Running socks are bought on price per pair and judged at about mile eighteen. These four decisions are what decide the second part.

Start with the fibre, and rule out cotton

Cotton absorbs several times its own weight in water and loses its structure once it is wet. A collapsed, saturated sock slides against skin, and friction plus moisture over distance is the entire mechanism of a blister.

Merino or a performance synthetic, then. Synthetic dries faster and is the better road sock in summer; merino keeps usable loft when it is soaked, which is why it wins on trail and in winter. Neither is universally correct, and any supplier who says one is has stopped thinking.

Ask whether the toe is linked or overlocked

This is the question that separates a real running sock from a printed one. An overlocked toe leaves a ridge of stitching lying across the toes. A linked toe joins the fabric edge to edge, loop for loop, and leaves a flat join you cannot feel.

Linking is a slower machine operation and it costs more per pair. On a cushioned sock you may not notice the difference. On a thin racing sock you will notice it in the first mile.

Height is measured against the shoe, not chosen by taste

The reason no-show socks are hated is that most of them finish below the top of the shoe’s heel counter. The collar drags them down, and then the stiff counter is against the achilles for the rest of the run.

If you are buying one height for a whole group, buy quarter. It clears every common shoe collar and still covers the achilles. If you are buying no-shows, tell your supplier which shoes your runners wear and have the cuff cut for the tallest counter among them.

Understand what cushioning actually is

Cushioning is terry — loops of yarn standing off the sole. Done well it is zoned under the ball and the heel, with flat knit everywhere else so the sock still breathes and dries.

Done badly it is a thicker sock everywhere, which is hot, slow to dry, and takes real volume out of a shoe. If your runners were fitted for their shoes in thin socks, that volume is a problem. Fit the shoes and the socks together, or buy the thinner sock.

What to send when you ask for a quote

Your logo file, the quantity, a size split if you have one, and which shoes your runners are actually in. That last one is unusual to be asked for and it is the reason the socks will fit.

We redraw artwork free for the needle count, because a logo that works on a shirt does not automatically work in a knit.