Best Tennis Socks
The best socks deliver optimal comfort while protecting your feet from the harsh impact they experience playing tennis.
The following socks are a selection that I’ve tested that meet those criteria and my thoughts on their performance.
Thorlos TX Max Cushion Crew
Thorlos stand out from the crowd with some of the highest quality and most comfortable athletic socks available.
I’ve tried a handful for tennis, and my favorite is their TX Max Cushion, which is available in crew, ankle, and low-cut styles.
These socks are ultra-thick and provide exceptional coverage around the toes and on both sides of your forefoot to protect your feet during abrupt lateral movements and quick starts and stops.
At the heels, you’ll also find extra cushion for impact resistance and added protection at the back of your heel and Achilles. As far as feel, they’re super soft and provide a secure fit.
If your feet are often sore after playing tennis, I’d start with these. They’re an excellent option for maximum comfort.
Materials
- 85% THOR•LON® Acrylic
- 12% nylon
- 3% elastic
Nike Elite Crew
A more expensive option from Nike, their Elite Crew socks are well worth the extra expense and are one of my favorites. Although marketed for basketball, I find they work super well for tennis.
The Nike Elite Crew delivers targeted cushion for your toes and heels, but they’re on the lighter side, especially when compared to a sock like Thorlos TX Max. I’m also a fan of their Dri-Fit technology, which these socks use for excellent moisture control.
These socks also feature a dynamic arch band that wraps your foot and responds to your movements for optimal feel and a locked-in fit, and they come explicitly labeled for your left and right foot.
My favorite part about these socks is their feel, which Nike achieves by blending polyester, nylon, cotton, and spandex. If you’re okay with a sock that’s on the thinner side, these are worth checking out.
Materials
- 61% polyester
- 20% nylon
- 17% cotton
- 2% spandex
adidas Alphaskin Max Cushion Crew
Like Nike’s Elite Crew socks, adidas promotes its Alphaskin Max Cushion primarily as a sock for basketball, but they’re also excellent for tennis.
Alphaskin limits unnecessary seams for maximum comfort and contours closely to your skin for a snug fit, which feels great. These socks also integrate Climacool to help prevent overheating and keep your feet dry.
If you’ve ever worn crew socks, you’re likely familiar with the annoyance when they start to droop down as they stretch out. These hold up better than any others I’ve tried with anti-slip yarn at the cuff, which helps the socks stay put and is one of my favorite parts about them.
For a close fit that matches the unique contours of both feet, adidas designs its Alphaskin Max Cushion socks with a left and right, so you get the best fit every time you wear them.
Overall, I find these to perform very similar to Nike’s Elite socks. They’re a bit thinner, but they provide adequate cushion and quality all-around performance that I find works great for tennis.
Materials
- 36% polyester
- 29% acrylic
- 26% nylon
- 6% natural latex rubber
- 3% elastane
New Balance Performance Crew
The New Balance Performance Crew is a quality tennis sock that offers moderate cushion and solid all-around performance at an affordable cost.
I especially like these socks for their comfort. They’re generous throughout, with added cushion at the heel to prevent premature wear, and their polyester and spandex material makes for a great feel.
Regarding moisture control, the New Balance Performance Crew socks are solid and hard to beat for the price. These are an excellent option for those looking to wear two pairs of socks as they’re not too bulky.
Materials
Nike Everyday Cushioned Crew
These are a decent backup option if you’re considering the Nike Elite Crew socks but can’t quite get over the price.
However, it’s important to note that they have a different feel because cotton is their primary material compared to the Nike Elite’s, which features more stretchy polyester.
They offer mid-ranged comfort, incorporate Nike’s Dri Fit technology to help keep your feet dry, and a band that wraps your foot to help maintain a secure fit to deliver well-rounded performance at a reasonable price.
Because they’re thinner, I find these are a solid option if you’re looking to test out wearing two socks.
Materials
- 61-67% cotton
- 30-36% polyester
- 2% spandex
- 1% nylon
Bombas Performance Tennis Crew
When it comes to socks with rich features, the team at Bombas has thought of every last detail. The Performance Tennis Crew is a premium midweight sock built to handle the rigor of tennis.
These socks offer strategic cushioning at key zones, including the toes, forefoot, and heel. There’s even a blister-preventing tab around the heel, and the Hex Tec fabric ensures the socks are breathable and wick sweat to keep your feet dry.
The toes are seamless for comfort, a honeycomb arch support system wraps the midfoot, the heel is y-stitched for maximum comfort, and their stay-up technology prevents the socks from falling. Finally, you’ll find each pair is contoured specifically for your left and right foot.
