Things have changed a lot since 2014 when grip socks first made an appearance on footballers feet. Whilst your iPhone 6 was cutting edge in 2014, the iPhone 14 is the best technology you can get in 2023 and what football players are wearing on their feet has evolved too.
5 SoxPro Grip Socks Key Points:
- Thin, compressive sock option preferred by modern pros like Haaland
- New patented technology gives Grip inside & outside of socks
- Top part of sock made from recycled plastic bottles
- Manufactured in Italy with Italian materials
- They smell good – as the socks have been prewashed
Grip Inside & Outside
Inside the sock new Grip:In + is a silicon weave through the middle part of the sock to keep your foot in place, complemeneted with the Grip:In outer layer of silicon arrows that run from your toes, to your ankle, to keep your foot locked in place in your boot.
Eco-sustainable
Made of special and eco-friendly yarns that are derived from 100% recycled bottles, the Ultra Light Gripxpro socks provide high performance through an innovative and sustainable way, that gives professionals the thinner sock that they are looking for, with new patented technology that has grip on the inside & the outside. They come with a compressive fit, with specific right and left socks shaped to your foot.
The grip from the socks reduces movement inside your boot, which translates to reduced blisters, increased repsonsiveness and power from your movements, studies have also shown players to run faster due to better power transfer.
GearXPro SoxPro Socks
GearXPro are Italian brand that produce grip socks called SOXPro; they are worn by many professional footballers including Dortmund’s Erling Haaland, Lucas Torrerira of Atletico Madid and Wolves’ Raúl Jiménez.
SOXPro come in a range of colours, below we have a pair of the Ultra Light in white and the classic orginal SOXPro in green for you to compare.
Ultra Light Review
Having had a chance to wear the ultra light in a variety of boots from laceless Predators to laced Nike Superfly and Puma Future, the socks are noticably thinner than other grip socks on the market and the classic soxpro pairs (that weren’t that thick themselves) and they have a compressive feel to their fit, which on feet feels good. They fit well in all the right places around the foot, with individually tailored left and right socks.
Now the idea of grip socks is to stop your foot sliding around in the boot and the SOXPro achieve this well, with the lighter breathable fabric I also felt like your foot doesn’t get as hot and sweaty as it can with traditional football socks. The GRIPIN silicone arrows on the socks seem to stick very well (personally I think better than the classic SOXPRO), reducing foot movement in the boot, which translates to more responsiveness and less friction, which means less blisters too.
The use of the extra grip elements up around the heel to the ankle are appreciated, reducing heel slippage in laceless boots and give a more complete grip feel. The silicon pads mean you foot doesn’t slip and slide in your boot, giving an solid connection between foot and boot. As the name suggests, the Ultra light are all about being light, at around 30 grams they are one of the lightest grip socks in the market.
How Do The Ultra Light Perform?
- Improved grip elements on the ultra light provide more stickiness
- The arrow-like grip elements feel a little bit more raised and sticky than previously
- Midfoot feels tighter on the Ultra light, with new GRIP:IN+ locking you into the sock
As well as for matches, I’ve found they’re a great option for trainings and running too, also for riding the bike, until you wear a decent pair of grip socks like these, you don’t realise how much your foot moves around, try a pair for 5-a-side indoor, you’ll really feel the difference, as the ground won’t be moving under your feet.
By opting for the ultralight over the classic SOXPRO you lose that extra bit of cushioning that the thicker sock affords, I also feel like you lose a little bit of comfort, for gain an enhanced performance feel from the socks. My only complaint would be with the stretch of the top of the sock, I feel that due to the tight fit, it just doesn’t quite stretch enough for me to wear them pulled all the way up and instead I have to have them down a little bit to fit around my calf.
VERDICT: Cutting edge grip sock technology, that I’ll keep wearing for matches and trainings. The lightweight option, with grip inside and out is even eco friendly and made in Italy, a great option.
Ultra Light retains the silicone grip chevrons called GRIPIN technology that only form on the outside of the sock and up to the ankles. They feel more more tight-fitting than that of Nike or adidas and the classic SOXPro pairs.
Classic SoxPRO Football Grip Socks
Like the first SoxPro, Ultra Light has a Dry-Flex Nano Fabric, which refers to the more perforated finish of the part covering the top of the foot for breathability and ventilation purposes (albeit more streamlined in terms of looks). It also has the microcushion technology where the heel is slightly raised because of the said cushioning system and the toes as well as the rest of the forefoot are pressed against a light spongey material for shock absorption. The tip of the Ultra Light though is thinner than the first SoxPro version. Both Ultra Light and Classic have an elastic midfoot band to reinforce the sock’s lockdown to your foot, mimicking the common construct found in laceless football boots.
This thinner profile and less padded feel of the new Ultra Light relative to the old one make Soxpro perfectly suitable for wide-feet players and/or those that are wearing tight-fitting boots. Players need not worry of any added snug that the socks may bring that could make the overall experience borderline uncomfortable and restrictive. For those who might need some additional volume to fill up space inside their boots and/or those who are narrow-footed, the classic Soxpro might be the better choice, especially if you’re the type who is into laceless football boots.
Italian company GEARXPro were founded around their SOXPro Grip Socks, a product designed by Cristian Di Leo, an ex professional football player.
All the country will be behind their team. And If the final was ITALY – Danemark ?#Soxpro grip socks #Europaleague #EURO2020#danemark #Andersen #gearxprosports #compétition pic.twitter.com/vOIYTRXXTg
— GEARXPRO SPORTS (@GearxproS) July 5, 2021
