Bridgedale Lightweight T2 Merino Sport Socks Review

Like the majority of endurance trail runners I've always worn Injinji toe socks. They are comfy over distance, prevent blisters and keep my feet happy...for the most part.

I've also always experienced this rubbing on the medial side of my big toes due to the way I over pronate. It's quite painful, especially during a route with lots of descending, and tends to take a few days to heal. Not ideal for the upcoming 100 mile mountain run 🫣

I've come to the realisation that it's the Injinjis that are exacerbating this: a combination of how they spread your toes, thus pushing your big toe closer to the edge of the shoe's side wall, and relatively thin padding that is unable to mitigate the impact.

That, combined with the frankly poor durability of Injinjis (all of mine develop at least one hole after around than 200k usage), means I've been looking for something better for a while now.

Enter the Bridgedales

Fellow ultra runner & Running Punk Chris Jones lead me to Bridgedale, who have a range of trail running socks that reviewed well. They also come in my size and can be found in Go Outdoors (buy one get one half price too making them a bit of a bargain)

These are the two I went for:

• Men's Lightweight T2 Merino Sport 3/4 Crew | Bridgedale
• Men's Ultra Light T2 Merino Sport 3/4 Crew | Bridgedale

After taking the lightweights out on a few test runs, including a hilly 21 miler round the Mendips, I can confirm they are a GAME CHANGER. I appreciate I'm talking about socks here, but I mean it when I say they've vastly improved long runs for me.

Design

Their T2 lightweight and ultra light models are very similar, with the main difference being the amount of padding.

The heel and toes are well cushioned, along with a line of lighter padding for the metatarsals and ankle bone. The rest of the sock is a thinner breathable mesh.

Above the toe box there's a vent that runs across the back of the toes to help with breathability.

They aren't compression socks, instead having some zones that are more close fitting. It means they don't feel constrictive, more supportive.

The merino model dries very fast, it doesn't hold onto water so trucking through puddles is all good.

The lightweights feel like all weather socks and are my favourite of the two. I think on especially hot days they'd feel a little too padded, but the cushioning for distance is worth it. The ultra lights are more of a 3 season sock yet still have good padding in the toes.

Running in Them

Since getting them these are the only thing I've worn for trail runs. I tend to use the ultra lights for weekday training, and the lightweights for the long runs.

In terms of the big toe rubbing it's been completely mitigated for me, which makes long runs all the more comfortable. The level of padding is great, yet they don't feel excessive or like they are filling the shoes too much due to the mesh between the pads.

As they aren't toe socks I have been using anti chafe between my toes to reduce the risk of blistering. This Life Jacket bar is a current favourite for ease of application (they've recently become a sponsor of Threshold too, the folks behind Race To The Stones).

The only issue I've had so far is the vent across the top of the toes rubbed a little on the edge of my fourth toe on one of the runs. Anti chafe on that spot stopped it.

Going Forward

So yeah, big thank you to Chris for the recommendation. Socks in my size are rare, and ones that do the job well even rarer.

The lightweights ones will be my race day pick, with a backup pair and the ultralights in the drop bag for mid way changes.

Update July 2024

I ran my first 100 mile race in the Bridgedale Lightweight socks reviewed above, getting through 2 pairs (changed at 56 miles) over the course of the run.

They performed admirably, wicking away moisture and protecting my feet, both underfoot and over the toes.

The main issue I found with them is that they are quite bulky, and lead to my feet sweating more in the summer heat than I'd like, and ultimating creating a few blisters.

For future runs I've switched to the Ultra Light versions: giving me a lot more room in the shoe, sacrificing a little padding.