Gear Guide: Injinji's Yoga Toesocks

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By Su Reid-St. John
When it comes to doing yoga, I get cold feet. Literally. Still, I’ve never been a fan of yoga socks. I need to use my toes during my practice, and the few pairs I’ve tried made me feel completely (and somewhat dangerously) unconnected to the mat. Enter Injinji’s new Yoga Toesocks, which promise to change my mind.

Like the name says, these socks have individual toes. They felt weird at first, but I got over that quickly. I’ve been wearing the company's workout socks for a while now, and really like the way they wick moisture away and keep my toes comfy. These new Yoga Toesocks go further, by sporting tiny gripping dots on the bottom of each foot to keep them from slipping around on the mat. They’re good for the planet, being made of a sustainable bamboo-based fiber that just happens to have antibacterial properties (bye-bye, stinky feet). Plus, they'll protect your tootsies from germs when you forget to bring your own mat to class and have to borrow one from the studio.

Wearing them isn’t all sunshine and roses, however. Those super-grippy dots I mentioned? Well, they’re so grippy that my feet kept catching on the mat during sweep-your-feet-back transitions like going from lunge to downward dog. Plus, they’re pretty darned uncomfortable to wear with shoes, so I ended up wearing a different pair to and from the studio.

Bottom line: Is having warm, happy feet to complement my yoga-induced serenity worth an occasional stubbed toe and some extra sock schlepping? You bet.

Product: Injinji Yoga Toesocks

Category: Apparel

Pros: These super-grippy socks—made of sustainable, antibacterial fibers—keep your feet firmly in-place, warm, and away from mat germs.

Cons: The gripper dots can catch on the mat, plus they don’t work well with shoes.

Cost: $16 at REI

Extra tip: Wear them for a while before trying them out in yoga class so you can get used to the weird toe feeling.