Comrad
Like everyone, my vision of compression socks wasn’t a pretty one. They were aesthetically offensive, always paired with horrid open-toe sandals, worn exclusively by old people and on and on the generalizations went. Then, Comrad’s millennial-version came into my life, and I’ve realized I had been very unfair.
First of all, they’re cute.
These are not, I repeat, not the geriatric pair that come in a skintone-esque tan. It’s as if Warby Parker started making socks: You can find stripes, ombre, powder pink, or a logo’ed version. These are compression socks meant to be seen. And far from panty-hose, Comrad’s pair look like normal high-rise socks that hit below the knee.
The material is super soft.
Having never worn compression socks before my conversion, I can only guess at what the OG versions are like. The Comrad fabric is soft and feels expensive—the exact opposite of a rough, Ace bandage-type wrap. Nothing scratches or digs into my skin.
Everything tingles in the best way.
I initially wore my pair on a long-haul flight because I was vaguely aware it was a recommended thing to do. Per the National Institutes of Health, compression socks get your blood moving, help avoid swelling in the legs, and keep achey, sore legs at bay. While I’ve never stepped off a flight or ended a long day on my feet with noticeably swollen legs (I don’t think?), there definitely have been times when I got to baggage claim and realized my feet looked a little puffy.
From the moment I gingerly pulled on my pair, things felt better—like my legs were, honestly, sparkly. I chalked it up to the superior blood circulation, but whatever the cause, it was refreshing.
Taking them off and segueing into normal life was wonderful too, like I hadn’t been sitting for 7+ hours. My feet and ankles looked normal, not angry, and I felt like I’d done something healthy for my body.
In short, I’m never going on a long flight without a pair again (and might just start wearing them in normal life too!).