I’ve spent years looking at what are the best grip socks, testing hundreds of pairs and countless brands. My best in 2024 currently are: WeFoot, SoxPro & Tape Design, whilst Gain The Edge are very popular & TruSox are the originals.
- Top 11 Grip Socks
- What Do Grip Socks Do?
- Why Do Players Wear Grip Socks?
- How Do You Wear Grip Socks?
- Why Do Players Cut Their Socks?
Check out all eleven pairs I recommend below. Socks are, more often than not, overlooked when it comes to football footwear. They come in secondary to boots and, to a certain extent, even shin pads.
Over the years, there have been several performance football grip socks that significantly complement the technologies of your boots. These grip socks have seen their usage among professional players multiply considerably over time.
Popular Grip Socks
| Brand | Why Choose Them? | ||
|---|---|---|---|
Wefoot | A newer style of sock, packed with technology for more comfort and better grip. I find they have a nice lightweight feel, with 96 individual grips on each sock, inside and out, placed where they are needed, including three on your big toe. My favourites to wear at the moment, I find the limited range of colours if you want to match your game socks, are the only drawback. Read my Wefoot review. | ||
NikeGrip Socks | Nike answered Trusox with its NikeGrip socks, they’re inspired by the feet of a Gecko that contain thousands of small hairs that allow the animal to climb and grip every type of surface. Nike use nanofibres to try & replicate this with their socks. I find they are on the thinner side and tend to bunch up less compared to the thicker grip socks. have one of the most exquisite and premium feeling socks material to go with its tight-compression fit. Read Nike Sock Review. | ||
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Gain the Edge | A well known brand thanks to their clever marketing; UK based Gain the Edge offers the same selling points as many functioning airs of grip socks at a very affordable price. A big plus for GTE for me is that the grip elements cover the heel as well, though the sock material and generic sizing is a little cheaper but the price is great. I have a Discount Code & my Gain the Edge review here | ||
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Soxpro | Soxpro gives consumers options to go with either the standard padded version or the ultra thin model. The grip comes in with a no-nonsense micro chevron elements that are properly aligned on the base of the foot. I find them to be quite tacky and cover every space of the underfoot. I feel they are also well-ventilated thanks to the perforated top portion. Soxpro Review >> | ||
Trusox | The pioneers of grip socks are still considered one of the top performers in the grip socks category. I just feel they provide some of the best foot-to-boot traction through the suede-like pads in and out of the socks and fulfil the grip function without compromising comfort. On my feet, Trusox feel relatively bulkier and I can imagine how they present some issues with boots that have a narrow opening. I feel Trusox could improve on their fit and the durability of the grip elements to stay competitive., the haven’t changed in over fifteen years. The way the sock shape moulds around the foot is just alright & the material feels like a regular pair of thick tennis socks, with a relaxed fit. The grip elements do seen to work less over time & can become stiff. | ||
Tapedesign | Tapedesign have a big professional following, being first worn by the likes of Rakitic and Griezmann. The socks have a soft comfy cotton material with thick padding. You get good grip from the circular rubber elements. The only concern with them is free-size approach as well as the lack of designated left-right sock. I encountered issues as they weren’t a close fit to my foot shape and leaving unnecessary extra material bunching up once you wear your boots. | ||
Stepzz | These perform well in terms of grip, I often feel like it is too intense & covers the sole with the rubbery dots. The feel is somewhat similar to the Tapedesign, though I think Stepzz is edging out a little bit in terms of fit and comfort and material too. These work great in boots that might be a little too big for you to stop them sliding around, but if they are already a tight fit, you could struggle to get these in. | ||
| Adidas Alphaskin | Alphaskin is adidas’ answer to Trusox and utilises a premium material to enhance the comfort of the wearer. I place them on the thicker side though it has a thin variation and has a tight-compression fit. Their focus is on comfort, and it does show as Alphaskin’s Traxion grip system is something I would rank a little bit behind than that of Trusox. Like the NikeGrip, Alphaskin aims to provide the wearer a secure fit using the best material available for a nice on-feet sensation. | ||
| Falke Grip 4 | Falke’s Grip 4 socks feature different technologies to complement their grip elements. The moisture-wicking fabric helps in keeping the foot cool and dry, while a tight-compression fit, especially around the ankle, helps secure the foot wrap in place. That additional lockdown stability helps prevent sprains and other ankle injury. I feel the grippy silicone dots in and out of the footbed, are quite noticeable and caused me some pressure points when I first tried the Falke grip socks. | ||
| Pure Grip Socks | Made by independent football boots review Josh of SR4U, the main selling point of Pure Grip Socks is their cheap price. But despite its low price, I do like how Pure Grip Socks offer value in the form of anatomic shape and size options available. The triangular grip elements are strategically placed, covering much of the forefoot, going diagonally around the midfoot before covering the heel and the elements continue upwards to prevent slipping up and down. | ||
| Atak | Atak falls on the cheaper side of grip socks, costing around a third of the likes of NikeGrip and other premium grip socks. When I compare them to other grips socks, the square grip elements seem to be a bit thick, more spaced in-between, sticky, and glossy. I think some wearers may have concern about having pressure points like the Falke Grip 4 silicone dots. | ||
| Gioca | At least for my foot shape, the Gioca grip socks from Australia have a nice decent fit around the ankles and shin, and the circular grip elements work on par with some of the best in the grip socks category. Take note that sizes 6-9 only has one size option so go with the Medium, whilst size 10+ go with Large. | ||
What Do Grip Socks Do?
