Grip socks 101: what actually makes a sock non-slip

Every grip sock claims to grip. Almost none of them tell you how much of the sole is actually covered, which is the only number that matters.

Cheap pairs place a small silicone patch under the ball of the foot and call it a day. That works for standing still. It stops working the second you slide into a lunge on a reformer carriage, because the part of your foot doing the work is your heel and your outer edge.

Coverage is only half of it. The other half is how the silicone is applied. Screen-printed grip sits on top of the knit and shears off in the wash. Raised, moulded silicone is pressed into the fabric and moves with it, which is why it survives a hundred cycles instead of four.

What to look for: coverage from heel to toe, raised dots rather than a flat print, and a cuff with enough elastane to stop the sock rotating on your foot mid-class. If the sock slides, the grip is irrelevant.