Happy MCM weekend!
I’m on my way down to DC and I thought it would be fun to “celebrate” my 3rd full marathon with a giveaway! Enjoy, and be sure to check in over the weekend for updates from Washington!
I LOVE socks.
No, really. I have all sorts of socks – Christmas socks, Thanksgiving socks, Valentine’s Day socks, doggy socks, winter socks…
I have socks for just about every occasion, so imagine my surprise when I started running a couple of years ago and realized I didn’t have any plain old, low cut, athletic type of socks to run in!
I quickly remedied this problem by heading out and buying whatever inexpensive plain white socks I could find, I mean really, socks are socks, right??
Well, now that I am older (by a whole 2 years!) and wiser (I am going back to school you know) and a veteran of 7 half marathons, and 2 (soon to be 3!) full marathons I am enlightened. I know the truth.
All Socks are NOT Created Equal.
This past summer my husband came home from a work conference with something for me (yeah, presents!) – a pair of socks one of the vendors had given him for me to try! Woo hoo, running socks!
Yes. I got that excited over socks. (Runners – you get this, right? Non-runners – feel free to think I’m nuts.)
Jason had been talking with Swiftwick about their Cut-Resistant Hockey Socks (he works in professional hockey) and when he mentioned that I was a runner they quickly pulled out a pair of socks for him to take home for me!
I went for a run in the socks and I really liked them, but I have to admit I didn’t think too much about it. Until I went for another run…in my OLD socks.
Suddenly I felt like my feet were on fire! Why the heck were these socks so warm?!? And did they always come to this weird, uncomfortable height??
So, my Swiftwicks quickly became my go-to socks, especially for long runs!
I sent Jason’s contact who gifted me these wonder socks a quick e-mail thanking him for opening my eyes to this new and wonderful world (ok, I didn’t word it exactly like that…I didn’t want him to think I was totally weird) and after chatting we agreed that my readers might just love Swiftwick socks too!
And so, I was sent a box of socks!
Fortunately being mid-marathon training there were plenty of opportunities to test all of these out!
Swiftwick offers 6 different styles of socks and they come in 6 different heights, so there are lots of different options!
Here’s what I got:
Left to Right: Aspire One, Aspire Zero, Vibe One, Pursuit One
Here’s what I think:
Aspire One – These are my long run and race winners. Light and thin with a bit of compression they are incredibly comfortable and my feet never felt hot! The Aspire’s come in 6 different heights (that’s the number after the name) from Zero (no-show) to Twelve (knee high compression).
Aspire Zero – these are the “no-show” version of the Aspire sock. I have to admit I was skeptical about these having experienced the dreaded no-show slippage before, but I really liked them! They stayed in place much better than other “no-show” styles I’ve tried and it barely felt like I had anything on.
Vibe One – these socks I just flat out didn’t want to take off. Usually after a run the first thing I do is kick off my sneakers and peel off my socks, but when I was wearing the Vibe’s I found myself keeping them on while I did my post-run stretching and foam rolling. The Vibe feels similar to the Aspire, except slightly more “comfy” (or as their website says “plush”).
Pursuit One – the Pursuit line is made out of Merino Wool which has natural wicking and insulation properties. I found these to be the thickest of the socks I was sent and to be honest I fully expected to not love them for that reason (I’m a thin sock kinda person), but I do have one pair of sneakers that I find to be just a touch big, so these socks actually worked really well with them to take up that little bit of extra space.
Here’s what else I want to tell you:
- Swiftwick socks are made in the USA!
- Swiftwick guarantees their products – if you don’t love it, wash it, return it and they’ll replace it with a pair (any brand!) of equal value!
- Swiftwick’s mission is to design and produce the best active wear products on the planet.
- Swiftwick has an awesome Sock of the Month club! Check it out HERE!
Here’s what I have for you:
So are you feeling excited about socks yet??
