Vitalsox Italy, Patented Graduated Compression Circulation Socks, Silver Drysat Series, VT1211 Pairs

I’ve purchased (spent half a fortune) many brands of socks this year and have documented the following virtues and drawbacks of my purchases in attempt to allow you, the consumer, to have an easier time than me navigating the sea of compression sock choices. Note that some are dress socks (best for dress shoes) and others are sports socks (sneakers or any sports related shoes cleats etc.). You could certainly wear the sports socks in a business casual work environment.A bit of background:I wear nothing but compression socks now and forever as recommended by my doctor after getting a Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) (blood clot in leg vein) earlier this year. If you have leg circulation issues (Do your legs fall asleep when sitting on a bench for awhile?) (Are your feet/toes constantly cold?), you may want to wear compression socks too.My father always wore “support” socks for work, (which is basically the same thing we call compression socks nowadays) to reduces leg/muscle fatigue. That’s why athletes also wear compression gear. As far as I’m aware there are no negatives to wearing compression socks so consider wearing them just for comfort. (Disclaimer: I am not a doctor so check with one if you have concerns).On to the reviews:Gold Toe Men's Firm Compression Support Over the Calf Dress Sock, Black, Medium ($13.50 Prime)Quality compression sock (Top quality like all Gold Toe socks)Excellent compressionThin dress sock (made for a dress shoe)True knee-high sockStays up nicely and doesn’t dig in at topPerfect quality after several washesBest quality for the price that I have foundFytto Style 1067 Men's Comfy Travel and Dress Compression Socks, 15-20mmHg, Knee High, Large, Black ($12.60 Prime)Similar to Gold Toe but one notch down in qualityNot quite as nice feel as Gold Toe (closer to ladies nylon feel than men’s dress sock)Shows some wear after several washesLess compression than others (15-20mmHg instead of 20-30mmHg like most others on this review list)2nd best quality for the price that I have found(2 products with same review)Futuro Restoring Dress Socks for Men, Black, Large, Firm (20-30 mm/Hg) ($11.49 Prime - also sold @ Wal Mart)Austin House Flight Socks (Large) (~$12 inc shipping)Cheap compression dress socks (Futuro sold @ Wal Mart)Basically thick ladies nylons (not so nice)Slippery in shoe (nylon)Decent compressionTrue knee-high sockStays up reasonably well (falls only a few times a day)Digs in a bit at top band of sock (helps sock fall down less but can be uncomfortable)Quality fades after several washesTerramed Organic Cotton Graduated compression Men's Socks Dress Travel Performance Stockings (20-30 mmHg) (X-Large, White) ($24.99 Prime)Nice soft cotton feel (they are indeed cotton).Good compression.Thin sock (but not too thin)Runs small – buy the next size up. (I purchased M or L for all other brands but XL for Terramed – based on other accurate reviews that these socks run quite small)Constantly fall down - Not Knee high - Too short for me (and I’m not tall only 5’8”) – Even though XL size, sock doesn’t fully rise past calf therefore are constantly falling down to my ankles.After a few washes, they seem to have lost some of their elasticity and fall down even more now.Overall – Great feel but based on socks constantly falling to ankles, I will attempt to return these socks. They need to be taller and need to somehow figure out how to make elasticity last longer (maybe a couple % less cotton and more spandex)Vitalsox Patented Performance Graduated Compression Socks, White, Large ($17.29 - $33 Prime depending on color (white is $20.21)(Seems to be very similar to Travelsox and Eurosocks brands found on Amazon)Sports style (a bit thicker than dress sock and much more cotton-like feel)7 color choices – even purple if that’s your thing!Italian made (ooh ahh)Excellent qualityExcellent compressionSoft feel (close to cotton feel)Stays up nicelyQuality holds after several washesI highly recommend (for sport style socks)Jobst Compression Socks – Rolls Royce of compression socks… get them if you can afford to! Too many varieties and links so just search for them by name.A note on Jobst – These are the compression socks that you get at medical supply stores and range from low compression to crazy high medical compression. Jobst socks are very expensive but worth it especially if you can get medical insurance reimbursement (Doctors orders). (Price ranges from $26-$75 depending on variety)Jobst “Relief” socks are not the same quality as Jobst “Medical” socks and cost half as much but are just fine if you can’t get insurance reimbursement.Great compressionRelief socks feel much more like thick ladies nylons than Medical, which feels like a fancy dress sock.Available in wide variety (thigh high, knee high, open or closed toe)I prefer the open toe, knee high Medical sock and I wear a standard sock over them.For long flights, I ONLY use my Jobst socks.I’ve washed my Jobst socks several times and they still appear to be new indicating they might last forever!Jobst also makes a thick cotton-like sports sock called “ActiveWear”. These are fantastic socks as well but note that they are much thicker than other sports style compression socks. If you want thinner sports style socks then go with Vitalsox/Eurosocks.Bottom line: The Jobst are without a doubt the best but crazy expensive so I only have a few of them and ALWAYS wear them on flights. I use Gold Toe as my standard socks for work, and Vitalsox/Jobst sport socks for weekends. I don’t plan to purchase any more Fytto, Futuro or Austin House socks. Feel free to throw a comment back to me if you know of any other quality brands that I should try.

