In this review, we’ll go over the best yoga socks when you don’t want to go barefoot. While there are many choices, a few brands standout for their quality and features. Read on to find out more.
Why practice yoga in socks?
Every yoga instructor will recommend that you practice yoga barefoot. The connection between the ground and your foot is important for understanding your balance and fine-tuning poses. Wearing shoes will obstruct this connection, and shoes also prevent you form using your foot muscles in their entirety. Regular socks, on the other hand, can be quite slippery on a yoga mat. For all these reasons, bare feet are the preferred mode for yoga.
Still, some people want to cover their feet during yoga. Perhaps their feet are cold. Or perhaps you have concerns about the cleanliness of the floor or shy for some reason about showing your feet. Finally, some people with smooth or calloused feet can find that bare feet are too slippery.
All of these are good reasons to wear socks during yoga, but you need to buy appropriate yoga socks that improve, not hinder, your foot’s grip on the yoga mat.
How to choose yoga socks
Sizing
Every brand has a different sizing scale for socks. Make sure you know your correct shoe size and find the appropriate reference for a correct size.
No toes, Full toe, half toe, or toeless
Cheaper socks, like regular athletic socks, will just have one large compartment for all of your toes. However, being able to develop your toes muscles and tactile feedback is important to yoga. That is why most yoga socks have separate pockets or toes. Even then, some prefer that bare toes can touch the mat. Thus, there are variations of toeless and full toe covering yoga socks. You can pick one that suits your preference.
Grip and durability
Yoga socks have rubber nubs or traction patterns to improve grip. Improper care can cause these nubs to fall off, so be sure to buy from a reputable brand and follow the instruction for care. Avoid very hot machines washes or hot tumble drying.
Breathability
Your feet can get quite sweaty if you wear thick socks that don’t breath well. The sweat will make you lose your grip instead of helping you. Make sure to buy breathable socks with fabrics that wick away moisture.
Design and patterns
These are mostly fashion considerations, but there are different sock designs, such as ballerina style, half ankle, and so on. The styles have different cuts and cover different amounts of the foot and ankle. These are mostly a matter of personal preference, although more open socks are of course more breathable.
Best Yoga Socks at Any Price
If you are willing to pay for premium yoga socks, the best socks you can buy on Amazon are the ones from ToeSox. An example is the ToeSox Women’s Grip Full Toe Half Ankle Socks
The ToeSox Yoga Socks are a bit expensive at around $15 per pair, but they hit all the right performance points. The patented grip technology works well to improve your traction. ToeSox definitely beat other brands in terms of grip quality. The five-toe design also gives each toe independent motion and feedback. A fitted heel avoid fabric bunching, while a midarch band provides muscle support. The breathable cotton fabric keeps your feet cool and dry.
Overall, these are great socks, with the only complaint being their extra expensive price.
Best Yoga Socks on a Budget
The Cosfash Yoga Socks
If they are much cheaper than ToeSox, what are the drawbacks of the Cosfash Yoga Socks? Cosfash Yoga Socks are only available in one stretchy size that fits women’s shoe size 5-10. The socks contain 3% Spandex, so that the material is flexible over a large range of foot sizes. If your size doesn’t fit you, though, you’re out of luck.
The Cosfash Yoga Socks are available in three different toe designs: toeless, half-toe, and full toe. You can also choose from a variety of color. All socks stop below the ankle and you cannot change the design of the upper sock portion.
On the mat, the Cosfash Yoga Sox work well in providing feet traction. They are also durable, with no complaints of premature unraveling or nubs coming off. At 4 per pack, these socks are a bargain for what you get.
Best Yoga Socks Conclusions
While we recommend barefoot yoga, if you want to wear socks, the five-toe models from ToeSox and CosFash Yoga socks are great options at different price points. These socks provide great gripping bottoms and full five-toe flexibility with durable, quality materials.