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From Fellrnr.com, Running tips
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Three factors work together to cause blisters; heat, moisture and friction. Socks don't do much to reduce heat, but they do reduce friction and moisture.
= Material =
Don't use cotton socks - cotton is one of the worst materials that you can choose for socks (or any athletic wear). I generally use Cool Max, which is a synthetic fiber [[Fiber]] that uses capillary action to spread out sweat so it evaporates better. There are many other synthetic materials on the market that also work well. Some people get on well with wool; I use wool socks for hiking in cool weather, but not for running. If you choose wool, get high quality merino Wool, such as 'smart wool'. I've tried Bamboo socks; they feel nicer than Cool Max when dry, but hold more water and dry more slowly. Some socks include silver as an antibacterial material, which helps reduce odor. This is great in socks where you can't wash them for days at a time (long backpacking trips), but for running it is not a big deal. If you have a problem with shoe odor, then silver based socks may help.
= Construction =
Modern construction techniques allow for seamless, or near seamless construction, which is useful, as seams often cause blisters. These construction techniques also allow for variable thickness socks; I've not found much benefit from this approach.
= Weight =
If you are wearing light weight racing shoes [[Shoes]] for a short distance race, then go for light weight socks. Otherwise, I would not worry too much about sock weight. It's worth remembering however that's the most important issue with blisters is having shoes [[Shoes]] that fit correctly. Slightly different thicknesses of socks can allow you to tweak the fit of the shoe.
= Compression Socks =
I have found [[A review of graduated compression wear|compression sleeves]] to be very effective, as our compression tights. However compression on the foot itself can cause problems. Compressing the bones in the front of the foot (metatarsals) can put pressure on the nerves and cause a [[Mortons Neuroma]].
Here is my rating of various socks and sock combinations from best to worst, with a rating out of five.
== Injinji Lightweight + Cool Max Wrightsock (5/5)==
My favorite combination is to wear the Injinji lightweight sock with the thinnest Cool Max Wrightsock. This gives me toe protection and three layers of material. I find that this pairing is much better with blisters than any other option I've tried. I found that this combination works under the most extreme conditions of heat and humidity. The combination is also remarkably cool, much colder than you would expect for two socks with three layers of material. In [[Running in the Cold| cold weather]] I will sometimes use a slightly thicker Wrightsock in slightly bigger shoes[[Shoes]], but are more likely to simply use Vaseline for insulation. ([http://go.fellrnr.com?id=35454X937677&xs=1&xcust=wscm&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FWrightSock-Double-Layer-Coolmesh-Sock%2Fdp%2FB001FHX342 Wrightsock at Amazon.com] and [http://go.fellrnr.com?id=35454X937677&xs=1&xcust=ilw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FInjinji-Performance-Lightweight-Mini-Crew-Black%2Fdp%2FB003WWHUNI Injinji Leightweight at Amazon.com].)
==Drymax (4/5)==
''Main article: [[Dry Max Socks]]''
