Travel Socks
If you’ve ever done very much traveling where you had to sit for hours on end, then you absolutely must check out travel socks.
I used to travel quite a bit, making a trip to the other side of the world every few years. When I was younger, it never bothered me. Sure, 24 hours en route (counting stop-overs, plane changes, etc.) and then arriving at my destination in the middle of the day when I needed sleep were a rough adjustment, but the excitement of the trip more than made up for it.
But on my last trip I encountered something that had never happened before. Everything about the trip was the same … same departure and arrival cities, same basic flight schedule, same economy class seat … there was no reason to expect anything to be different.
But when I arrived at my destination and was getting ready to put my shoes back on, I gasped! My feet and ankles had swollen! While I was able to put my tennis shoes back on, I could hardly tie them. I was appalled, amazed, aghast. What had caused this phenomenon?
Probably even worse than the fact that my feet swelled up was the fact that it took at least 3 days for them to go back to normal … three days of feeling overly self-conscious about my fat feet and ankles and having trouble getting into my shoes. I determined that would not happen again.
So before taking my next international trip, I decided I needed to do some research and see what I could do to keep this from happening again. While my condition was probably not as drastic as what is commonly referred to as “Cankles,” the swelling of feet is not something I would wish on anyone. While they didn’t hurt, it was incredibly embarrassing.
My research turned up something I feel is worth trying on my next trip … travel socks. The name is somewhat innocuous but the benefits look to be exactly what I was searching for. They are not only terrific for the actual traveling but also perfect for people who have limited space to pack clothes. Here’s what I found.
There are several brands of socks but the premise is basically the same. These socks have graduated compression which stimulates blood flow and that in turn reduces swelling in your legs and feet. Poor circulation is what had caused my swelling so this feature would have been perfect for my situation.
Because your blood circulation level is higher, your energy level is also higher which means you can arrive at your destination less tired and more energetic … perfect for those flights that have you arriving early in the day so you can hit the ground running.
These socks are designed to help in the prevention of Deep Vein Thrombosis (or DVT) which commonly affects the leg veins. While this is not always a serious condition, blood clots are a serious complication which results in a medical emergency that has a 3% chance of death. One of the factors increasing a person’s risk of developing DVT is sitting for long periods of time on an airplane … or what is also referred to as “economy class syndrome.”
Lightweight and made of fibers that stretch for comfort, airline travel socks are easy to put on and take off, not as confining as many medical compression socks are such as those designed for diabetics. They are, however, for the most part medically approved for those with mild varicose veins as well as to relieve tired, aching and swollen legs. They also are breathable which is great for when you have to wear socks for hours on end.
Since I liked what I saw in what the manufacturers had to say about their socks, I knew I needed to check out what actual consumers had to say. Again I was impressed.
For the most part, everyone liked the socks. The comments ranged from “awesome for travel” to “as good as they claim” to “pleased with the comfort of the socks.” The comment that really sold me was the guy who talked about 26 hours of flying time on a 30-hour trip where he still felt good at the end. I’m all too familiar with those trips and how tired you can be when you arrive.
There were a couple of negative comments although none that would prevent me from trying these out. One person indicated the brand they had chosen seemed itchy and another reviewer stated that the ones he had bought were a little too thin for serious walking.
The buyers also indicated that the socks had been perfect for just about any situation. From the actual flight to running around town sightseeing and even for hiking in the jungle. With a variety of basic colors to choose from such as white, cream, beige, navy, and black, the style of the socks were also ideal for casual wear of all kinds. And since the socks are not bulky and several brands indicate they can be washed and will hang dry by morning, several pairs of these would easily replace the 7 – 10 pairs of cotton socks I would normally take on a long trip.
All in all the consumer reviews averaged 4+ out of 5 stars so I will likely give these a try on my next trip. I had never heard of travel socks so now that I know they exist, I’m ready to take one of those horrible long plane trips … just to see how well they work! Or maybe I’ll just get them for the next cross-country drive to visit family.
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