Swiftwick has generously offered me 5 pairs to give away to Live, Run Grow readers! The first place winner will receive 3 pairs, and 2 runners up will receive a pair each!
Here’s how to enter:
- Leave a comment letting me know what your favorite tip is to keep your feet happy during training!
OR
- Swiftwick’s tagline is “Do what moves you”. Answer the question, “What moves YOU?”
Additional entries:
Visit my FACEBOOK GIVEAWAY PAGE for up to 5 additional entry options!
This giveaway will be open until Thursday, October 31st at midnight EST at which time a winner and 2 runners up will be randomly selected and notified. For more information on Swiftwick you can visit their website at www.Swiftwick.com.
Disclaimer: I was sent 4 free pairs of Swiftwick socks for this review. All opinions are 100% my own, I was under no obligation to give a positive review.
Live, Run, Grow 
When I train for a run, I like to wear compression sleeves/socks. They also feel really good after a long run! It also doesn’t hurt to have my husband rub my tired feet 🙂
LOVE compression socks! I’ve had a pair on almost continuously since I finished Marine Corps yesterday!
I was/am the same way about socks! (I think the socks I run in are the only plain socks I own.) Until I discovered running socks! These things cushioned my toes and heels and hugged my arches! I have to resist the urge to wear them when I don’t run! (Kind of sound like the vibe socks). Other than that, putting my feet up…and drinking a beer…tends to help them post run lol
I love the arch support in socks – genius!
I’ve found the best way to keep my feet HAPPY during training – the RIGHT shoes for ME and rolling my arches with golf balls 🙂
I love rolling my arches on golf balls! I actually keep them in the freezer so they’re cold so it’s like icing my arches at the same time!
What moves me? That’s an easy answer now. My brand new 6 week old baby boy! I want to be the best mom I can be and that includes being the best healthy me I can be! I just got cleared to exercise so these new socks will be great motivation!
PS: I love socks! I collect socks from every state! So far I have 8 states and one country (New Zealand)
Oooh, socks from every state is an awesome idea! I collect mugs from every state, but socks sounds much easier travel wise!
And I love your “what moves you”! Congratulations on the baby and god luck getting back to exercising!
Thank you! Pretty soon, he’ll be running with me!
Hi Kelly! You’re one of the winners of the socks! Please e-mail me at LiveRunGrow at gmail dot com to coordinate prizes – thanks!
The first piece of advice I was given was get proper socks. I ran in cotton socks for years and always got blisters. Now I understand why. I wear good running socks and keep my toenails filed down.
Oh my goodness, YES, I always cut or file my toenails before a long run or race especially!
I learned the other day a good sock is very important to running!!! I wore a pair of cheap socks and the bottom my feet hurt so bad and were on fire! Thanks for the post, it actually came at a good time in my running training, because I need to pick up a few pairs of good socks!
Yup, cheap socks will ruin any run!
I wear quality running socks on all of my runs. Most of my socks right now are PROCompression, but I’ve heard great things about Swiftwick and would love to give them a try.
I make sure to keep my toenails short! I also roll my feet with a lacrosse ball. It doesn’t add any time to the day because I do it when I’m at the computer. Aside from that I always wear technical socks. My go to brand right now is Balega because I love the soft, seamless feel. But I’d love to give Swiftwick a try.
When I worked in an office I used to keep golf balls under my desk to roll my feet on – my coworkers thought it as so weird but I totally didn’t care!
I keep my feet happy by wearing the best shoes for me and keeping my toes painted a pretty color. =)
Hmmm…I haven’t tried the pretty color nail polish, I’m going to give it a shot for my next race : )
Sorry if this double posts. I always have problems with commenting on WordPress sites. Anyway, what I do is make sure to keep my toenails short and also roll my feet with a lacrosse ball. My go to socks are Balegas because of the awesome soft, seamless fit. But I’d love to try Swiftwick Socks!