As a bonus, Bobmbas is on a mission to give back, providing a free pair of socks to those in need when you purchase yours. To date, they’ve donated over 50 million clothing items.
As far as performance, these socks are excellent and one of the more comfortable pairs I’ve worn with an ideal weight that feels right. I’ve found them to be super durable, and their 100% Happiness Guarantee is one of the best in the business. If you run into any issues with your socks, get in touch, and they’ll be happy to help out, which is refreshing.
Materials
- 60% Polyester
- 22% Nylon
- 15% Cotton
- 3% Spandex
Feetures High-Performance Cushion Crew
Another premium offering, the Features High-Performance Cushion Crew, is one of the company’s best socks and their original design.
High-density cushioning delivers extra comfort and protection for the heel, forefoot, and toes, crucial for a quality tennis sock.
For comfort, there’s no irritating toe seam, the top of the sock is mesh for maximum ventilation, and iWick fibers help keep your feet cool and dry without sacrificing durability. You’ll also find the socks provide a bit of added support and a snug fit with Lycra power bands that hug your foot.
I found Feetures High-Performance Cushion crew to be one of the better-ventilated socks, which provides excellent support that’s a cut above the rest on this list, giving them a custom feel. Their well-rounded performance and excellent feel make them one of the best for tennis.
Plus, Feetures socks come with a lifetime guarantee, so if you run into any problems, they’re more than happy to help out. Considering you’re buying a premium sock, it’s nice to know they stand behind their product.
Materials
- 72% Polyester
- 25% Nylon
- 3% Spandex
Fitsock CF2 Crew
Another brand you should check out that’s not designed explicitly for tennis, but that works well for the sport is Fitsock.
My favorite is their CF2 Crew which uses Shadow Yarn to disperse moisture and heat throughout the sock for the lowest possible concentration, resulting in thermal balance for comfort.
As you’d expect, these socks offer comfort in high-wear areas, ventilation to keep your feet dry and cool, and a support band through the mid-foot for a snug fit that feels great.
I found these socks to perform well, and they do an exceptional job at keeping my feet cool and dry. Beyond that, they don’t stand out in any area, but they don’t disappoint either.
Overall, these are well-balanced socks, and their Shadow Yarn, which uses hydrotech polyester, is one of the more unique offerings.
Materials
- 78%Hydrotec Polyester
- 20%Nylon
- 2%Spandex
Lasso Performance Compression
If you’ve never tried compression socks for tennis and want to try them, I recommend you start with Lasso.
Most tennis players interested in compression socks are exploring their options for adding additional support for their feet and ankles without the bulk of ankle braces or the need for taping, which can be frustrating.
Lasso fills that gap with their Performance Compression socks, which hug your feet with 15-20 mmHg of compression that delivers a range of benefits, most notably ankle, foot, and arch support.
Added benefits of compression include reduced muscle fatigue and soreness and faster muscle recovery. Like other quality socks on our list, Lasson’s offers plenty of cushion in high-impact areas and moisture-wicking fabric to keep your feet cool and dry.
I hadn’t explicitly needed compression socks, but I purchased a pair of Lasso’s because I wanted to experience compression first-hand. Their compression is ideal and offers added support without feeling restrictive.
Their unique feel takes some getting used to, but they’re surprisingly comfortable. Playing most of my tennis on hard courts, where your feet can take a beating, I found them to provide relief where others don’t, and their support is easiest to notice once you return to standard pair.
At this stage, I wear them anytime my feet are feeling extra fatigue to provide additional support. I’ll also throw them on for a few hours at home after playing sometimes and find my feet feel better the next day.
Although I’m not dealing with a recurring injury or chronic foot pain, I can see the benefits from using them, and I think they’re well worth a look if you’re struggling with discomfort yourself.
Materials
- 62% Polyamide
- 29% Tempcontrol™ Polyester
- 9% Lycra Spandex
Cuater Baja Performance Crew
Cuater is a TravisMathew’s brand, which caters primarily to men and has strong ties to golf, but their athletic socks crossover nicely to tennis.
My favorites among their range are the Baja Performance Crew, a stylish option that checks all the right boxes.
Like other socks on our list, they feature added cushioning at the toes and heel to help improve comfort. The socks also have breathable panels on top of the foot to help keep your feet dry, anti-microbial details to reduce odor, and an elastic arch to provide extra support and a secure fit.
The socks are super comfortable and durable, so they last, although they’re on the pricier end of the spectrum. The cushion is moderate, so they’re not too thin or overly plush. Overall, they’re another quality option providing additional style options for the court.
Materials
- 89% Polyester
- 6% Nylon
- 5% Spandex
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