MSR Comp Soxx

MSR
Comp Soxx
Knee brace and knee pad straps rub my knees raw. Somehow the scratchy side of the hook-and-loop strips always seem to find my skin. For a while I was running Asterisk Cell Undersleeves with everything, then these MSR Comp Soxx caught my eye. They combine a soft sock for your feet and a thin sleeve to protect the skin on your leg all the way up to your thigh. What really stood out from the first time I slipped these on was how comfortable they were. The acrylic-fiber sock portion is thin and comfortable and almost "slick" feeling-in a breezy, cool way. It feels much nicer than a thick cotton riding sock. The sock gives way just a bit above the ankle to a very thin poly-spandex sleeve that vents great. The setup feels much cooler than a tall cotton sock, and the sleeve perfectly protects from pad and brace irritation. The poly-spandex can be slightly "catchy" of the hook-and-loop strips, making putting on and taking off braces slightly annoying, but nowhere near as annoying as having torn-up knees from a ride. The socks are holding up well and feel comfortable for short motos at the track, long days on the trail and even a two-plus-hour GNCC in brand-new boots. At $25.95, they're more pricey than regular socks, until you factor in the cost of Band-Aids. -Pete Peterson