Thermo-physiological comfort and frictional characteristics of running socks in different moisture conditions

During prolonged walking and running, the plantar aspect of the foot is subjected to repetitive pressure and cycles of shearing, along with high levels of moisture due to perspiration and heat. The combination of all these elements not only affects comfort, but also provides an ideal condition for friction blister formation. The current study explored the physical properties of a predominantly nylon anti-blister sock and a cotton-rich sock along with their characteristics relevant to thermo-physiological comfort. The anti-blister fabric exhibited a slightly higher sliding friction than the cotton-rich fabric in dry condition. However, in the presence of moisture, the anti-blister fabric produced lower sliding friction than the cotton-rich fabric-which could be attributed to the low water vapour resistance and good one-way transport ability of anti-blister fabric. It is hoped that these results could be used to inform the actual frictional performance of the socks in different moisture settings, taking into account the propensity for sweating to occur.