At boutique studios across London, from 1Rebel to Barrecore, grip socks are an essential part of your Pilates, barre or yoga practice.
These specialty socks feature grip panels on the soles to add stability to your workouts, whether you’re at home or at the gym. Whether you’re saluting the sun, switching springs on the reformer, or feeling that whole-body burn as you pretend to be your best ballerina, you need more focus and less distraction than slippery feet.
“Grip socks not only support your feet, but they also provide a firm grip on the reformer to prevent your foot from slipping during exercises that require balance and control,” explains Natalie Barrett, a Pilates instructor at CoreLDN. “When performing standing exercises, the grip of the socks ensures that your stabilizing foot does not slip and remains in contact with the smooth surface of the dolly, platform, or floor, depending on the exercise you are performing.”
She adds, “For hygiene reasons, studios often require you to wear grip socks rather than going barefoot, preventing direct skin contact with shared equipment and keeping the reformer and studio clean and sweat-free.”
“Of course!” the Pilates expert emphasizes. “They’re comfortable and non-slip, especially for those hard, sweaty classes. There are so many brands and designs to choose from; my favorites are from Pointe Studio and Socks and Sass.”
In short, yes, she says, “I highly recommend these shoes to keep your feet in the correct position safely while doing movements like lunges and side splits on the reformer.”
Are Grip Socks Good for Running?
It’s not just low-intensity training that benefits from grip socks: performance socks are becoming increasingly popular, supporting the feet during any run or race, be it running, football or aerobic exercise. This is because they have cushioning in pressure points, a breathable construction and keep the foot locked in your trainers or boots.
Barrett agrees, explaining: “Grip socks have become extremely popular among runners and soccer players as they keep the foot firmly in the shoe, preventing friction and therefore blisters.”
Grip socks come in a variety of styles, from ankle length to crew socks, and in a variety of bright colors.
Perfect your plié with the best grip socks
