In years gone by, footballers have often cut their team socks in order to wear socks of their preference underneath, with manufacturers now producing socks for professionals without the foot and ankle portion to make this process even easier; in the vast majority of cases, this is so footballers can pull on their own grip socks.
In preventing feet from sliding and moving around inside the best football boots, grip socks enhance performance by offering a focused playing experience not filled with distraction.
In boasting benefits like improving comfort, reducing the risk of blisters, improving the lockdown feeling inside boots and making sharp changes of direction more responsive, grip socks offer the marginal gain that professionals are all seeking to take their game to the next level. Accessories can also be essential for other players on the pitch - fortunately we also have guides on the best goalkeeper gloves and best football boot insoles.
Since first coming into the market more than a decade ago, the popularity of grip socks has grown exponentially. Indeed, it's impossible to now go through a game at any level of football without a player wearing them in some format or guise - but with hundreds of different grip sock brands available, what are the best? Here, I break down the best options.
Best grip socks for football
Perhaps the best grip socks you’ve not heard of yet. Popular in South Korea, WeFoot grip socks are worn by the likes of Heung-min Son and are my favourite pair on the market right now.
Innovative and brilliantly designed, the socks feature a grip technology inspired by the suction cups of Octopi with several polyurethane grip pads on the inside and outside of the socks. I love that the socks come in various options in terms of thickness and also length, too, ensuring they truly cater for each individual player and what they want.
On top of that, they're super comfortable and, thanks to the anatomical design, they fit supremely. The performance of the grip is one of the best on the market and work well even when damped by water or sweat.
In typical Nike fashion, I found their grip socks is very different to what is offered by other brands. Nike have their NikeGrip material woven into the sock in a 360-degree contouring pattern and also running up the heel, meaning that the player experiences grip around the entire foot - instead of just the sole and the heel.
I loved the lockdown sensation this provided, while the contouring pattern enables the socks to be worn on either foot depending on the desired direction of traction.
What I didn't love so much is that I found the grip of the socks works better in tandem with Nike boots, as the insoles sometimes feature NikeGrip as well. This does detract from their quality as a result, because I felt less confident wearing an Adidas or Puma boot with the socks. There's a lack of colours available, too, which isn't ideal for gameday.
Among the most popular grip socks with grassroots player, I'm also a huge fan of the Gain The Edge grip socks. Boasting an incredibly affordable price of £7.99 compared to its competitors, in addition to a sock that is great value for money you get a high level of performance.
While the design is lost simpler than other options, Gain The Edge is still a sports sock with a cushioning, sweat-wicking material and targeted compression, along with several silicone nubs along the bottom of the sock that offer a good level of underfoot traction. There's plenty of colours to choose from, too, so whatever colour your home and away kits are, you should be covered.
Unknown to a lot of people, the Falke 4 Grip are one of the best grip socks on the market. Featuring stabilising compression zones, silicone nubs along the sole of the sock and the heel, an anatomical fit and a moisture wicking 3-layer construction, they're extremely premium and immediately feel that way once put on feet.
What I did find, however, is that the silicone grip nubs are minimalistic and so thereofre don't provide as much grip while inside the boot as other options. With that being said, there's good levels of cushioning and comfort, while they do still improve on lockdown.
Adidas’ venture into the grip sock industry is not one to be overlooked. Their socks are a more premium version of a lot of the traditional grip socks we see everywhere.
The sock has silicone heat printed nodules running along the bottom of the sock and also up the heel, a place where a lot of grip socks brands don’t include. I found this particular feature was a great addition, because it prevented any slippage and also ensured pushing off from a standing start worked a lot better than with regular socks.
The socks have an anatomical design to improve the fit and also do a great job of providing a greater level of underfoot traction compared to regular football socks. Adidas have the socks available in black or white and also offer a thin and cushioned version.
Trusox are the pioneers of the grip sock industry, having burst onto the scene in the early 2010s with players such as Gareth Bale, Luis Suarez and many other world-class stars all wearing the iconic design.
The patented grip technology which features suede-like grip pads on the inside and outside of the sock for enhanced underfoot traction. What I love is that the socks come in a range of colours, thicknesses and lengths, so I'm never short of options to get the perfect fit and feel.
In terms of performance, not many grip socks come close in my opinion. It’s like your feet are glued to your boots which is exactly what you want from a pair of grip socks.
How we test grip socks
Testing of grip socks is carried out by our expert in all things football-technology, who tries on as many pairs over the course of a number of training sessions and games to truly ascertain the performance level of each product.
Factors to consider in the performance of each grip sock centred on comfort, lockdown and, of course, grip, with the expert considering the claims made by each brand to cut straight through to the crux of how they actually feel while playing football. This helps with simple yet detailed advice for players of all levels.
How to choose the best grip socks
Unlike with football boots, grip socks are all a lot closer aligned in what they offer players, though there are some that are certainly a lot better than others.
Key factors to consider are choosing socks that actually fit your feet, otherwise the specific elements you're wanting to gain an advantage from simply won't work as well. Some brands offer a different thickness to their socks - so if you prefer more cushioning, a thicker sock is better. Similarly, some players prefer a lightweight, minimalist feel - therefore, thin socks are more suited.
It really all comes down to personal preference.
