Some of us don’t have the option to go sock-less when the weather heats up. We HAVE to wear compression socks or stockings all year long. So, what are the best compression socks options for staying cool and comfortable during the summer months? We think fabric choice is the most important decision in selecting summer compression socks and stockings. Here’s what we suggest if you’re looking for breathable socks and stockings for summer: 

1. Cotton is a natural fiber that’s ideal for hot months. It lets air in and quickly wicks away any moisture on your skin. It’s also perfect for anyone who has sensitive skin. A few cotton options to explore:

• Sigvaris Sea Island Cotton socks for Men and Women are available in 15-20 mmHg and 20-30 mmHg. These Sigvaris socks are great for spring and summer because they are made with a soft and breathable cotton fabric.
• Allegro Allegro Italian Cotton Knee High are made of luxurious Italian cotton – imported just for your summer sock needs! Also available in 20-30 mmHg and with an open toe (for your flip flops!)
• For more stylish cotton options, check out the try the Allegro Men’s Mosaic Cotton Compression Sock or the Allegro Women's Mosaic Cotton Compression Sock. Both with 20-30 mmHg of graduated compression 

2. Microfiber is another great summer fabric for socks. It’s soft, stretchy and breathable. It also wicks away moisture from the skin to keep you cool and comfortable. Some people will choose microfiber over cotton because it’s a thinner fabric, which can be better for dress shoes.

• The Allegro Microfiber collection includes socks, thigh highs, and pantyhose to meet all your compression needs at an affordable price! Choose from 8-15, 15-20 and 20-30 mmHg compression levels. Made from a soft, comfortable fabric.
• Sigvaris Midtown Microfiber for Men is a collection of men’s knee high socks in 15-20, 20-30 and 30-40 mmHg. These latex-free socks are super stretchy and durable. Looking for stripes? Try Sigvaris Shades for men and women, available in 15-20 and 20-30 mmHg in a variety of striped patterns and heather colors.
• Sigvaris Soft Opaque for Women is a line of stylish compression wear that comes in a wide variety of colors. It features an advanced moisture management system that keeps legs cool and dry.
• The EASE Microfiber Collection by Therafirm comes in knee highs, thigh highs and pantyhose in a variety of colors and compression levels. EASE by Therafirm is available in microfiber, opaque and sheer fabrics with a closed or open toe style.

3. Silver and Copper infused fabrics are another great addition to your summer wardrobe. Silver and copper will eliminate any dangers of stinky, sweaty summer feet because it kills the bacteria around your feet. Additionally, the fibers in these socks have thermodynamic properties so you will stay cooler in the summer.

• Juzo Silver Socks are the best of the best. Socks are available in anklets, crew length, knee highs, and thigh highs. Compression options range from zero to 30-40 mmHg.
• Allegro Athletic Copper Support Socks has copper, (which kills 99.9% of bacteria), embedded in the foot bed. This soft, ribbed sock is made with a heavily padded foot and features a fitted toe to prevent blisters and irritation. This durable sock is affordable and is great for summer runs!

4. Sheer stockings are great for summer! We offer a wide variety of sheer, open toe stockings for those of you who want stockings that are less visible for summertime. Customer favorites for warm, humid climates are:

• Mediven Sheer and Soft: Available in 4 different compression levels and a wide variety of sizing, both male and female customers love this line of breathable sheers. A customer in Georgia said, “Living in the south, the summer is very hot and humid but I don’t like to go without hose to work. Compression hose are often uncomfortable hot on a humid day but these are terrific. I can’t say enough about the comfort.”
• Allegro Essential Sheers: Available in 3 compression levels, with many open toe and wide calf options, these stockings are a great affordable option for summer-time wear. Even our customers in Santa Fe are raving about them, “With it being summer, I wanted something I could still wear sandals with. These open-toe stockings are the answer!  And they are sheer…I have had several people comment that they couldn’t even notice I was wearing them.”

