I was super happy to be part of the group that tested these products! I love compression socks and had never worn a full sock, only a calf sleeve. So I was very eager to test out the full sock.
Initial Thoughts
At a first glance I could tell that they had more features than just compression. The toes and arch were a different color, so I assumed that they did different things. The toes are made with extra material so that you can still wiggle your toes. I guess other compression socks are just as tight in the toes which can lead to discomfort and blisters. Then the arch was actually a bit tighter than the rest of the sock to give extra support. What struck me when putting them on was how easy it was. I think we know the struggle of putting on compression socks or skinny jeans, the full body workout, push and pull struggle.This was not the case at all, the socks slid up my foot and calf so easily!
The next thing I noticed was how comfortable they felt on my legs. I didn't feel like I was getting strangled by a boa constrictor (gross), the compression was what Goldilocks would agree with, just right. The idea behind Legend is that they focus on graduated compression, meaning that it's tightest around the ankles, and gets lighter as you move up your leg. This is supposed to give the best benefits to your circulatory system during and after activity. Their motto is "right not tight" look for #rightnottight on social media for what other people are saying about them.
Test Run
Now that I had spent a few hours just hanging out around the house in the compression socks (it was cold in NY when I was on vacation) it was time to actually take them on a test run. I decided to take them straight to the trails behind my house. It was a beautiful fall morning and I needed to get into the woods and enjoy. I also thought that the trails would be a great way to test the durability of the socks because of the variety of obstacles I would find. I was running up and down in elevation, jumping over fallen trees, running over uneven ground from roots and rocks, and not to mention the ground was wet with dew.
Here's what I found, my feet got pretty wet very quickly but that didn't have any affect on the socks. The foot of the socks were tight enough that even though my feet were sliding around in my shoe (I wasn't in trails shoes), I never got a blister, and my arch was very well supported. The quick feet that I needed to have to dodge all the obstacles were only enhanced by the socks. My blood was circulating very well and nothing was sore at all. Although my legs were tired running up the hill they never felt deprived, further showing the benefits to leg circulation, especially with the weather being much colder than what I'm used to running in. One of the bonuses of wearing them out in the woods was I knew that my legs would be protected from thorns and ticks.
My next test for them was to wear them on a longer run. I did this when back on Maui and in the afternoon when the sun was still out. Why I did this was to see how my legs would differ from the colder temps that I ran in while in NY. What I really noticed was that even though I had the extra layer on my legs from the socks, my legs weren't super hot. The sock are very breathable, the wind was able to get through the material to keep my legs cool and not sweltering. Also my legs were protected from the UV rays of the sun. With my pale complexion I need to apply sunblock if I'm outside for longer than 10 minutes. Being able to wear these socks that protect my legs not only saves me time from applying sunblock to my legs but it also saves me money because I don't have to use as much sunblock. Big bonuses here!!
Final Thoughts
I'm never going back to traditional compression that's so tight that it inhibits your abilities. I have to say that there was one down side to these, I only had one pair so I had to wait until I did laundry to use them again. I've since fixed this problem buy ordering a few more pairs. Use code "bibsave15" to save 15% on your order!
Join us Tuesday November 8th at 3pm HST for Legend Compression sponsored #Bibchat
Make sure to follow Legend on social media for their latest products:
IG: legendcompressionwear
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