Toe socks

Five separate pockets, five separate problems.

A toe sock knits an individual pocket for each toe, so skin never touches skin. That is the entire proposition: it prevents the rubbing between toes that causes blisters on long distances and moisture between toes in warm shoes.

Production is a different discipline from every other construction here. Each pocket is knitted and closed separately, so a single pair involves several times the finishing work of a plain sock, and each pocket is an opportunity to get the length wrong.

Toe length grading. A plain sock forgives a centimetre. A toe sock does not: a pocket that is too long folds under the toe and a pocket that is too short pulls the sock off the heel. Expect more size steps than you would run otherwise.

Pocket closure. How each toe is closed decides whether there is a seam against the toe tip. This is the single most commented-on detail in customer reviews of toe socks.

Length of the sock itself. Toe construction is independent of leg length: no-show, ankle and crew are all possible. Choose it as you would for any other sock in the range.

Whether it also grips. Yoga toe socks usually carry a silicone sole. Running toe socks usually do not, because grip inside a shoe stops the sock moving with the foot.