If you've played golf for long enough -- particularly long enough on a hot day, walking the course -- then you know the importance of a great golf sock.
Great golf socks are comfortable, aren't thin or particularly lightweight, sport moisture-wicking materials and help keep your foot in the footbed of your golf shoes. That last part is something often ignored by golfers, as they're really looking for something that will keep their feet well-padded and dry through a day of golf. However, the golf sock plays an important role in golf performance.
As I've talked about many times over the years in connection with our friends at Sqairz, your feet are the power center for your golf swing. Having a stable golf shoe -- ideally, with spikes -- is a must for consistent distance and tighter dispersion. However, a stable golf shoe can only do so much for you if your feet are sliding about inside the shoe itself. That's where great golf socks help, keeping a golfer's feet in place so they can perform in concert with a golf shoe and not working against it.
A few times over the years, I've thought hospital gripper socks could, with some modifications, make an ideal golf sock. They're designed to prevent slipping on floors, but they could just as easily prevent slipping inside a shoe. Of course, gripper socks are supremely unattractive, aren't made for the rigors of walking a golf course and would be kind of embarrassing to wear on a golf course. However, the gripper part would make a great asset for a golf sock.
Join Golf News Net for $10 per year, and go ad-free!That's where Squid Socks comes in. A little while back, the company reached out with a proposition that their socks would be great for golf. The product, which has been featured on "Shark Tank," is best known for their silicone grips on the inside and outside of the heel to keep socks in place on your feet and in a shoe. It didn't take long for me to make the connection to my mad-scientist thought experiment about the hospital grippers. They were kind enough to send along a sampling of socks, both at ankle cut and no-show cut.
I wore the Squid Socks in several golf rounds, including a marathon day of 36 holes of walking and playing in tremendously warm conditions. The socks are fabulous.
The anti-slip silicone grips really do what I was imagining hospital grippers would do. My feet stayed in place in my shoes better than with standard golf socks, and that helps enhance stability. Does that translate into some massive distance gain? No. But if I'm hitting off a downslope or a sidehill lie, I'm more confident that my stance isn't going to be the thing that ruins the result.
I also didn't have to adjust the socks during the round, which is great, and the heel tabs are good for preventing blistering. The socks are more form fitting than most, while still breathing plenty to remain comfortable. Even after a long day of walking 36, the Squid Socks were almost as dry as when I put them on to play.
The cushioning in the heel, toe and soles is the right amount for most golfers who are doing heavy-duty trudging up and down hills. Some socks have more cushioning, namely those made with various wools, but that's an OK trade-off here. We'll see about durability over time, though many of the wool socks I've worn last at least five years with plenty of traffic.
The no-show socks are great, too, if you rock those kinds of socks in certain situations. You're definitely not doing that on a golf course, but I have worn them this summer in shoes-first situations and really appreciated them. The company says crew-style socks are coming, which could be great for cooler months.
The Squid Socks come at a reasonable price point, too. They come in packs of three for $46, coming out to $15.33 per pair. Higher-end wool socks are closer to $30 per pair these days, so this is a good alternative. Less supportive golf socks are sold in pro shops for $20 per pair. It's a good deal.
Every once in a while over the years, I've been excited when some random idea that pops in my head turns out to be a handy product that someone else already made. This is one of those examples, and Squid Socks will be in my rotation moving forward.
