The Best Running Socks of 2023

The Bombas scored slightly higher on our tests than our top pick from Under Armour, and if you like a thicker sock, you may prefer them. Immediately upon putting these Bombas running socks on my feet, they felt soft and padded, with plush cushioning in the toe, ball of my foot, and heel area. During my runs, the socks did not slide down my feet, and the tabs on the backs of the ankles laid flat against my heel, unlike some socks where the heel tab tends to bulge out. One of my favorite features is what Bombas calls the “honeycomb arch support system,” which describes how the fabric at the arch of the foot is woven in a honeycomb pattern that creates gentle compression—this is the main reason for Bomba’s higher raw test score..

The one downside to these socks is that they did make my feet slightly warm and sweaty, probably due to the extra cushioning, but that’s expected of any thicker sock. They also ranked among the priciest of the socks we tested.

If you like your running socks to feel barely there, these ones are about as imperceptible as it gets: Indeed, when we measured the thickness of socks in the labs, these measured the thinnest of the bunch. Furthermore, when I wore them with my shoes, I had to tighten my laces because these socks took up less space than my usual pairs. The fabrication is designed with temperature management in mind, with alternating stripes of meshy fabric and solid fabric for ventilation—I found my feet did not get as sweaty as with many others. These have a very snug fit and did not shift on my feet during my run, though the slick fabric initially slid around in my shoes (this was not bothersome, nor did it affect my run). The Nike Socks have the widest variety of sizing of all the socks we tested. My only complaint is minor: These socks feel a bit stiffer than others, but it’s not a deal breaker.

These Saucony socks are very similar to Bombas, with extra cushion in the toe, ball of the foot and heel and even more compression around the arch of the foot. But overall, the Saucony socks fall shy of Bombas for a few different reasons. While these socks are soft, they are not as soft as the Bombas. Also, the placement of the arch support in the sock felt slightly off-center to me, and the tabs in the back are quite thick and tend to stick out rather than lie flat against my ankles. As with most thicker socks, they also made my feet hot and sweaty. However, the Sauconys are also a lot less expensive, so if you don’t mind the tradeoffs, they could be worth a try.

In contrast to the other running socks, these Lululemons are really low cut and completely invisible inside shoes. I was almost certain that they would slide down my foot while walking, let alone running. But to my surprise they clung in place during all my activities, thanks to the sticky tabs on the inside back heel. (My one gripe about the sticky tabs is that other laundry items temporarily stuck to them in the wash.)

I found them comfortable to wear, though they felt a bit stiffer than other socks. They are great for someone who prefers a “no sock” feel—particularly because they wick sweat well, per our lab tests—but may not be the best for long-distance runners who worry about chafing and blisters, as I found that part of my foot wasn’t covered and rubbed on the inside of my sneaker.

The Feetures and Saucony socks are so similar to each other, I almost can’t tell the difference when I’m wearing them side by side. Like the Saucony socks (and the Bombas, which are all more cushioned options), the Feetures socks have back heel tabs and extra padding in the heel, toes and ball of the foot. One of the biggest differences is that the Feetures socks only have arch compression on the inner portion of the arch, whereas others have compression around the entire arch.

The Feetures cost about three times the Saucony socks, probably because they are made out of Merino wool and bamboo-derived rayon, which also may have made them feel ever-so-slightly stiffer on my feet. But as I can’t really tell much difference between the two, I’d say they’re not worth the higher price tag.

Like many pairs of running socks that I tested, these have extra cushion in the toes, ball of feet, and heel area. According to Smartwool, these have a “women’s specific fit” that is slimmer with a narrower heel, and I noticed when I put them on that they felt snugger than others. These are made with a blend of Merino wool, nylon, and elastane and though comfortable, they’re not quite as soft as other socks made purely with synthetic fibers. They also made my feet heat up, but weren’t as sweaty as other cushioned socks, most likely due to the Merino wool’s natural breathability.

These socks were one of the thinnest and most lightweight pairs. The fabric felt slightly stiff but not enough to be a nuisance, and the socks themselves stayed in place and did not slip off my feet, despite having a looser fit than others. They have arch support and also have panels on the top of the foot with an open-knit construction for ventilation and to reduce bulk. Overall, they felt similar to the Adidas socks but not quite as soft or as snug-fitting, and I could feel the toe-box seam as I ran. If you’re looking for a simple running sock and can afford to spend a few dollars more, the Adidas socks are a better choice.

When I took these out of the packaging, they looked like they were going to be way too big for my size-6 feet despite being labeled a size small, so I was happy that they fit well after washing. The Balegas have extra cushioning along the entire bottom of the foot rather than just around the toes and heel like some other pairs, which initially I thought would be an advantage. At first, it felt very nice to have my entire foot cushioned, but when running with them, the extra material caused my feet to overheat and get sweaty. I even found my feet would warm up at times just walking in them. I like the idea of the extra cushion, but these just had too much.

The Darn Tough Ultra-Lightweight running socks are good for someone looking for a thinner Merino wool-based sock. During my run, I noticed that my feet did not get as sweaty and the fabric has a lightweight, slick feel. I liked the sensation on my foot at first, but while I was running, it felt like my foot was sliding around inside my shoe. Between that and the lack of cushioning, I would not choose these socks for a long run.

Champion Double Dry Performance socks were one of the most budget-friendly socks and also the most basic pairs. Unlike higher-end socks, they don’t have arch support or much cursing to speak of. They felt soft and comfortable to wear, though they did slip down my foot a few times and I could feel the toe-box seam as I ran.

The main thing I didn’t like about these socks is that even though they are low-cut, they came up higher on my ankle and showed above my shoe. If you can afford to spend a little more on a basic sock, Adidas’s or even Puma's socks are a better option.