Nike Grip Socks: why should I be wearing them?

If you haven't yet heard about Nike Grip socks then you could be missing out on something that can help take your game to the next level. "How on Earth does a sock do that" we hear you ask. Well pull up a chair & read on & we'll soon have you up to speed...

Shop the full range of Grip socks at Football Nation

Why should I wear them?

As you can probably tell from that photo, the sole of these socks is unlike any other football sock. Nike have designed these to ensure absolutely no slippage either on the inside or outside of the sock while you play.

Why would that matter? Well if you think about it, every time your sock slips inside your boot, that's wasted energy. It may not seem like much at the time, but add that up over 90 minutes & that could make a real difference in the final portions of the game.

On top of that, when your foot slips the skin rubs against the boot's sockliner & the inside of the sock itself. The more your skin rubs, the greater the chance of you developing painful blisters that can affect your game or even keep you out altogether!

So how do they work?

Believe it or not, Nike Grip socks are actually inspired by Gecko feet. Gecko's are well-known for essentially being able to stick to any surface thanks to their naturally ribbed soles. Nike created specially engineered yarns that mimic this along with a ribbed footbed. 

The results are instantly noticeable as your foot will feel far more secure & "locked in" to your boot. 

How can you wear them if you play for a team?

Obviously Nike Grip socks aren't part of your team's uniform, so how do you go about wearing them during competitive matches. 

Well first of all, you'll need to pick a pair which matches the colour of your team's current socks. They don't have to be an 100% shade match, but wear red ones with red socks & black with black etc etc. If you don't adhere to this, you could be pulled up by the referee & told to remove your Grip socks.

Secondly, you're going to have to sacrifice your "regular" socks to the scissor gods. By this we mean you're going to have to cut the foot from them. Cut across them in as straight a fashion as you can somewhere around the ball of your ankle (DO NOT DO THIS WHILE YOU'RE STILL WEARING THEM AS IT WON'T END WELL). 

After this, you simply put on your Grip socks & push your foot through the new hole in your regular socks. This way you gain all the benefits of the Grip socks while also adhering to your team's uniform (keeping the officials happy). 

If you don't fancy cutting up your match socks, consider a footless or stirrup socks. Almost all major brands offer a footless version of their match socks which can usually be picked up for somewhere between four to eight pounds. 

You're good to go!

Now that you've got your Grip socks, get out there on the pitch & feel the benefits: better traction, instant grip, increased comfort & fewer blisters! No wonder so many professional players are also wearing them! 

Shop the full range of Grip socks at Football Nation