My buddy has what we call skeleton toes.
It’s a term coined by his wife, against whose shins these bedraggled talons would scrape in bed, in the dead of night, to her groggy alarm. They have some uncomfortable effects on his running life, too. If not filed down on the regular, these five switchblade piggies also tend to tear through his socks, slicing through the toes after a few dozen miles, even once during a race, leaving him like some ultra-hobo with a blood- and blister-filled shoe.
I think about this a lot on my runs. I thought about this a lot as I looked at runners’ socks, at starting lines and aid stations, passing them on the street, standing around in parking lots post-trail, half-chugging a LaCroix. And I wanted a better sock, for me and you. For runners wanting more fun.
We started evaluating socks more than a year ago, trying all the big, popular brands, evaluating everything from cotton to wool and the poly-blends between. We love the look of cycling socks -- the color! the bold patterns! -- so put those through the paces, too. Some were too thin, some too thick; some too slick or sloppy-fitting, others rough against our skin. Many were just ... dull. We at rnnr were questing for Goldilocks socks!
We couldn’t find them, so we made your Goldilocks socks.
Each option led us closer to finding and selecting a small sock factory here on the east coast owned by a couple of runners. They’ve been making socks, focusing on active and athletic socks, since the 70's, so they knew just what we wanted, and needed. Over the course of the last several months, we worked with them to develop socks that would stand up to the rigors of the long run and the trail, but with enough curb appeal and flash for casual wear and short runs. We packed up the van and road-tripped last weekend, to pick up the goods and bring them home to you.
Our socks are made of a blend of HYRDOTEC Polyester and Spandex which provides superior moisture management, amazing wicking and drying, and comfort along with the perfect fit. The heel is sturdy enough to withstand the constant action of your run, and the toes and take a thrashing from a certain someone’s unkempt nails without his raptor claws wearing through.
We departed from the standard black or white or solid colors of running socks, but backed down from the over-bold slashes and aggressive designs of many cycling socks, giving ours a splash of subtle colors, subdued but catching. And a lightning bolt, which makes them go faster.
Just right : Goldilocks, right?
We’re very proud of these socks, and know you’ll love showing them off mid-pack, at the trailhead or parking lot post-run, maybe when spilling a cappuccino on your shoes on a break (it washed right out of my socks, I swear -- another plus). For extended durability, just make sure you file those skeleton toes down. Better safe than sorry.