The best socks for running, according to a pro Stop making your socks an afterthought. Becky Wade Firth FacebookTwitterEmail .Geber86/Getty Images For most people, socks are an afterthought — necessary to have, but not much fun to shop for, nor easy to keep track of. For runners, though, they’re essentials, as important to get right as a pair of shorts or a sports bra. You know your socks are winners when they’re comfortable to slip on and inconspicuous while running, even in the late stages of a marathon. They also should last a good while without deteriorating — at least a year or two, depending on the mileage you put on them. Low-quality socks, on the other hand, can cause pesky problems that range from mild (like itching and overheating) to disastrous (like the blood blisters that spanned both of my arches one summer).