After freezing through two of my last races (barefoot running in 40°F can be a little difficult), I added Split Toe Socks from Luna Sandals to my christmas list. Santa was a little late (apparently the Elves had them back ordered), but I finally got them last week. Split Toe Socks are nothing new. They’ve been around in Japan since the sixteenth century, reaching their peak popularity during the Edo period (1600-1868). I remember seeing people wear them when I visited Kyoto a while ago. Tabi socks are traditional Japanese socks, ankle high and with a separation between the big toe and other toes. They supposedly help with the back, the spine, and the digestion due to the acupuncture meridians located between the toes. Go figure.
Split Toe Socks
Tabi Split Toe Socks
Luna Sandals imports the Tabi socks from Japan and I ordered myself the medium short ankle version. The socks are made of a poly/cotton/nylon blend and the recommended way to treat them is to hand wash and air dry. Because of the split toe, there’s an explicit right and a left sock (duh!). The fit was snug and comfortable and I could definitely feel protected from the cold. You know how painful it can be to get the toe into the right slot in a Vibram Five Fingers? This was definitely soooo much easier. I was a little concerned that the four toes might be a little squished, but was surprised at how comfortable and natural they felt.
Split Toe Socks with Luna Sandals
The best part? After putting them on, I felt like Spider Man! The little micro rubber dots at the bottom of the split toe socks act like Velcro and grasp on to the terrain like super glue. As I walked around my house with the socks, the hardwood floor felt completely sticky and there was no slippage. I took the Tabi socks for a short 5-mile run and after a couple of minutes, I completely forgot that I had socks on. They were snug, didn’t slide over the sandals, kept my toes warm and performed great. This was just a quick first run. I’m yet to wash them to see if they shrink or if the rubber dots come off, but they definitely solved my need for desperately warm feet during winter runs!
Go check out the Tabi Split Toe Socks from Luna Sandals. If you are a barefoot runner that loves to run in Huaraches, these are for you!
How do you stay warm when running with Huaraches?