given the reviews I'd read about them online. I thought I'd share my review here in case it's of any value to anyone.
Thorlo Tennis Socks
As expected, they're a very thick sock. If you're looking to fill out your shoe more or add some cushion these might be a suitable option. Aesthetically, I find the part of the sock that goes up the calf to be far too thick and gives 80's gym mum vibes. It's just not a good look, frankly speaking. The overall feel and design reminds me far more of a hiking sock than a tennis sock designed for lots of lateral movements and pivoting.
The primary issue I found when playing with them though is that the padding itself is kind of useless. Sure it's there, but the sock isn't very tightly woven and doesn't hug the foot like Nike socks do. This means that you get a lot of movement and rubbing between the foot, sock, and shoe when moving with any amount of speed. This makes them pretty useless as far as blister or callous prevention goes. The only solution I could think to solve this is to wear a thin ankle or no-show suck underneath, but that ultimately defeats the purpose of Thorlos in my mind.
Thorlo vs Two Sock Method
Upon realising that Thorlos were basically useless at what I'd hoped they'd be good at, I went back to double-socking two NikeCourt socks. The ones I use are the modern variety, so they're quite tight around the foot and thin, especially when compared to the Nike Everyday crew socks that are often sold in packs of 6-12. Individually, the socks are not the greatest. However, I actually find that them being so thin makes it more manageable when wearing two. You don't end up feeling like your feet are super bloated inside the shoe, and because of how tight they are around the foot I get hardly any rubbing as the sock on the foot doesn't slip much, which is further aided by the outer sock that is touching the shoe.
tl;dr Based on my usage, I would recommend wearing two socks before going for Thorlos. I think Thorlos are probably best suited to a player who doesn't move very much and is after added cushion, rather than blister/callous prevention.
Thorlo Tennis Socks
As expected, they're a very thick sock. If you're looking to fill out your shoe more or add some cushion these might be a suitable option. Aesthetically, I find the part of the sock that goes up the calf to be far too thick and gives 80's gym mum vibes. It's just not a good look, frankly speaking. The overall feel and design reminds me far more of a hiking sock than a tennis sock designed for lots of lateral movements and pivoting.
The primary issue I found when playing with them though is that the padding itself is kind of useless. Sure it's there, but the sock isn't very tightly woven and doesn't hug the foot like Nike socks do. This means that you get a lot of movement and rubbing between the foot, sock, and shoe when moving with any amount of speed. This makes them pretty useless as far as blister or callous prevention goes. The only solution I could think to solve this is to wear a thin ankle or no-show suck underneath, but that ultimately defeats the purpose of Thorlos in my mind.
Thorlo vs Two Sock Method
Upon realising that Thorlos were basically useless at what I'd hoped they'd be good at, I went back to double-socking two NikeCourt socks. The ones I use are the modern variety, so they're quite tight around the foot and thin, especially when compared to the Nike Everyday crew socks that are often sold in packs of 6-12. Individually, the socks are not the greatest. However, I actually find that them being so thin makes it more manageable when wearing two. You don't end up feeling like your feet are super bloated inside the shoe, and because of how tight they are around the foot I get hardly any rubbing as the sock on the foot doesn't slip much, which is further aided by the outer sock that is touching the shoe.
tl;dr Based on my usage, I would recommend wearing two socks before going for Thorlos. I think Thorlos are probably best suited to a player who doesn't move very much and is after added cushion, rather than blister/callous prevention.
