Standing motionless your feet are supporting your body weight plus whatever clothes you happen to be wearing. After you start walking each foot begins carrying some multiple of your body weight. When you run a relatively small part of your foot must absorb approximately double the weight of your body. Few items in the runner's wardrobe work as hard as their socks do. Designed to cushion, support and wick moisture away from the athlete's foot Smartwool running socks come with a guarantee: if the socks do not perform satisfactorily you can get your money back.

Knitted with an arch brace that follows the contours of the runner's foot Smartwool running socks provide reinforced support for both the longitudinal and the metatarsal arches. Keeping the arch brace company are compression bands that follow the upper and lower instep while a specially contoured zone opposite your heel bends when your ankle flexes or extends. During exercise your body is regulating your increasing body temperature. When your feet heat up sweat accumulates which is why Smartwool running socks have mesh ventilation zones knit into the sock to control how much vaporized moisture remains next to your feet.

Additional weight can slow a runner down. To combat this Smartwool manufactures their running socks out of ultra fine gauge wool. Shoes and socks are typically the only items protecting fast moving feet from whatever surface their owner chooses to traverse. Having a smart supportive sock will help absorb some of the impact a runner's foot must assimilate. The right running socks will be working just as hard as the body on top of them as he or she races towards the runner's high.

Periodically I have the opportunity to study people running. In my head I make a list of notes for the various people I see. I want to pull people aside and explain why I think the shoes they are wearing are wrong for them and it frustrates me when I see people decked out in expensive workout clothes wearing shoes I know are due for replacement. At work people come to me for advice on which running shoes will work best for their feet. Running socks are a frequently overlooked piece of the puzzle however wearing the right socks will make a difference when it comes to overall foot comfort before, during and after your run.

At work an important component of my job is to help people determine what kind of socks will be best for whatever end use they have in mind. The other day a triathlete was talking to me about which socks he should be wearing for an upcoming event. I had to smile when he asked me if I wanted to be a part of a team he was trying to put together. My lungs are weak, they're the first thing that goes when I start running however as I explained to my customer the manufacturers of Smartwool running socks understand that your feet need comfortable cushioned support even when the only thing racing is your mind.