There’s a lot to think about when it comes to choosing the right pair of grippy socks for your needs. From cut and thickness to the grippy material itself, there are a lot of options out there. Whether you’re looking for a custom pair of grip socks for Pilates, yoga, barre, dance, trampoline, fitness, or hospital work, there’s a style that will fit your needs.
Grip socks are made to add a little extra traction on your feet, which can help improve balance and stability during workouts like Pilates, yoga, barre, or even just running and walking around the house. These socks are typically designed to be worn on top of a regular pair of cotton or nylon/polyester athletic socks and feature a large area of rubber grips on the bottom of the sock. This means that the socks are comfortable and can be worn without having to worry about slipping on slick floors. They’re also a great option for yoga instructors, who often require grippy socks to be worn in class.
Slipping on smooth flooring can be a common cause of falls and injuries in older adults, and it can happen to anyone regardless of how strong or fit they are. Consequently, it is important to understand what factors contribute to slipping so that we can prevent these incidents. In one study, a non-slip sock (treaded sock) intervention was associated with a modest reduction in falls caused by slipping on urine, but this effect was only observed in patients who were not using other footwear.
However, it is worth noting that this was a convenience sample of non-slip socks and may not represent all available products. Furthermore, it is possible that the results of this study are affected by the presence of urine – a liquid contaminant – which would increase slip resistance on the surface of the foot compared to dry surfaces.
Non-slip socks are a comparatively new product, and the evidence on their effectiveness as a method to prevent falls in healthcare settings is limited. One study used a wet pendulum friction test to measure the slip resistance of three commercially available non-slip socks and a pair of compression stockings. The test was conducted in a laboratory blinded to brand and manufacturer details of the product tested, and the results were compared with those obtained from testing in dry conditions.
This test was chosen because it provides a continuous measurement of friction, and is therefore more sensitive to small differences in slip resistance than the alternative Inclined Ramp Test. The results showed that all of the products tested in this study had slip resistance values comparable to conventional socks, but only the two non-slip socks had higher values than the compression stocking. The absence of a tread pattern on the compression stockings’ ventral surface resulted in a level contact with the rubber slider, resulting in a lower effective British Pendulum number than that achieved by the two non-slip socks tested. custom non-slip socks