Julia Van Raalte
CEP Wintersport Compression Socks
Days Worn: 5
This past Christmas break I discovered that I have primary Lymphedema in both of my legs. This basically means that my lymph vessels are unable to drain lymph fluid properly from my legs, which causes swelling below the knee. While my case is not severe by any means, I still need to monitor and control it daily to prevent increased swelling.
During extended periods of travel where I have to be stationary for long periods of time, I am advised to use compression socks, and the result is truly amazing. I experienced no swelling on my recent twelve-hour flight to Japan, whereas I was unable to get my shoes on after my flight to New Zealand a few years ago.
I believe that compression can dramatically improve the movement of fluid in the legs, so I was curious to see how this technology would translate into a ski sock.
My uncomfortably small race boots had always required me to choose the thinnest ski socks, usually ones without any sort of padding. Too much added volume would quickly send me running to the lodge to nurse my numb and frozen toes, even though I have pretty good circulation. I became pretty picky about my socks.
As my boots packed out over the next few seasons (and I opted not to downsize again), a little more wiggle room inspired me to experiment with other socks. I still found, though, that I prefer thin socks with a little padding on the shin. Before I saw the CEP Compression Socks, I was skeptical that they would be both thin and able to provide enough compression.
Although the socks were a little difficult to put on, I found them to be extremely comfortable. The socks were snug, but not crushing, with the most compression in the foot and a gradual decrease in pressure up the calf. I was impressed how thin they were given their relative strength.
While the CEP Wintersport socks are thicker than my usual socks, they didn’t feel too bulky in my boot (granted I do have a little extra room now that my boots have packed out). There is some padding on the shin, above the heel, and on the inside and outside anklebones. Again, comfortable but not too bulky.
Luckily, I have never had too much of a problem with cold feet. On colder days, my feet will get chilly, but if I take a quick break to rewarm, they are usually good to go. I’ve experienced this with pretty much every sock, so I can’t say that the CEP Compression socks kept my feet any warmer.
I found the CEP Compression socks to be extremely comfortable and relatively thin given their intended purpose. I didn’t, however, feel that they made my feet any warmer than other socks I have worn, and I also didn’t experience a dramatic decrease in recovery time. I am not sure whether they were not tight enough to really make a difference, or the increase in movement was just too small to feel the effect.
Either way, the socks seem to be well made, and if compression technology is something you are serious about, then these could certainly be a good fit.
NEXT: Jonathan’s Take