Socks, the most tactical part of my gear, the coolest item that everyone likes to talk about right?
My goal is to create a full list of all the gear I use on airsoft games and it’s time to talk about the inner layers, such as socks. You can find that list on my website, nicely categorized.
I’ve been using the Safety Jogger work socks since forever and never changed them because they work and never give me any issues. I just kept buying new ones. I did try to find information about the difference between working socks, walking socks, running socks, … and it was a bit of a jungle with a lot of advertisement posts to certain brands where they never explain why but just throw fancy words at you.
I will explain why I choose the sock I do as simple as possible
Price
Honestly this was the reason why I picked them up for my work. I had to walk and stand in hot and cold weather and needed a good sock. I tried all kinds of cheap socks but nothing remotely came close to the Safety Jogger socks. They cost about 10eur for 3 pairs.
Quality and quantity
While in a lot of cases you should choose quality over quantity but in this case it’s good to have a middle ground. I use waterproof shoes which means the moisture is not getting out easily so the moisture just stays in the shoe, which will make your socks wet anyway. I noticed that changing the socks because your feet are getting wet from sweat or water is more important than trying to keep the socks dry because of one fancy technique they use.
Instead I bring extra socks in every backpack depending on the time I’m out. Which means having more socks is important. So I have a lot of the same socks.
It’s important to keep your feet dry, because wet feet will create soft skin on your feet which will result in injuries.
Comfort
Socks for me need to be tight around my feet so they do not move around while walking, which will result in less blisters. I don’t think I had a blister in these sock, shoe combo.
The seams are not annoying or poking and there are reinforced parts in the right places.
I use them also every day on my daily tasks because I really like them.
To say it in their own words, ‘Safety Jogger work boot socks seamlessly follow the anatomic shape of every individual foot. This way, you will not be bothered by annoying folds that create an uneasy feeling’
Material
Which was interesting to find because not all places mention the material. It’s made out of the composition of cotton (75%), polyester (23%) and elastane (2%). When you start reading about all the different materials and wool. Cotton and polyester are not in the top products to use for walking socks. They do smell after using them for a while, but that’s again mostly, like every negative, fixed by changing them often anyway.
The height
The height is something between Crew and Micro crew, I didn’t know these terms existed either. It’s important that they come out over the shoe to prevent rubbing from the shoe against your skin.
The sizing
The only downside for other people, for me it’s not a problem because of the size of my feet, is that you only have 2 sizes available. They are available in sizes 39–42 and 43-47.
I’m between 42 and 43. Because I like a bit of a snugger fit and eventually they will stretch a bit, I use the 39-42.
Winter
I did add an extra layer of socks in winter to keep my feet warm. I do have a few pairs of merino wool socks that I can wear under the Safety Jogger ones to keep them slim around my feet. Now this is for 5% of the games I go to. It’s worth mentioning but I only started doing it because of the colder climate here in Sweden. I never did this in Belgium.
Final thoughts
Socks are important to keep your feet happy in your shoes. Be sure to test different ones to find the one that works for you. I’m very happy with the Safety Joggers and will be using them in games.
In my opinion the super expensive socks are over rated for what we do and it’s better to change your socks more often and bring more pairs then hoping that your one expensive pair will do the trick during a full event.
One example I found when searching info was this article where they say to stay away from cotton, but reading the description of this sock that have the same materials as the safety jogger was interesting, https://tacticalgear.com/mission-made-boot-socks-3-pack-coyote
The most important part is that your footwear works together well. Be sure that your foot has a good fit in your boot and with your socks you can create that good fit.
I hope this helps you to pick a good pair of socks and if you want more info, be sure to check out my website for more gear videos.