RIP Socks

No, not Bill and Hillary's cat. Though Socks the cat did die and I am sorry about that. That cat was 20 years old I think! No, this is about my first pair of 'running' socks. They finally bit the dust this week and I need to bite the bullet and toss them. I actually could bury them since they are wool and not synthetic, but I think the trash is where they are headed.

I never realized how awful it was to run in the old school cotton tube socks until I got my first pair of real running socks. They were a pair of SmartWool running socks and I love them. At first, I was not to sure that the idea of running in wool socks in South Carolina made a lot of sense. One run into the trial and I was sold. I will admit that I also own several pairs of synthetic running socks too. I still prefer the SmartWool, but both are a huge improvement over the old athletic socks I used to run in. I do kind of wish the smartwool socks were white as I still have a hard time thinking about the fact that I have on dark socks and shorts. Sometimes I think I might as well head to Florida, buy a condo and get in line for the 'Early Bird' at the local buffet since I am wearing dark socks and shorts.

These running socks are so smooth that your feet feel great and they wick away the moisture to help keep hot spots and blisters from forming. We runners tend to get a little high and mighty at times talking about the 'pure' sport that running is and how it doesn't require a lot of expensive equipment. While I still contend that is true over the long haul, paying $8-$15 for a pair of socks keeps me pretty humble when it comes to bragging about my minimalist sport!