If you have booked a reformer class, you have probably been told to bring grip socks. Most studios ask for them, some sell them at the front desk, and there are now dozens of brands to pick from. They are not all the same, and the differences only show up once you are on the carriage.
This is what to look for.
This is the one that matters most. Look at the underside before you buy.
Some socks have a small patch of dots across the ball of the foot and nothing else. That works standing still, but reformer work puts weight through your heel, your arch and the edge of your foot as much as the ball. Footwork, lunges and standing work on the platform all ask the sock to hold at the heel.
A full sole grip, silicone from toe to heel, holds you wherever your weight lands. If a sock only grips in one place, that is where it will hold and nowhere else.
A grip sock that twists on your foot is worse than none, because the grip ends up on the side of your foot. Look for a fit that sits close at the heel and arch without pinching the toes.
Most grip socks are one size. Check the brand's upper limit before you order, particularly if you are above an EU 41. Ours fit up to about an EU 42, a UK 8.
A class is fifty minutes of warm feet. A cotton blend breathes better than a fully synthetic sock and is softer against the skin. A fine rib knit also helps the sock hold its shape wash after wash.
Low trainer socks can slip down under straps and springs. A sock that comes up over the ankle bone stays put and protects the skin when you are working with straps or on the long box. After that, it is personal taste.
The grip wears out faster than the sock, and heat is what does it. Wash cold, inside out, and line dry. Never tumble dry. A pair looked after this way lasts far longer than one that goes through the dryer every week.
Good grip socks usually cost somewhere around the price of a single class. Paying more does not always get you more grip, so use the checklist above rather than the price.
We designed Daisy Co. socks around this list. The whole sole is covered in silicone hearts rather than a patch of dots, with our script moulded through the arch. They are a soft cotton blend in a fine rib, with a frill at the cuff and a small daisy embroidered at the ankle. We ship worldwide, and orders are dispatched within one to two business days.
You can see all seven colourways in The Posey Collective.
If you run a studio and would like to stock them, our wholesale page has the details.
Silicone heart grips across the whole sole, a frill at the cuff, and one size that fits most feet.
Shop the grip socks