How often do you wear your running socks ...

What Ian said.

I change my socks every time I run. I pretty much change my socks any time I change shoes too. I have to have clean socks on before I run because they feel better on my feet. I usually wash my clothes after one run too, except for shorts and sports bras, which I might wear twice. Clothes (especially socks) start stinking with dry sweat.

Am I the only person that has 8 different pairs of running shorts?

my socks or shoes don't smell of anything, even after a long run. if i smell my armpits after a run, they don't smell of anything either, or maybe a little of a perfumed smell (deoderant). i've always been like this, so has my sister, my friends used to say we were lucky. anyway... generally speaking i wash everything after using it, this is just habit. i don't see the problem however with anyone re-using socks. to be honest it's probably quite pointless washing them when they are dry and don't smell!

Between all my Balegas, Smartwools and other tech socks, I think I could last a month or two without washing them and have a clean pair every day. No need to wear them twice, and honestly I'm a little grossed out that people would consider it. At least hand wash them if you are afraid for the elastic...

Until they are at the point where they can stand up by themselves and walk out of the room.

Seriously, every time - maybe will wear the same pair if I'm doing a double, so 1 pair per day would be an accurate answer. I've got a drawer that's overflowing w/ them, though. You can often get nice tech sox on sale at race expos.

A couple other points I learned from a clothing designer at Brooks:

Putting running clothing in the dryer, as long as it's not super high heat, actually rejuvenates the elasticity in Lycra.

Don't use Bounce or other fabric softeners in the wash or dryer - it will only mask odors, and actually lock in the odor-producing bacteria by clogging the spaces between fabric fibers.

For washing, don't use a detergent w/ a lot of perfumes or surfectants. Something like WIN, Penguin Wash, etc. are better for tech running gear.

Reading this thread stuns me. How in the hell do you regularly put dirty clothes back on your body?

If you have been running for a while, how do you not accumulate clothes to change every run? Why do you people not do a wash at least once a week?

This is just disgusting. I used to think behavior like this was just the occasional dope trying to act "hard core" on letsrun, but after reading some of these replies that's too much credit. You're just lazy pigs.

txRUNNERgirl wrote:I usually wash my clothes after one run too, except for shorts and sports bras, which I might wear twice.

Oh dear. Sports bra twice? That never comes off me dry after a run and NEVER gets worn after one use without washing. And I definitely never wear something again that's still wet - that causes some nasty bacterial breakouts on me in the sensitive areas.

Well surely it depends how much she sweats. A sports bra can't be that wet if they're made of dri-fit, etc. I can understand this in the summer but not right now.

I don't know....I wear them more than once though. Maybe 4 or 5 times? Same with shorts, tights and shirts. I probably wouldn't do this if I didn't run alone but since I do...I don't see why it matters how clean my stff is. It isn't like I'm going out for drinks in them afterwards.

It does depend how much I sweat and I only do it occasionally if I don't have any clean. I don't put wet clothes back on.

Wow, has this opened up a can of Lysol. Now we're into multiple uses of sports bras which even to a fussy guy like me is a little, well, icky. (That's a technical term by the way) I agree with the Mrs. and the old guy. Even if you run alone in the dark with Count Dracula, there's no reason to keep wearing the same stuff. Even Tiger changes clothes daily and all he does is make money. On shorter runs I wear the generic running stuff and longer I go with state of the art. And inbetween I wear nothing. No wait, that's a dream I had last night, never mind. Now maybe I'll dream of sweaty sport bras.

That's the way to settle this! Naked running! Now on to a frostbite thread.....

I can not tell the difference between a clean pair of socks and ones that have been worn the day before, they are not 'dirty' nor do they smell (SmartWool). After maybe 3 days I can tell which one if for which foot. I might wear it another day or two after that. I have no hard and fast rule.Even though I have probably been running as long as you (~30 years), clothes do wear out. Socks become threadbare, liners of shorts go, etc. So even though I have enough socks to go the week, there is no reason to. It doesn't bother me. Also I have my favorite things to wear, so I will wear them continuously.My winter clothing (Sporthill pants, jacket) get washed maybe once every 4-6 weeks, in other words twice (at most) a season and once before happily putting them away once spring is here. The tops might get an extra wash.As far as the behaviour being hard-core, it has nothing to do with that. I don't have to get all 'Felix Unger' about it. If you don't like it, don't do it. But I will continue the practice because it works for me.Yours in running!

Older guy wrote:

Reading this thread stuns me. How in the hell do you regularly put dirty clothes back on your body?

If you have been running for a while, how do you not accumulate clothes to change every run? Why do you people not do a wash at least once a week?

This is just disgusting. I used to think behavior like this was just the occasional dope trying to act "hard core" on letsrun, but after reading some of these replies that's too much credit. You're just lazy pigs.

Mrs. Masterbooner wrote:

That's the way to settle this! Naked running! Now on to a frostbite thread.....

That doesn't get at the root of the problem which is stinky sweat. If people just cleaned up their intake, you wouldn't be subjecting your socks to your foul stench and they can last a bit longer like mine do.

I'm not suggesting people postpone showering their bodies for days or weeks at a time. You're suggesting bad B.O. comes from the foods you eat? Please elaborate.....I thought it had to do with the bacteria living on your body.

I always wondered why, when standing in a starting corral that some seem to have B.O. that makes you gag. I always thought they were French, but now I know it's slobs who don't wash their running clothes.

Hold on there! No one said anything about racing. When I race, socks, top, and shorts are fresh and clean. I even like to shower before a race.

I get it........... wrote:

I always wondered why, when standing in a starting corral that some seem to have B.O. that makes you gag. I always thought they were French, but now I know it's slobs who don't wash their running clothes.

A couple of random thoughts for those people so offended by people who wear their socks more than once:

My feet apparently don't smell as bad as yours after running. Why are your feet so stinky?

My socks aren't drenched with sweat after running. Are you wearing leather boots or plastic baggies or something?

Do people stop you on your run and ask to sniff your feet?

What possible disease or infection do you think you'll catch from wearing socks more than once?

What about people who don't even wear socks...do they need to wash their shoes after every run?

In Africa, people can't afford to wash their one pair of socks every time they run. Doesn't that make you elitist snobs?