Fox River Running Socks
Manufacture: Fox River Mills, Inc. www.foxsox.com
From novice to experienced, all except the bare foot runner cherish good foot wear. With such a large variety of shoes to choose from, runners are encouraged to select a shoe that fits their needs. Equally important are the socks worn. There are various brands to choose from, with an equally impressive variety to suite every season, style of shoe, and individual foot.
I’m no stranger to the running scene. I’ve been at it for quite a while. I’ve found shoes that I like, and typically paid little attention to my socks beyond selecting an ultra thin, ankle cut sock that incorporated wicking technology. It wasn’t until I moved north, while running during the cold months of winter that my toes and feet begged me to find a sock more appropriate to the season. To appease my feet, I simply purchased a light weight, mid-calf sock and continued with my winter running. With such a simple solution to my predicament, why am I writing a gear review about Fox River Socks? In all honesty, I was the fortunate recipient of the Team Running Free Fox River lottery prize. With my winnings, I headed to my Running Free, and asked my team manager Jodi, to help me claim the prize. For one, I didn’t know what to do. I already had a pile of socks.
Jodi lead me to the Fox River display, and began selecting numerous “styles” for me to try. All the socks that were given to me are great, however, there are three specific styles: the ultra-light weight “Sport”, light-weight Outdoor AXT adventure/Cross training and the light-weight Acceleration that I’d like to discuss.
First, upon hearing Jodi describe the benefits of the Acceleration sock I simply rolled my eyes. The word that came to mind was “gimmick”. The Acceleration line is designed with added or “extra” padding to help soften the impact our feet suffer kilometre after kilometre. I chose an ankle cut. When I first put the sock on, I was impressed. Wow, talk about soft to the touch. I felt like I was walking on a cloud! After a full season of use, all I can say is that the Acceleration is anything but a gimmick. They really do live up to their intended design. I enjoy wearing this sock while using my minimalist shoes during speed workouts. By their very nature, minimalist shoes have less shock absorbing qualities as compared to high-heeled, control/stability counterparts, so wearing the Acceleration is one way of reducing some of increased impact our feet endure. I have one minor complaint regarding the Acceleration; the added material makes the sock a tad warm during the hot summer months. Besides this, I’d recommend the Acceleration to all runners. Even after one full marathon training cycle, the sock continues to work well, cushioning each foot strike.
The Outdoor AXT Adventure series of socks (in a crew cut) I wear during the cool-colder weather. The AXT does a great job of keeping my toes warm, and the elastic top does a great job of holding the sock up reducing slippage, or the dreaded “bunching up” at the ankle – my usual complaint of crew cuts. Although I have only used these socks for a short period of time (during the late winter 2011/early spring of 2012), the elastic top continues to perform well. I’m now using them again at the start of the winter with no issues. The old brand that I used to use (Hot Chillys) would end up in my “rag” pile at the end of just one season.
I’ll conclude this report discussing the Ultra-light weight Sport. Throughout the hot summer months I typically wore Wigwam ankle cut light-weight socks. Jodi recommended that I try the Sport for two reasons. First, the Sport is so thin that you’d swear you were running barefoot – ideal for hot weather running. The Sport definitely kept my feet cool while simultaneously keeping my feet dry. The second reason Jodi recommended the Sport was due to the fact that Fox River sews a very durable ultra-light sock. My old pair would wear out very quickly. The heel and toe area would be so thin within a few months of wear that holes would appear. The multiple pairs of Sports I used throughout the summer have a pile of life left in them. Talk about durable; a definite edge over the competition.
If you’re in need of new running socks, head to your nearest Running Free. Fox River makes a large selection, of durable, purposely designed socks to suite your every need. Try the Acceleration, the AXT and the ultra-light weight Sport. You’ll be pleasantly surprised.
