Should I wear socks in a triathlon?
Good question and one we often get asked in our Sported.ae Showroom. The answer pretty much comes down to whether you are chasing a podium place or a qualification slot or you are just out to finish the race and enjoy the event. If you fall into the latter category then you may want to put socks on whilst you are in T1.
Which socks should I wear? This comes down to personal preferences and what has been practiced with in training.
For those looking for slick transitions and fast times the quickest option is not to wear socks at all. Exit the swim into T1, get straight into your bike shoes and get down the road. By the time the bike leg is completed and it's time for T2, the feet should have dried out. For most distances up to and including Olympic / Standard distance valuable seconds will be saved by forgoing putting on socks. Most podium seekers will tolerate the discomfort of a blister over the shorter run distances.
However, when the distances increase the calculations change. For most age-groupers the challenge is to complete the half ironman or full ironman as comfortably as possible. Therefore, putting socks on in T1 is an option, especially for the full distance. For the half distance precious seconds can be saved by not trying to put dry socks onto wet feet. Feet will dry out during the duration of the bike leg and run socks can be put on during T2.
It is worth mentioning that in the last few years "aero socks" have been developed for the bike that have been proven to reduce aerodynamic drag and save watts over the duration of a 90km or 180km bike leg. This has been extended to aero calf sleeves such as the EZ Gains calf sleeves that have been wind tunnel tested. Test results show significant gain of 5.5 watts.
| Event Distance | Bike | Run |
| Super Sprint | No | No |
| Sprint | No | No |
| Olympic or Standard | No | No/ Optional |
| Half Ironman, 70.3 / Middle Distance | No / Optional / Aero socks / Aero calf sleeves | Yes |
| Full Ironman / Long course | Optional / Aero socks/ Aero calf sleeves | Yes |
It should be noted that under current IronMan rules it is not permitted to wear any clothing item below the knee or elbow during the swim if the use of wetsuits is prohibited.
Wearing socks comes down to personal choices. For short distances it should be possible not to wear socks at all. As we step up to the longer events then comfort becomes more important.
By David Hunt certified TriSutto coach