I LOVE swiftwicks! My aunt works at a shoe store, so I can always count on her to send me socks as a little gift a couple times a year. I’m not sure what style I have….but I would love to try the aspire, maybe in a 5 just to see what a little higher but not full compression feels like. (i have a different brand of full compression socks already). I cannot do the zeros, I need to know that my heel won’t rub. But the vibe one and pursuit one also sound fabulous!!!! Oh I really hope I win!
Yeah, I think the One are my favorite height, while I didn’t have any problem with the Zeros slipping or my heel rubbing I just like to know I have that little extra bit of material to make sure it doesn’t happen!
I got SCHOOLED on running socks when I first got fitted for running sneakers. “Cotton is rotten and should be forgotten” says Fleet Feet.
Ha! I totally love that quote! Good way to remember!
My favorite foot tip is to keep your toenails as healthy (trimmed and neat) as possible. It helps prevent blisters, and for the lucky ones of us that lose toe nails (like me) helps prevent that.
What gets me moving is a new race goal (Boston and potentially another relay)!
Ugh, I lost toe nails after my first marathon – I think I may be ok after MCM yesterday, but there is one that’s looking a little bruised…
I hear great things about these and would love to try them!
MUSIC moves me!! 🙂
I like the one pair of Swiftwicks I have and could use another pair or two. I love to run and that is what moves me! Gotta have something to move this old body!
Cushion on the balls of my feet to prevent blisters! I like small, tight socks- no friction. What gets me moving? Reading about others getting out there and getting it done! 🙂
I LOVE my Swiftwick Vibe One socks and could definitely use another pair. I also use CEP compression socks for longer runs (10+ miles)
I always ran in plain white, low cut Hanes cotton socks. While training for my first half marathon (ran it on Oct. 5), I kept getting a reoccurring blister on my left big toe. The way I was “keeping my feet happy” was by putting a band aide on my big toe each time I laced up…which didn’t prevent it from happening but stopped it from getting worse. My husband bought me my first running specific socks but they are a little too plush for the size of my runners. Running socks are expensive and I would love to win some to try out!!
Yes, they definitely are expensive, but totally worth it! Just have to make sure you don’t lose any to the washing machine monster!
I keep my feet happy by keeping a tennis ball under my desk and massaging them with the tennis ball at least once a day during training!
My best tip to keep my feet happy is …. body glide the crap out of them! It helps to prevent blisters.
Also, I didn’t know the extent of your sock obsession till I saw that first pic of your sock collection …… just another quirk to add to the (growing) list 😉
I really need to stop revealing weird quirks to you guys or I’m going to get kicked out of the herd…
Honestly I’ve never even thought about putting body glide on my feet! Ha, clearly I lack common sense.
Compression, Compression, Compression!!! It’s a must!
yes, yes yes! I was in toe to hip compression after I finished MCM yesterday, but today I feel great!
I keep my feet happy my making sure I remember to stretch them too, especially the heels! It can be so easy to forget about my feet when stretching but it makes a world of difference!
Totally agree! I always incorporate stretching your feet in every yoga class I teach! It’s so easy and so often forgot about!
For my runs, My shoes have to be in good shape. When they start to lose cushion, they get recycled immediately!
I agree, I always hate “retiring” a pair of sneakers, but my feet can always tell when it’s time for them to go.
A good audiobook on a long run moves me!
I’ve always been good about having proper running socks and proper running shoes ever since I started running. I won’t wear cotton socks to run and when I see others wearing them, I can almost feel their blisters on my own feet!
What moves me is trying to stay healthy for my kiddos and the desire to continually improve myself.
The best thing I do for my feet is have good shoes. Nothing stops a workout faster than blisters forming or aches and pains from shoes that are uncomfortable.
Good shoes and socks are definitely key, but my real secret is keeping my toenails trimmed at the perfect not too short, not too long length. 🙂
Music helps keep me moving….that and the the need to keep up to my kids 🙂
Compression make my feet happy when training!! 🙂
I use body glide on my feet to help prevent blisters!
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