Alameda Runners – Get After It!

A couple of weeks ago, we did an article about 110% Play Harder. I never heard of them but after editing the article, I was looking for my checkbook to try some of their products. They were kind enough to send us a pair of compression socks to review. I tried them out for a recovery run a few days after a 70.3 triathlon. It was love at first sight! I have link to their web site here so I won’t go into the advertised details. I will tell you what I think about them.  I love them.

They are an engineering marvel. When you pull the socks out of the pack, they look like a pair of high socks or stockings. (We are athletes, we don’t care what couch potatoes call our gear.)

When you pull the socks on, they form fit to your legs and feet without feeling tight. I can’t figure out how they do it but I am impressed.

The socks are comfortable.

The ice sleeve is built in much the same way as the sock but it is a bit thicker and sits lower than the sock and has openings at the heel and toe sections.

It is lower than the sock so you can have the ice packing hanging out over the top of the sleeve without the ice touching your skin.

The heel opening is for convenience when inserting the ice pack around the ankle and foot.

The toe opening is a bit uncomfortable until you figure out how to adjust the opening around your toes. It is there to assist in placing the ice around the feet and toes.

The ice packs come in sheets with little cubes for the ice. The sheets are shipped dry. They have to be soaked before they can be frozen. This is another marvel of modern science. Why doesn’t the water come back out after they are soaked?

The ice sheets come with instructions about trimming for use. I don’t recommend trimming the sheets until after you have tried them a few times. When you add water to the sheets, they swell up in height while contracting the length and width.

The socks are very comfortable for running. Compressions socks and working out can be a unique situation that is worthy of a separate discussion. It feels great to add the sleeve and ice right after running. I prefer a shower and compression afterward. For me the level of comfort is increased dramatically after a shower. For the recovery run, I wore the sleeves and ice for the commute home. The ice packs did not shift while I was walking and felt great while I was driving home. After a long bike ride, I wrapped my legs with the ice packs and lied down for a little while. The feeling on my legs while lying down was fantastic. After the ice melted, I removed the sleeves and ice packs and wore the socks around town. I went out to get my laundry and see a show while wearing my snazzy socks. See above picture.

These socks are really nice.  As soon as my wife stops complaining about my lost Maui Jim sunglasses, I am going to buy the shorts or kinickers to match the socks.