do I really need grippy pilates socks?
Jellylegz Grippy socks
Here's What You Should Know…
If you're new to Pilates, you've probably noticed people wearing those special socks with rubber or plastic dots on the bottom. And you might be wondering – are they really necessary, or just another fitness fashion trend? Or just a way for retailers or Pilates studios to get you to part with even more of your hard-earned cash?!?
So firstly – what is the purpose of grippy socks?
The purpose of grippy socks is all about safety - they are designed to stop you slipping on either a hard floor, or when using Pilates equipment such as a reformer machine. Studio floors and Reformer equipment can be surprisingly slippy, especially when you're working up a sweat or balancing in challenging positions. Those little grippy dots provide crucial traction to stop you falling and injuring yourself.
In addition to keeping you safe, grippy socks can actually improve your workout. When you're not worried about sliding, you can focus more on proper form and engaging the right muscles. This is especially important for exercises where you need to press your feet into the equipment or maintain precise positioning.
When you don’t really need them…
If you're doing mat Pilates at home on a sticky mat or carpet, regular socks (or bare feet) will probably be just fine. It also depends how much time the exercises you are doing are down on the mat, versus how much time you spend doing standing exercises. The other factor is the type of Pilates you are practicing as his will also play a part – a reformer class, or a faster more dynamic mat based session will probably involve more balancing and therefore has a higher risk of slipping than a slower more classical Pilates session.
Conclusion
My advice? If you're mainly practicing at home on carpet or a grippy mat, and you aren’t doing much standing work, you don’t really need grippy socks.
If you are doing a lot of standing work, are going to be doing that on a hard floor surface or are practicing in a studio, or using a reformer, then I highly recommend getting yourself some grippy socks. They are a fairly low investment (£10-17) and will allow you to focus on the exercise you are doing rather than worrying about keeping your feet where they should be - and /or not face planting!
If you’ve decided that you would benefit from some grippy socks, then where to start in choosing the right pair?
Make sure to choose a pair that fits fairly snugly – loose socks can be just as problematic as no grip at all, but too tight and you will feel like your feet are being chopped off!
My recommendations for grippy socks
Unless you have really hot feet and need some more air getting to them, I personally DON’T recommend the “foot” grippy socks that have elastic crossing over the top of the foot – I’ve noticed that as the sock finishes just about the heel, that they tend to slip down quite a lot as you move and I find that really irritating! I’ve also noticed other people in classes struggling to keep them on, so for that reason, I recommend ankle/ crew style grippy socks.
These are my favourites (usual disclaimer I don’t have an affiliate relationship with any of these brands, I’ve just tried a lot of pairs and don’t want you to waste money trying to find the right pair!) –
IndeRose - £12
https://shopinderose.co.uk/collections/all
I have a couple of pairs of these, and what I like to most is that they are so comfortable and quick to get on and off. The ruffle is more comfortable around the ankle than most crew versions – I have a few other pairs of grippy socks that are really tight around the ankle/ leg (and I don’t think I have fat ankles!), but these are perfect.
IndeRose ruffle socks
JellyLegz – £16.99 - £17.99
https://jellylegz.co.uk/collections/pilates-grip-socks
JellyLegz have a great range of colours and styles – crew and slouch. My personal favourite are Caramel slouch – they are gorgeous.
JellyLegz Caramel Slouch
Melisoles
Fonda Slouch Mocha - £15
https://melisoles.com/products/fonda-slouch-mocha
Melisoles, like JellyLegz also have a fabulous range of styles, colours and patterns, from crew, ruffle to slouch. My personal favourite colour is the mocha slouch (as you can tell from my favourite colour in the JellyLegz - I’m in a brown phase!).
Melisoles Fonda Slouch Mocha
