Gear Hub: Swiftwick Flite XT Trail Socks

Long days spent in running shoes are hard on your feet in more ways than one. A comfortable and supportive sock will quickly become your best friend when the miles start to stack up. When I heard about the new Swiftwick Flite XT Trail line, I was excited to hammer out some miles and put Swiftwick’s newest socks through the paces.

The full Swiftwick Flite XT line comes loaded with features and boasts the latest in sock technology. With winter still in full swing here in the Vail Valley, I opted for the 5-inch cuff to help keep my ankles dry and happy through the wet miles ahead of me. Straight out of the packaging, the soft natural merino wool and clean graphics made it obvious that these socks were thoughtfully designed and manufactured. A moderate amount of stretch made sliding into the sock easy, and the compression contour fit hugged my feet like they were vacuum-sealed.

As runners, we spend a good amount of money taking care of our feet. So, I was happy to find that the Swiftwick Flite XT Trail fit well with all of my running shoes. They offered a stable, slip-free fit in my larger trail shoes, but the added cushion also felt comfortable and confident in my snug-fit waterproof shoes. The trademark Gripdry Fiber that wraps the heel and ball of the foot never stretched or wore out, which means my ankles and forefoot always felt secure — even on some of the icy off-camber trails I found myself on.

When it comes to something as important to my running as socks, I like to make sure I put every new piece of gear through rigorous testing. My first few runs in the socks were sweaty treadmill workouts in a poorly ventilated gym. I also took the Swiftwick Flite XT Trail for a dozen cold and wet miles around Eagle County before heading out to San Diego for some proper warm weather trail running. It did not seem to matter if I was on snow, ice, treadmill or a dusty California trail; the Flite XT Trail was amazing when it came to managing temperature and moisture. My feet were cold or sweaty, and they showed no signs of blistering (even on longer runs).

After a lot of miles and a couple of laundry cycles, the Swiftwick Flite XT Trail is still holding its form. The graphics are still sharp and there is no sign of wear around the seams. The contoured fit is still as snug as the first time I stepped into them. Even when I didn’t wash the socks between the first few runs, I always came back to a dry fit and never found my gym bag with that lingering smell of sweaty feet.

No matter the conditions or the goal, I will always be happy to reach for the Swiftwick Flite TX Trail to keep me comfortable on my next run.

swiftwick.com | $15.99 - $19.19

Photos by Logan Ross.