Product review: SLS3 compression socks

Back in the day as a staff nurse in a PICU, I had issues with tired legs after spending hours on my feet. We didn't wear supportive shoes back then, usually just sneakers, and so a lot of nurses wore support hose or compression stockings, better known as TED™ hose. These white stockings, with the hole in the bottom, were used in the elderly and post-operative patients to promote venous return and prevent blood clots. There was a knee high model, and a thigh high model. I remember working up a good sweat while trying to put them on my bedbound patients' legs. When I wore them myself, I thought they were pretty darned uncomfortable, especially with that hole in the bottom, but my legs did feel better when I wore them. They were hard as heck to pull on my own legs, too. And what is the purpose of that hole anyways?

I have to say that none of my patients ever had legs that looked like this.
TED™ hose picture courtesy of dhphomedelivery.com

So, of course, when running compression socks became popular, I was interested but a little skeptical. I remembered the difficulty I had pulling those TED™ hose on my own legs, much less my patients. Would compression socks be helpful for running? Would it be worth the effort it took to pull them on? Would I even need to run after the workout I'd get putting them on? I wrote about compression in another post, when I trialled a pair of Lily Trotters. The consensus of most of the commenters on that post was that compression was great for recovery, but feelings were mixed about using compression socks on the run. Research supports this as well.

A couple of weeks ago, I was approached by SLS3 to try their compression socks. As you know, I am a big fan of compression for my feet. I like to wear low socks when I run, and I own a couple of pairs of low compression socks from a few different manufacturers. Since I'm still having some calf tightness, I decided to give the SLS3 a try, and see how I liked them.

Shortly after I agreed to this, I received an email that I won a free pair of SLS3 compression socks from a giveaway on The Running Professor's blog. I was excited about the prospect of owning 2 pairs of these socks, but I contacted SLS3 to check with them to make sure they were ok with this, and they assured me that it was fine. I received one pair of the Butterfly compression and one pair of the AllRounder socks. I couldn't have been happier!

Wearing knee socks makes me feel like a school girl again!

The weather has been pretty cool so far this summer, and I figured that I should take advantage of that and give these socks a spin. I first tried the Butterfly compression socks. I found that putting them on was not a problem. I slipped my foot into the sock and inched the calf portion up my leg. The compression was firm, but not too tight. Dare I say that these felt really good?

SLS3 Butterfly compression socks

On the run, my legs felt light. And after the run, when I had my feet up, I could feel the compression on my calves. It felt good. Here's what the website has to say about the Butterfly Compression socks:

"SLS3 Butterfly compression socks boost blood flow by about 34%. This increases oxygen delivery to the working muscles to enhance their performance. The circulation improvements also help the body eliminate metabolic waste products like lactic acid more easily. The combination of these effects allows you to work longer and harder, delaying the onset of fatigue.

The SLS3 Butterfly compression socks offer more targeted, significant support to the achilles tendons, tibias, calves and ankles, thus boosting the ability to reduce common ankle and foot injuries. 

They are recommended for running, cycling, walking, triathlon, skiing, traveling and lots of other uses. 

The supportive effect and compression of SLS3 Butterfly compression socks reduce muscle vibration drastically, which leads to less soft tissue damage and less sore muscles. Your recovery time will be significantly reduced."

I believe I can fly!

A couple of days later, I received the AllRounders in the mail, and I took them for a spin as well. Just like the Butterfly model, these slipped on without difficulty. My legs felt great on the run, and afterwards, I again put my feet up and felt the compression do its thing to relax those hard working muscles. Here's the 411 about the AllRounders:

"Designed by medical professionals, our new Allrounder compression socks feature softer, special Micro-Nylon, making them very easy to put on while delivering true graduated compression with all its benefits: 

Increased oxygen delivery to the working muscles to enhance their performance. Circulation improvements to help the body eliminate metabolic waste products like lactic acid more easily.The combination of these effects allows you to work longer and harder, delaying the onset of fatigue. 

The SLS3 Allrounder compression socks offer significant support to the achilles tendons, tibias, calves and ankles. They are recommended for running, cycling, walking, triathlon, skiing, traveling and lots of other uses. Their simple, unpadded design makes these socks a staple for everyone's compression needs.
The supportive effect and compression of SLS3 Allrounder compression socks reduce muscle vibration drastically, resulting in less soft tissue damage and less sore muscles. Your recovery time will be significantly reduced."

SLS3 AllRounder

I have to say that I really liked the degree of compression in both these socks (the compression is the same in both models). There is some degree of arch support, but of course, I'd like a little more. Still, I'm not complaining. The SLS3s were really comfortable and supportive. I can honestly say that I will be wearing them a lot during my upcoming marathon training. I'd love to wear them to work, but I don't know how good they'd look with my dresses. If I were wearing scrubs, I'd be wearing them every day.

Both models come in a variety of colors.

Full disclosure: I was given a pair of the Butterfly compression socks to trial and I won the AllRounders on a giveaway both from SLS3. But all the opinions here are my own. Always.