Compression Sock Story

Bad Veins

Unfortunately, bad veins run in my family.    I have problems with varicose veins and had surgery in my left leg to fix them 3 years ago. Before surgery, my left leg swelled alot, my foot ached constantly, and wounds healed slowly, and of course, I had unsightly veins. The surgery worked great, and I started to wear compression socks while running in hopes of keeping them from coming back. I was thrilled when athletic compression socks become popular!

Zoot Socks

I got a pair of Zoot socks. They have excellent compression, and feel alot like medical grade socks. They were great for training and recovery but are no good for tri racing tho, as they get soggy and heavy when wet, so you can’t swim in them.     Also, I had terrible problem with blisters on my toes last summer, when ramping up my mileage for my Ironman.  It finally dawned on me  that the Zoot socks just don’t wick the moisture away, so are not really good for running, at least not for long runs in hot weather!    They are  still great socks for recovery, and they are still in good shape after about 18 months of use.

Here is a picture I took of the Zoots while recovering:

Zensah Calf Sleeves

I also got a pair of Zensah calf sleeves to wear for races. They also feel like they have good compression, but not quite as good as the Zoots.   They are not as comfortalbe, like a second skin, as the Zoots are…and I always felt like the were a bit short, from ankle to knee.   They perform very well while wet – and do not absorb water – so you can go right from swim to bike. I wore them all last season racing, and they were great.

However, my varicose veins have come back in full force, and I can no longer tolerate the Zensahs. So much for my theory that compression socks will prevent varicose veins. 🙁  Now, when I wear the Zensah sleeves, my ankle swells, and the top of the sleeve binds my knee, right at the spot where I have a new bad vein in my “knee pit”.

Here is a funny picture I took last tri season, while wearing my Zensah’s. Read story

Injinji Compression Toe Socks

As soon as I figured out that the Zoots were the cause of the terrible blisters on my toes, I got a pair of injinji “EX-CELERATOR™ Compression” toe socks for my long runs. I like the injinji toe socks in general. They are comfortable and really do prevent blisters. Tho, I think any good wicking sock will help with that. However, the injinji compression socks do not feel like they have any compression at all. They just feel like any old pair of knee high socks. So, that was a waste of money.

What Next?

Now I am trying to decide what to try next. I need a new compression sleeve for racing, that feels like medical grade compression and yet does not bind.  Maybe that’s not possible?!    Compression socks are expensive and I don’t want to buy something and have it cause the same problems.

Any suggestions?  I’ve heard of 2XU, SLS3 and CEP socks/sleeves.  2XU makes sleeves with a heel stirrup.  I was thinking that might give my ankles a little more support.