Bamboo Running Socks – Can You Run in Bamboo?

Short answer: Yes, you can run in bamboo without trouble. Bamboo running socks keep the foot dry, reduce friction and therefore the risk of blisters, and they do not smell after the run. For everyday running and recreational outings they are a good alternative to synthetic running socks. For competition over long distances, synthetic fibres dry faster.

What the sock means for your run

Blisters appear when damp skin rubs against fabric or shoe. Moisture is the more important of the two factors, because wet skin withstands friction far less well than dry skin. A sock that moves the sweat away from the skin therefore removes exactly the half of the problem you can do something about with a material choice.

Bamboo against synthetics

Synthetic running socks push the sweat out to the surface where it evaporates, and they dry fastest. Bamboo viscose takes the moisture into the fibre and spreads it through the fabric, which is slightly slower, but in return the moisture does not sit as a film against the skin, and the fibre does not bind skin oils. That is why bamboo smells less after the run.

The right height

For running, short models work best, because they do not warm the calf and do not gather fabric at the ankle. See bamboo tennis socks for men and bamboo tennis socks for women. If you wear low running shoes and want no fabric above the edge, bamboo footies for men work too, but they slip more easily.

Fit matters more than material

A sock that is a size too big folds under the foot, and a fold is the single factor that causes most blisters on a run. If you sit between two sizes, take the smaller one for running. Check after the first run: if there is an imprint of a fold in the skin, go a size down whatever the packaging says.

The shoe has to suit the sock

Buy running shoes wearing the socks you will actually run in. A shoe that is too small in the toe box squeezes the toes together, and one that is too big lets the foot slide back and forth so friction appears at the heel. No sock can make up for a shoe that does not fit.

For everyday running and for competition

For recreational outings, intervals on the trail and five to ten kilometres a few times a week, bamboo is more than good enough and more comfortable to wear afterwards. For marathons, ultra running and running in the rain, synthetic fibres still have an advantage, because they dry fastest and are strongest when wet.

Washing after the run

Wash running socks soon after use rather than leaving them rolled up in the bag, because the odour develops in the damp period before the wash. Use 30 to 40 degrees, skip the fabric softener, which closes off the moisture transport, and hang them to dry. The full range sits under bamboo socks for men and bamboo socks for women. See also bamboo for training.