Sock Guy SGX Cycling Sock Review

Most reviewers of film, food and beverage have unique qualifications which make their word worth a bit more when it comes to what they do. When it comes to socks, specifically cycling socks, the fact that I have two feet (problematic feet at that) and ride my bike a ton allows me to better evaluate the effectiveness of a product that applies to a very specific part of cycling.

BACKGROUND

  • 500 miles a month, mostly commuting, weekend training rides
  • Road riding, some trails on the cross bike
  • Well-ventilated cycling shoes of various manufacture
  • Other socks: Usually thicker cotton/poly blend to provide more padding for sore soles. Also on occasion use other brands of cycling-specific socks

When first trying on the Sock Guy SGX, it felt like I was getting dressed to go to church, or a wedding, or anything that requires a dress sock. These feel exactly like dress socks, and certainly not as thick as I am used to. I thought this would be a problem, but the sock works as claimed – compression was excellent (nonexistent in my other socks), arch was supported better than my other socks (good for my flat feet), the sock stayed where it was throughout the entire ride (snug to my foot), and I could most definitey feel the ventilation during longer rides in the Colorado summer heat.

The socks are a bit tall (almost mid-calf), so I scrunch them down as low as I can. Rode for a few miles with the sock fully extended to achieve the ventilation effect. Sock Guy says these socks are also available in half-cuff in both black and white (colors tested), and other models of the SGX sock will be availble with accent colors. Both pairs tested (black and white) have been through the wash twice and dried on normal heat with no ill effects.

Owning several pairs of cycling shoes of different manufacture, we all know that sizing changes from brand to brand. This sock is especially good for that shoe that may be just a little small, where a thicker sock crowds your foot. I am back in my comfy Specialized shoes that have been collecting dust in the closet since last summer due to the tight fit.

With about 150 miles on the Sock Guy SGX sock, my skepticism has been adequately squelched. It’s a sock after all, but it works exactly as described. MSRP is $14.95, but do your shopping homework and like most other cycling products, you may find them for less.

Sock it to me, Sock Guy. My feet thank you.

5 Comments

  1. I bought great wool socks for $2 on Sierra Trading Post in bulk last year, and they worked just as well as my Bridgedales and Smartwool socks. Durability is yet to be determined, but so far so good. I’m done overpaying for socks. I remember when Smartwool was still reasonable prices before all of a sudden they shot up to $15-20 per pair.

  2. It’s been a while since I’ve bought off-brand socks from STP — after a year or two the ones I’ve bought don’t hold their shape. I’m not a fan of Smartwool either, but I’ve only bought their hiking socks, not cycling socks.

  3. Shape has yet to be an issue for me. Usually it’s just wear under the big toe that goes first, but I tend to ride with not-the-thinnest socks these days so they do last a while with those. For races or really hot days, I have some Dahlgren alpaca wool socks that were $5/pr at STP. When I was last buying socks, they had a lot of Point 6 socks available for cheap (which you wrote a good review about), but I got Lorpen instead because it had higher reviews then. So it’s not just totally off-brand socks, these are actually some of the top brands, just at great prices for whatever reason.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.