2009 Product of the Year — 2XU Compression Racing Sock

Picking a product of the year usually starts in the Summer each year. By the time Fall rolls around, I’m in the process of testing different brands of products that I’m considering and then something always seems to happen to verify my gut feel. I’m on the way somewhere and I spy a couple of Ironman triathletes bound for a race invariably decked out in whatever product that I’ve been considering for that year. Those Ironmen and Ironwomen just seem to be so well stocked up on their gear. I recall the first time that I saw Crocs for example. It was the 2004 Ironman in Kona and — seriously — everyone was wearing them.

Fast-forward to October 2009: Denver International Airport and I’m sitting next to Jamba Juice slurping my breakfast. I look over to my right and there they are. Two Kona-bound athletes decked head-to-toe in “every brand”. It wasn’t hard to spot them with their Rudy Project sunglasses on their heads at 8:30AM inside the airport terminal. But it was their feet that caught my attention. Both of them had on my product of the year pick: 2XU Compression Racing Socks. (In this case, they were actually wearing the 2X Compression Recovery Socks, but I’ll come back to the difference in a few paragraphs.)

Compression products have quite literally burst onto the scene over the last two years. The first exposure most people may have had had to them was seeing some of the top female marathon runners, including Paula Radcliffe, wearing what appeared to be knee-high socks in their races. Slowly compression products began spreading out across the globe, providing a new type of support to various parts of the body. In 2009 this product segment really took shape with several brands marketing full ranges of products and compression items garnering wide acceptance with athletes.

The idea behind athletic compression products is that applying mild pressure around an area of the body aids the return of blood to the heart. This reduces pooling of blood in the extremities, improves lactic acid removal, speeds recovery and reduces the feeling of fatigue. While you may be thinking this sounds a lot like the compression hosiery that your Aunt Betty wears, there are differences between the two. Support stockings used in treating circulatory problems have a much higher level of compression. So think of Aunt Betty’s socks as really squeezing her legs, while athletic compression supports just provide a boost to the circulatory system. Also, athletic compression products are made to be warn during exercise and keep their compression after the repeated pounding of hearty muscular action.

2XU Compression Socks for Racing and Recovery
2XU makes a complete line of compression products that are worn in sports as far ranging as speed skating, cycling and running. The 2XU Compression line includes supports for the foot, calf, thigh and the upper body. But after testing a selection of these products, the key to me for marathon runners is the compression sock. 2XU makes two versions of the compression sock: one to be worn while racing and one to be worn during recovery.

The reason that I have specifically picked the Compression Racing Sock for marathon runners stems from the repeated pounding on the feet that lasts for hours. We are constantly warning runners to buy shoes at least one size larger than their measured foot-size due to swelling that they will experience on long runs that will make their feet larger. Could there be a product that actually reduces some of this swelling and lessens some of the fatigue in th foot? The answer comes in the compression racing sock. A sock that provides a mild amount of compression around the foot and the lower-leg, helping support the ability of the foot to remove some of the pooling blood and reduce fatigue on the feet.

During my marathon racing season this year I took the opportunity to test a number of compression products. Over the course of four marathons, and many training runs, I ran both with and without compression to gauge the differences. I recall thinking after a slower speed marathon that my feet were absolutely aching starting around mile 20. When wearing compression racing socks in two other marathons, I found that my feet felt much less fatigued and overall felt better supported — I’d even use the word stronger — into the last miles of the race. I don’t believe that the socks would make a difference in my performance, but they did make a difference in the feel of the experience.

2XU Compression Recovery Socks and Calf Supports

One of the other great uses for compression products is to reduce swelling and promote recovery after a marathon or heavy training session. I tested the 2XU Compression Calf Support (similar to the recovery sock, less the foot coverage) by wearing them after several races this fall, including after the pounding of the New York City Marathon. I put on the Compression Calf Supports just after finishing the race in NYC and then slept in them and I was amazed at how much looser and more flexible my calves felt the next day. As a side note, I also wore my Compression Calf Supports on a trans-Pacific flight to China this fall and I found that my feet were much less swollen then after a typical international flight.

One of the drawbacks for most runners will be the cost of these products. The 2XU Compression products, as with most competing products, are as much as five times as expensive as a typical running sock. But I believe that the cost of these products will drop over time as the increase in volume. I suggest that most runners could use a Compression Sock only during their runs over 18 miles and on race day, rather than using them in all of their workouts. These are the times that the compression products will provide the most benefit to them.

I felt that 2XU’s product line was very complete, well priced and easily accessible in running stores here in the United States.

Overall I was impressed with the feel of the 2XU Compression Racing Sock and I found that I was less fatigued in the late miles of my marathons. I would also highly recommend the 2XU Compression Recovery Sock or Calf Guard for post-marathon recovery.

Congratulations to 2XU for receiving our Product of the Year for 2009 and thank you for engineering a great product for runners.

For more information about 2XU products, visit their web-site at www.2XU.com

To find a dealer of 2XU Compression products, click here.

Our past products of the year were:
2008: Nike LunarRacer+ Racing Shoe

2007: Nuun Active Hydration Drink

Joe English, Portland, Oregon, USA
Running Advice and News
www.running-advice.com

DISCLAIMER: No compensation was received in connection with this review. Products were purchased in a consumer retail store with consumer packaging and documentation for field testing. Running Advice and News does not accept compensation for product reviews or endorsements. All opinions stated are those of the writers. Running Advice and News and any of its contributing writers make no warranty of the performance of any goods or services in this review.

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