This is a long story with a happy ending.I have been experiencing swelling in my lower legs that would increase during the day. My doctor advised me that I should be wearing compression socks to prevent more serious swelling. I was resisting due to silly vanity. My daughter gave me a pair of Endurance Shield 360 compression socks and said “try these, they are the best”. I tried them and they were OK, but I didn’t believe they were the best. I had to do my own experiment.I went to Amazon and saw hundreds of choices. They all sound the same, look similar, and all have a mixture of reviews. I picked four brands and bought one of each (in black) to try for myself. It took a while, but the results are in and we have a winner! My daughter was right: the Endurance Shield 360 socks are the best. (I just wish they had some colors other than black.) We can all use a little splash of color in our lives sometimes.Here are the details of all the competitors in order of my ranking from best to last.1.) Endurance Shield 360 – They are very easy to put on and take off. Good smooth compression graduated up the calf. Smooth transition from sock to skin at the top, so no constriction at the top. They came up to just the right spot on my leg and stayed up on my leg well without any falling down. There is substantial fabric in the foot area that provided good cushioning. I did have to pay attention the right and left, but they are labeled ‘R’ and ‘L’, so it was easy. It would be nice if they were available in colors other than black. I have ordered several additional pairs.2.) Vitalsox VT1211 Graduated Compression – These are a close second. They were a little more difficult to put on, but felt good once in place. They have a band at the top that looks like it would constrict and cut off circulation, but magically do not do that. The band turns into a very good transition from the compression to my skin at the top. They came up to just the right spot on my leg and stayed up on my leg well without any falling down. They have a shiny reflective texture in the calf that is a bit different from all the others. They do come in a rainbow of colors and I have ordered a pair in blue to try.3.) MoJo Elite Recovery & Performance Compression Socks – These are a very close third. They are a little more difficult to put on than the Endurance Shield 360 and do not do as good a job of transitioning from the sock to my skin at the top. They do come in many colors and I have ordered a pair in blue to try.4.) Go2 Compression Socks – These were too short and left a mark on my leg where they were constricting at the top. They were difficult to put on. I am in the process of returning them.5.) Blitzu Power Performance Sport Running Socks – These were the most difficult to put on. They were very short. The band on the top really cut into my leg and restricted circulation. I am in the process on returning them.They all stayed up on my legs and did not sag or fall down during movement. They all provided relief from the swelling that used to occur. Many of my friends noticed that I was wearing something different and asked about it.It has taken a couple of weeks to try all these socks and over that time I am glad that I submitted to the wishes of my family and doctor. The swelling is greatly reduced and I feel great. Health is more important than fashion.

There is little if any compression...I am a distance runner and bought these for the compression, not because I needed gym socks. I would return them but I can not find the package they came in. I tired them on and have not even worn them. Money wasted. I bought these based on Amazon reviews....I am assuming that the previous purchasers either have never had real compression socks or are not running in them. I was trying to not pay $30+ a pair for compression socks but you obviously get what you pay for.

I purchased these socks because I had recently started nursing school 4 months ago and I'm on my feet all day running around or sometimes just standing for long periods of time helping with charting. I noticed one of the nurses reach down and itch her leg and noticed that she had these compression sock on. I decided that I would give it a shot. Pro:Great material, these are now a month old and no signs of real wear and tear, I thought that I might as well use them for hikes and really give them the test and they had kept my feet relativity dry (I understand some people feet sweat more than other, I took two pairs for that reason), but no unwanted hot spots or blisters with these. The keep there elasticity well, I have purchased a similar pair and was let down because in the matter of three uses they stopped staying up on my leg, these have lasted and don't look like they are going to let me down any time soon. Con: for the first time, I really don't have one right now but If I have a complaint I will be back on here and extend this review. Hope this helps and thanks.

I ordered these socks in a size small as the sizing chart said small for women sizes 6.5-8.5 when they arrived they were actually for size 3-5. I am a 7 so no use to me. The seller however was very quick to help and sent me out another pair in the correct size. And they fit well, although a little long but I roll them over at the knee, I'm 5ft 9. Would buy again. Amazon need to adjust the sizing chart to prevent this happening again.

I love these socks - I usually wear them after a workout or a long run, and they've done wonders for my lower legs, especially where I used to have pain when I stayed in one position for too long, even after stretching post-exercise.They're not too difficult to get on, unlike another pair I have, and I find them very comfortable. and the colour is nice :)

I bought these compression socks while on Holiday (family brought them across to Asia). The outbound journey (without these socks) was 55 hours of flights/airports and my legs felt like absolute tree trunks after that. I was in agony for 3 days while my body recovered. On the return journey, I had the socks and wore them for the same, long journey (I bought several pairs, so I changed my socks at a mid-way hub). I got home and felt perfect. No discomfort, no pain. Aside from the jetlag, I could've almost believed I hadn't just had such a long journey.

Good length, stayed up all day which many don't. I'm 6ft tall and not thin legged but these fit perfectly.

Too small around the calf mussel. I do not have fat legs or large feet therefore surprised that the large size would not fit. The quality of the sock looked OK