Socks or No Socks?

Without socks if the weather is on the warmer side because it's one less pair of socks I have to launder. Depends on the shoe. Some shoes have stitching on the inside that will rub against my toes and cause em to bleed.

compression socks so that way when you get the runs on your run you have something to use

You are vastly underestimating just how bad your shoes will smell after running in them repeatedly without socks.

It won't just make the shoes stink, it won't just make the room they are in stink, hell, it won't just make your house stink. It will make the whole got dang neighborhood stink.

Bingo!

P.Whelan wrote:

You are vastly underestimating just how bad your shoes will smell after running in them repeatedly without socks.

It won't just make the shoes stink, it won't just make the room they are in stink, hell, it won't just make your house stink. It will make the whole got dang neighborhood stink.

2 pairs when training. No socks when racing.

Swiftwick socks. Always the swiftwicks

Thin racing socks, unless you are running steeple. Then again, steeplechasers are tough and don't need socks.

Is there any way to run sockless without the stink?

I've ditched socks for over a year and it has been awesome.

I use two pairs of shoes, a Brooks Mach Flat and Soft Star RunAmocs.

You will probably blister at first, but your skin will toughen up once it has healed. Yes, my Brooks smell like crazy so I leave them outside, also helps to rinse your feet off with the hose. I always used to feel like my feet were getting cooked in my shoes so going sockless has been a plus (and less stuff to wash).

compression socks are for shitting in my friends

Sometimes that is true. However it also depends on the material of the shoe. For example shoes that are made out of mesh will smell a lot more than the nike Victories or matumbo's. I run without socks with the victory's and they hardly smell at all. Im not disagreeing with you. But, shoes that are made out of the plasticky material don't usually smell to bad.

If you a) enjoy the company of other people, or b) have olfactory glands, or c) don't like being forcefully ejected from any enclosed areas, don't run sockless. I did it for a while in a pair of shoes and had to throw them away after only 150 miles because the stink was unbearable. I couldn't even bring myself to donate them to Goodwill, which I do with most of my others. These went straight in the trash.

Go Sockless...get in touch with your inner macho.

I came across your post and thought the questions were interesting. I agree with CakeEater's post. When I was in Florida for a summer, I started out my running routine their, and I had not worn a pair of socks with my first pair of running shoes. That said, about around the same mileage as CakeEater, the running shoes started to smell. I think I was able to reach 170 - 190 miles with them. I throw them out after wearing them to a gym in which I took advantage of some free training assistants. The gal that was my assigned trainer politely commented about my shoes and the lack of socks later in the session. She said the workout will be intense and foot blistering from increased sweating could happen. She brought out some foot powder for my shoes. When I took them off for the power, she said, "those shoes are loaded with fungus". After two hours of intense workout, my feet felt like they were in a sanua and were were staring to get sore. I added some more powder. The stink was horrible.