Smartwool Run Targeted Cushion Compression OTC Socks review: tough and supportive

Smartwool Run Targeted Cushion Compression OTC Socks.

Meet the reviewer

Smartwool Run Targeted Cushion Compression OTC Socks: first impressions

These over-the-calf Smartwool Run Targeted Cushion Compression OTC Socks are, as anyone familiar with Merino wool products will fully expect, extremely comfortable to wear (well, they are after some slight initial itchiness – but more about that below).

Specifications

• List price: $40 (US) / £37.99 (UK)
• Gender specificity: Unisex
• Sizes: Men’s: Medium / Large / Extra Large; Women’s: Small / Medium
• Materials: Merino wool (49%), nylon (12%), recycled nylon (31%), elastane (8%)
• Length: Over the calf
• Compression: 20-30 mmHg graduated compression
• Colors: Black / Navy Blue
• Compatibility: Trail, road and mixed-terrain running and hiking

If you’re not used to wearing compression socks for running, it can be a bit of a leap of faith to start using them while out on the trails, but the benefits can be substantial. These ones, from US brand Smartwool, offer quite a firm rate of graduated compression (20-30mmHg), so they’re tightest around the ankle and slightly less snug further up.

The benefits of compression are multiple. Firstly, it supplies support to your calf muscles and reduces fatigue. Also, the tightness improves circulation, allowing oxygen to reach all the muscles that require it the most, rinsing though high levels of lactate in the process. And it can help with recovery.

Smartwool Run Targeted Cushion Compression OTC Socks: design and construction

Compression supplies support to your calf muscles and reduces fatigue (Image credit: Pat Kinsella)

A high sock for hard runs, Smartwool’s new Run Compression Over-the-Calf socks extend almost to the knee, and as well as supplying technical support through compression, they provide protection for legs from things as wide ranging as cold wind, stinging nettles, thorny flora and those arachnid terrors of the trail… ticks.

Made from a material mix that’s almost half Merino wool, they also include nylon (the majority of which is recycled) and elastane. The benefits of Merino are manifold: it’s comfortable, breathes well, wicks moisture, provides thermal protection and the wool’s naturally occurring enzymes beat up bacteria and keep the socks smelling sweet (ish) even after repeated wears.

Mostly they stayed up during vigorous runs, but one of them would occasionally fall down a bit (Image credit: Pat Kinsella)

But, as we all know, Merino can fall apart after a while, and that’s where the hard-as-nails nylon comes in (because no one wants to pay this much for a pair of socks that get holey after a few runs). Smartwool have actually branded this material mix ‘Indestructawool’, which feels like a naming decision made after a lot of coffee, but the socks feel well made and the construction is robust. The elestane is there, of course, to bring the calf-cuddling compression to the party.

So, does this all work? I put Smartwool Run Targeted Cushion Compression OTC Socks through their paces to see how they compare to the best running socks on the market.

Smartwool Run Targeted Cushion Compression OTC Socks: on the trails

There is additional padding in high impact areas like the toes and the bottom of the heels (Image credit: Pat Kinsella)

The first time I ran in these socks was after a 20-mile race that nearly broke me. My mistake was not wearing them for the race itself – I was slightly wary about trusting brand-new kit during an event, but now I know they would have helped me enormously out there. Next year… 

In the meantime, the graduated compression has been easing my aching calve muscles, and really helping during recovery runs. 

I did feel a small amount of itchiness during the first few wears, which I don’t normally experience with Merino wool, but this seemed to calm down as my calves became accustomed to the material. For the most part these socks stayed in place, but very occasionally one does drop down my calf a bit – I put this down to the graduated compression. 

The excellent breathability of the Merino wool boasts is enhanced by the zoned mesh pattern on the legs, which supplies extra ventilation (Image credit: Pat Kinsella)

Conditions are starting to get a lot warmer in my area, and the nettles and brambles are getting big and vicious, but these long socks have done a good job of protecting me. Also, despite rising temperatures, I haven’t been overheating in these stockings. The excellent breathability that any garment made from mostly Merino wool boasts is really enhanced here by the zoned mesh pattern on the legs, which supplies extra ventilation.

I also very much appreciate the targeted cushioning Smartwool have employed in high impact areas like the toes and the bottom of the heels, which take a real hammering during longer runs. The additional padding used here helps soften the stress of repeated footfall, while lighter coverage in other areas means the socks still feel light and breezy.

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