Triathlons with or without socks? (Page 2)

I race sockless at all distances including full IM.  I also ran my 1 and only open marathon sockless.  All without issues.

It is critical that you use a shoe that is designed to go sockless (Zoot, KSwiss, etc).  And practice in training.

I know you said you have a pair of Zoots.  I run in Zoots and only Zoots, and as mentioned before, I have no issues with these shoes (Zoot Ultra Kane).  I would be interested in which model you have because the original Zoot Ultra TT (I believe) caused rubbing on the back of the heel for many people and Zoot redesigned them rather quickly.

Back in November, I won my age group in a small race by 9 seconds.  With only 5 people in my age group, only the winner met the Top 10% criteria for qualifying for USAT Nationals.  So I qualified and am going to USAT Olympic Nationals in Milwaukee in August!!!!!!!!!!

Have done all my tri's without socks-Sprint to 70.3. Have also ran 2-hm and 1-full marathon without socks. Went sockless on the weekends(yardwork, lake time etc) in some old running shoes to get used to it.

I always race in Adidas Bostons--but dont think it matters which shoe you wear its about getting your feet used to it.

Again, the fact that you ran sockless and got blisters did NOT cause everything else.  The FACT that you did not do what was appropriate after the blisters is what caused the injury.

I don't assume I know more than others.  I assume that a blister does not lead to a calf strain when deal with appropriately.  You yourself stated the chain of events that led FROM the blister.  Not BECAUSE of the blister. 

Hence, running sockless did not cause anything other than a blister on top of your feet.

What should I have done differently?  started taking oral antibiotics right after the race?  taken a week off of work for blisters on the top of my feet so that I didn't have to wear shoes?  I did absolutely everything I was supposed to do and they still got infected because it was a type of bacteria couldn't be controlled by polysporin or the perscription topical antibiotic.

My personal and unpopular answer:  Stop training.  Work, obviously you can't do anything about.  It's a very difficult conversation that I have, luckily, only had to have once with an athlete. 

But in the end only YOU (obviously not me because I'm just a random person on the interwebs) can decide the best path.  But if it were me or one of my athletes given the information you put forth...stop pretty much all training that aggravates the issue. 

Note: I'm not a doctor nor did I stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

Wore socks and regular shoe laces my first year.  Started going sockless with elastic laces the second year.  Took a considerable amount of time off my transitions.  And all it cost was 6 bucks.

I'm a big fan of Balega socks.  Mainly because they are seamless.  That's key because it doesn't matter if you put them on correctly.  They can be upside down and it won't matter.

A lot of other companies are also making seamless socks.  Swiftwick is one of them.

I go sockless up to an Oly.  After that and I start to get hot spots and it would get uncomfortable.

I would agree that going sockless only saves about 6-10 seconds depending on how fast you can put on socks.  But to me, in an sprint or Oly...6-10 seconds can be huge.  At the speeds I bike or run at for a race of that distance, 10 seconds is equivalent to ~350 feet on the bike, or ~125 feet on the run.  How many times have you sprinted to the finishing chute while seeing someone cross the line 100 or so feet in front of you?  Had you saved 10 seconds...you would have been in front.

sockless..........sprints thru IM

everybody has made good points on with or without. i think it comes down to whatever makes you comfortable.

good luck!

-jb