These Next-Gen Socks Promise To Make Post-Workout Leg and Foot Pain a Thing of the Past

As far as “exciting clothing” goes, socks are generally dead last on the list. After all, there’s nothing particularly wow-worthy about a piece of fabric that no one sees and serves the sole (ha, get it?) purpose of soaking up your foot sweat. But thanks to a new-to-market pair of smartened-up socks from Vive Wear—a brand known for its medical-grade compression socks—the oft-overlooked category now finally gets a chance to shine. Or, more specifically, spark. 

It’s rare to find a pair of socks that function just as well during your workouts as they do shoved into a pair of fancy high-heeled boots, but Vive Wear’s Exum Crew Socks ($24) are built with tech that makes them an ideal fit for literally any situation. They’re touted as “the first high-performance sock that includes built-in electrical stimulation capabilities to promote circulation,” and are designed with super-science-y fibers that keep your feet feeling good… and keep them from stinking no matter how sweaty you get.

“The socks are made with nano-silver copper triangles that are spaced slightly away from each other, and when your bodily fluids [aka sweat] connect the metals, it generates an electric current,” says Marcus Duda, MD, a North Carolina-based orthopedic surgeon who works with the brand. “This micro-current kills bacteria, decreases inflammation, and stimulates healing, which means it’s knocking out stinky socks while energizing your feet and legs.” The current’s charge is super light, so you won’t get any sort of jolting feeling when you wear the socks, but they’ll be working whether you realize it or not.

Because they’re knit with alpaca wool (which, by the way, is incredibly comfy and cozy), the socks have next-level sweat wicking abilities that help regulate the temperature of your feet. “Thanks to the natural fibers, if you’re sweating in the wintertime, the socks will wick away the sweat while also keeping your feet from getting cold,” says Dr. Duda. “And in the summer, they will wick away most of the moisture but leave a thin layer that gives you a sort of convection cooling.” And of course, less foot sweat also helps do away with foot stink… even during boot season.

The Vive Wear socks also come with three different levels of compression—which keeps your feet from swelling and can boost your microcirculation up to 40 percent—making them A++ for wearing during a workout or simply while you’re working from home. “The compression in the socks keeps the muscles in your legs from jiggling during a workout, and that decreases the fatigue in your legs so that they feel more refreshed after a workout,” says Dr. Duda. “And if you’re sitting at your desk wearing compression socks, your legs are going to feel better at the end of the day because they’ll improve circulation and you won’t have all that swelling.”

If ever a sock purchase was going to be deemed “exciting,” this one is unequivocally it. 

Vive Wear Exum Crew Sock, $24

Shop now: Vive Wear Exum Crew Sock ($24)