Grip socks, as the title implies, is all about increasing your foot’s grip inside the boots so that you have reduced internal slippage and ultimately enhanced comfort and performance.
They usually do this by incorporating some elements that come into contact between the sock and the boot (and even foot to sock in some cases). The fraction of a second you gain in responsiveness may prove to be the vital link between success and defeat.
I’m a wide-footed player and so in most cases the width and volume of my feet are enough to securely fit in inside the boots. But I still find it rewarding when I get that incremental increase in lockdown and objective performance from my boots when I put on a pair of grip socks.
The concept of grip socks started in 2007 when player-coach James Cherneski of the Crystal Palace Baltimore was bothered by his socks and the internal movement of his foot in his boots. It prompted his quest to develop on what are now called grip socks and in 2011 he established Trusox, the first company to produce performance socks with grips.
Trusox got a break in 2012 when Gareth Bale, still a blossoming player back then with Tottenham, decided to wear Trusox. This would prove significant as Bale would then perform above expectations most especially in terms of goal scoring.
Since then, many group socks manufacturers have been formed, and the big brands like Nike and adidas have made their own versions.
Why Do Players Wear Grip Socks?
Most reasons would boil down to performance reasons. Whether it’s for the stability, reduced internal slippage, improved boot responsiveness, or even comfort, they just wear grip socks to gain that extra bit of advantage on the playing field. Others also has commercial reasons as the manufacturers strike up sponsorship deals with the players to get them to wear their product. I sure wear them for a lot of reasons, but just like football boots the fit and feel are part of my main considerations when considering my go-to brand.
How Do You Wear Grip Socks?
What usually happens is that players cut the foot part of their official kit’s socks around the ankle so they could wear first their preferred grip socks and then the official socks on top of it, freely exposing the grip socks and its elements inside the boot. To ensure that the grip socks wouldn’t get exposed, some have even applied tape around the cut-out part which is usually just slightly above the ankles.On my end, to make the transition of the looks as seamless as possible, I manage to match the colour of my grip socks to that of my formal matchday socks. This way, I can make it less obvious and less awkward-looking.
Why Do Players Cut Their Socks?
Players cut their team socks so they could still feel the benefit of their grip socks while hiding them underneath. And the reason why they have to hide them is they are required to wear the socks that are part of their actual strip.
There is a regulatory and a commercial side to this requirement. With regard to actual football rules, team kits, including the socks, are subject to approval before being worn in order to avoid kit clashes that might cause confused and incorrect calls, as well as disruption of play among the teams themselves. But, especially in the big leagues, kits are provided by sponsors which expect the players to wear every piece of the set from the shirt down to the socks.
During the 2018 World Cup, some of England’s stars like Delle Ali, Sterling, and Dier wore Trusox, subsequently causing the FA to be fined by FIFA with the documented reason being ‘the use of unauthorised socks.’
Regarding professional players wearing grip socks, Suarez, Lamela, and Bale have worn Trusox, as well as Sterling, Alli, and Dier during the 2018 World Cup, while Rakitic has used the Tapedesign. Banega and Hakimi have played with Gravity Grip.
Can You Make Your Own Grip Socks?
There are simple ways that I can share on how to create a pair of DIY sock grips. First is you can use a cardboard or any material to create personal last that you can insert in your socks so that the footbed is thoroughly exposed. For adding grip elements, the items that you can use are fabric paint or if possible, a limited amount of rubber coating. The socks should be cleaned before applying your preferred grip elements and when putting the socks in the dryer, the heating should only be set to low or medium so as not to melt away the applied elements. Seems like hard work to me… grab a real pair instead and follow my guide here to select the best one for you!
