Team Socks -

[moteef17 7]

I don't have any direct experience the performance team socks out there.  Our youth league has always used Knit.  However, we are considering a change to the full polyester performance socks.  Between AK, SP, Bauer, Reebok, etc, are the products all very similar in terms of the structure and sizing of the sock?  For example, if I prefer a specific pattern that AK has over, say, Bauer, am I trading anything significant brand for brand?

[Neal 41]

In my experience, no.  As long as you avoid the very cheap version from Tron, they same to be very similar across the board.  Even Tron's 300 series has stood up well for me.  The polyester wicking fabric isn't patented by anyone, so any manufacturer can have their version and offer similar performance.  I have a pair from Bauer, CCM, Reebok and Tron.  The only ones I've noticed a significant difference in are the 200 Trons.  They are thinner and got holes easier.  

[IPv6Freely 2096]

Here's my opinions:

• The Trons are crap, very thin, lots of holes.
• The AK I found also really thin, but super light.
• The Reebok is "the standard" and works well enough. They tend to be really long (they go all the way up my thighs). They're so long that the velcro on the socks is nowhere near the velcro on my jock shorts. Luckily the velcro still holds them up.
• The Bauer (formerly Inaria) is slightly tighter than the Reebok, and a couple inches shorter. Maybe a little thinner but not enough to note.

Personally I prefer going to eBay and finding the pro stock version of whatever my team is wearing, mostly because they're so much more durable and honestly because you can't see my shin pads through white pro stock socks ;) No velcro though, but again the velcro on reebok socks doesn't meet the velcro on my shorts anyway.

I have everything except Tron (no reason to buy something I know is junk) if you want some comparison photos. 

[SirJW 207]

Each generation of Tron Sox have improved over the previous pair  I have owned. The first pair is still holding up  after about 40 - 60 full competition games yes they have holes and skate cuts but they are still good for beer hockey. Will you be reusing the sox each season or new for each player?

 

 

[Mattc555 22]

I've used Reebok, Tron SK300, Knit, and Bauer.  Out of all of them , I prefer the Bauer socks.  They are very durable, breathe well, and are sized just right.  YMMV

[sectachrome 40]

I have the Reeboks and like OptimusReim said, they are realllly long. Another difference between those and the Bauers are that the Reebok socks only have velcro tabs in the front whereas the Bauers have it on both sides. Ill probably get the Bauers next time.

[GunRunner 28]

I have Bauer, Reebok and Tron 300 and quite honestly they are just socks.  I would say the Bauer seems to be a little nicer than the Reebok's and it bothers me that Reebok only comes with one velcro tab sewn on the front and I had to sew the back one on.  My every day go to is the Tron 300 and for beer league they are perfect because if they get cut they cost a fraction of the others to replace.  I would say for a youth organization, Tron would be just fine and it also keeps the cost down.  The only thing is that Tron's shortest is 24" and may be to long for some youth depending on what age group.  Most won't go with Tron because they say Tron on the front and that's not cool but they work just as well as the others.  Again, they are just socks to cover shin guards.  If it was between knit and poly sock, I would go poly socks any day of the week.

[moteef17 7]

Currently AK is part of my team quote and I'm comparing it to SP and Bauer out of curiosity.  All things being close to equal, it sounds like I'm getting a good sock with the AK.  I'm actually getting SP jerseys, but for some reason the exact sock I want to match the stock jersey isn't available, so I'm opting to AK just for socks.

[GreatestAmericanBeardo 258]

4 hours ago, GunRunner said:

I have Bauer, Reebok and Tron 300 and quite honestly they are just socks.  I would say the Bauer seems to be a little nicer than the Reebok's and it bothers me that Reebok only comes with one velcro tab sewn on the front and I had to sew the back one on.  My every day go to is the Tron 300 and for beer league they are perfect because if they get cut they cost a fraction of the others to replace.  I would say for a youth organization, Tron would be just fine and it also keeps the cost down.  The only thing is that Tron's shortest is 24" and may be to long for some youth depending on what age group.  Most won't go with Tron because they say Tron on the front and that's not cool but they work just as well as the others.  Again, they are just socks to cover shin guards.  If it was between knit and poly sock, I would go poly socks any day of the week.

agreed, my Tron socks have held up pretty well for me. And i suck... i fall, slip, dive, slide, get in someones way a lot, no holes so far.  Its not like you can pull the stitching out.   i work in apparel, and the "brand" i work for, HAS to put there logo on EVERYTHING.  nothing a sharp razor and a stitch puller doesn't take of. 

 i also love the fact theres velcro tabs on the back too.  why else would they but velcro on the backs of the jocks these days anyhow?     

 

and i dropped one of my Tron socks last night while repacking my bag before the game, and i was forced to where a knit sock.  UGH i had one hot leg and one comfortable leg. Poly all the way.  i have knit socks for by boys now, but they were hand me downs.  once spring comes, i'll be getting them both poly socks.  they both get damn hot playing their hearts out.  makes for some good hockey hair tho 

[moteef17 7]

Any specific feedback on SP's performance socks - matching the SP Evolution series stock jerseys?

[IPv6Freely 2096]

5 hours ago, GunRunner said:

I have Bauer, Reebok and Tron 300 and quite honestly they are just socks.  I would say the Bauer seems to be a little nicer than the Reebok's and it bothers me that Reebok only comes with one velcro tab sewn on the front and I had to sew the back one on.  My every day go to is the Tron 300 and for beer league they are perfect because if they get cut they cost a fraction of the others to replace.  I would say for a youth organization, Tron would be just fine and it also keeps the cost down.  The only thing is that Tron's shortest is 24" and may be to long for some youth depending on what age group.  Most won't go with Tron because they say Tron on the front and that's not cool but they work just as well as the others.  Again, they are just socks to cover shin guards.  If it was between knit and poly sock, I would go poly socks any day of the week.

The issue with the Tron socks is definitely not the logo on the front (though that doesn't help). They're just very thin and rip/tear/cut easily. I completely disagree that socks are socks and they are all the same. There is absolutely a quality difference between the brands. Being cheap enough to replace when they rip helps I guess, but I'd much rather get something of higher quality that isn't so thin. 

1 hour ago, moteef17 said:

Currently AK is part of my team quote and I'm comparing it to SP and Bauer out of curiosity.  All things being close to equal, it sounds like I'm getting a good sock with the AK.  I'm actually getting SP jerseys, but for some reason the exact sock I want to match the stock jersey isn't available, so I'm opting to AK just for socks.

I did the same when I had jerseys made years ago. The jerseys were SP, the socks were AK. Though after my experience with my latest team jersey order, I'd never go back to buying stock jerseys and slapping a crappy sublimated patch on them ever again. Can get so much better for the price.

1 hour ago, moteef17 said:

Any specific feedback on SP's performance socks - matching the SP Evolution series stock jerseys?

I've never had a chance to use SP socks before, though more than happy to try. Sorry I can't help you with that! 

[start_today 773]

I actually like not having the Velcro on the back (reebok) or at all (pro-stock) on socks.  It sticks fine without it, and having to separate the two Velcro pieces puts more strain on my jock. 

Stitching around the velcro tabs is always the first thing I have to repair on jocks. 

[Chadd 916]

The RBK and Bauer socks are both high quality products, can't go wrong with either one. The K1 socks were a little different and much bigger for adult sizes, most of our adult team could have gone with the intermediate size. If you are looking to match AK and K1, make sure the colors are actually going to match. I've had problems with that in the past.