The Great Injinji Round Up
If you’ve met me on the trail, you know Injinji is the only sock I currently wear while hiking. I still have non-Injinji socks, but those are for off trail, around town, or on shorter hikes where my feet aren’t going to heat up as much. The key to getting rid of blisters and hot feet for me has solely been the switch to Injinji.
What are Injinji?
Injinji are toe Socks. Think of them as gloves for your feet. Each toe nestled in its own little cocoon. Regular socks act as a mitten on your hands, keeping each toe squeezed to its neighbor and warming each other
Injinji socks keep your toes apart. Material between the toes help wick moisture while also keeping them from rubbing each other. Gone are blisters from toes rubbing each other. This also helps align your toes as opposed to squeezing them together. No matter the thickness of your injinji they will take up a little more space in your shoe. It is noticeable at first but just barely. I have never needed to buy wider shoes to accommodate wearing Injinji.
Aside from one very blistery trip for my heels to the rockies in a warm spring, I would only ever get blisters on my toes. Right between them to be exact. Enter Injinji. By separating my toes with socks, I no longer get blisters. My feet are cooler even in Gore-Tex shoes.
Trail Midweight Mini Crew
This is the classic Injinji sock. Above ankle height, padded toes and forefoot with arch support. Designed for hiking and trail running, the Trail Midweight socks can be worn doing just about anything outdoors.
The Trail Midweight Mini Crew is made with 58% Nylon, 39% CoolMax Ecomade and 3% Lycra. They offer great stretch and durability owing to CoolMax and Nylon being quite durable. I’ve had several pairs of these socks last me for three seasons or more. Of course, regular hand washing at night has kept them in regular rotation.
The Courtney Crew
This season I will also be rocking the Courtney Dauwalter signature Trail Midweight sock. Courtney is a trail machine having won Dauwalter became the first person to win the Western States 100, Hardrock 100 and the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc in the same year (2023).
These are the Trail Midweight Crew socks with a mid calf height. They have a mesh top which means they breathe well on hot summer days and still provide lower calf coverage. What truly makes them the Courtney sock is their fantastic Tie dye coloring.
These are the socks I will be wearing on treks that require boots, like crossing the Grand Desert on the Haute Route.
Outdoor Midweight Wool Mini Crew
I have to be honest, your feet are still going to sweat in Injinji socks. Especially if you wear Gore-Tex shoes. Until now I have only used Injinji socks made with Cool Max and so odor resistance hasn’t been as good as merino socks often are. The Midweight Merino Wool sock brings 75% merino wool to your toes to help combat odor and they do a fantastic job. I do not notice any change in warmth as I thought they would. The shape is held nicely with the inclusion of 22% Nylon and 3% Lycra.
The sock fits just over the ankle bone, providing some coverage against low bush or rock. They aren’t quite long enough for a low cut boot. For that you’ll need the full height crew sock.
These socks have worked fantastically for training days on the Chief (roughly 3 km hike with 550m elevation gain).
Performance Snow Midweight with Padded Toes
This spring I have been snowboarding in the Injinji Snow Over the Calf socks. Injinji utilizes 34% Thermolite EcoMade alongside 63% Nylon and 3% Lycra to keep your feet warm and to allow the socks to hold their shape.
Thermolite EcoMade is a hollow core fiber made from either 100% recycled PET bottles or waste textile materials.
These socks are designed to be worn during winter running or other winter sports. I find my feet run cold and I do benefit from having my toes held together in a traditional sock. Where the Injinji sock has benefited me the most has been spring splitboarding. Once the mercury approaches 0 my feet tend to sweat, especially in a plastic shell. By keeping my toes apart with moisture wicking materials I have been far more comfortable and there is now zero rub between my toes on warm spring days.
Who are Injinji for?
Anyone looking for moisture management, arch support or blister reduction in a sock that will get everyone’s attention when you take your feet out of your shoes.
Disclaimer
BlackSheep Adventure sports was provided with a free pair of Rab Khroma Tour GTX gloves to review. This in no way affected our opinion nor the review.