Additional Options: The compression experts have been creating their own technologies and materials to keep you cool. Check out these additional, moisture-wicking and skin-cooling fabric options:

• Mediven Comfort for Women: Medi’s patented Climafresh and Clima-Comfort systems allow for high breathability, reliable temperature control and the prevention of odor formation.
• Therafirm Ease: Made of high stretch, moisture wicking CoolMax fibers to provide all-day dry, comfortable coolness. Available in knee high, thigh high, and pantyhose. This line is also available with open toes and an even thinner sheer fabric.
• Go for a run or hit the gym in Jobst Active compression socks, available in black and white. Wear 20-30 mmHg to enhance performance or wear 15-20 mmHg to speed up muscle recovery or help relieve fatigue and swelling after your workout. Now available in full-calf sizes!
• Core-Spun Patterned Compression Socks come in a variety of stylish patterns in 4 compression levels for men and women. These socks are made with an ultra stretchy fabric and CoolMax polyester to make them nice and cool!

Armsleeves: For those of you who wear armsleeves during the summer, we have some great options for you too. Juzo  features a ton of fun patterned armsleeves, gloves and gauntlets. The best part is, these garments are made with a soft, moisture-wicking fabric to keep you cool and dry during the hotter months. 

Rock Your Summer Stockings In Style

Now that you have the basics down, here are some fashionable ways to pair compression with your favorite warmer-weather outfits.

When it's still a bit chilly outside, rock a pair of patterned compression socks with jeans and a tank top or t-shirt. Some of our favorite stylish brands include Sockwell, Sigvaris, and Rejuva.

Not ready to show off your untanned winter legs? Throw on a pair of sheer stockings with your short shorts or a dress for a polished look. There are patterned ones too for a fun vibe.

Looking for something a bit more casual but not boring black? Rock a pair of Sigvaris compression socks under your khakis for a punch of color this season!

It can be really hard to find a sheer stocking that perfectly compliments your skin tone. Sigvaris recently added some new color options and gave us great tips on how to choose the perfect stocking. Check it out:

The Sigvaris EverSheer Collection comes in three compression levels and a variety of gorgeous sheer color options (as shown above). Choose from knee highs, thigh highs or pantyhose. EverSheer stockings are made with double-covered yarns for increased durability, ease of donning, and a less shiny appearance.

Now that you have a general idea of the sheer color you need, here are a few more brands to check out:

Another customer favorite is the Medi Sheer & Soft line. These knee highs, thigh highs and pantyhose come in a variety of colors and four compression levels. Made from a soft, moisture-wicking fabric to keep you cool and comfortable. Medi Sheer & Soft offers some of the sheerest hosiery on the market. These fabulous stockings are available in different lengths and maternity styles too!

The EASE Collection is relatively new to Therafirm. Available in Sheer, Opaque and Microfiber, the EASE line features soft, stretchy, and easy to don compression garments. These stockings are available in three compression levels and two lengths. Choose from a variety of colors to complete the perfect look.

The Jobst UltraSheer line is another customer favorite. These compression stockings come in knee highs, thigh highs, pantyhose and maternity options. Available in a variety of colors and come in two lengths. Made from a durable, lightweight fabric.

Looking for sheer stockings on a budget? Allegro comes in fewer color options, but offers sheer knee highs, thigh highs, pantyhose and maternity stockings at a very affordable price point. These soft, durable stockings come in three compression levels and are even safe to machine wash and dry! Full calf options are available.

If you still have questions about which sheer stocking is best for you, our team of certified fitters is happy to assist you. Just send us a an email or give us a call at (+31)262843975 M-F 9am-6pm EST. Thanks for reading!

When and where did the company begin?

Knit-Rite opened in 1923 in Kansas City, KS, where our corporate headquarters is still based. Knit-Rite was founded by a WWI amputee manufacturing prosthetic socks for amputees. Knit-Rite purchased THERAFIRM in September 2000.

How many people work at Knit Rite?

Right now we employ about 170 people. About half of them work in Kansas City, KS and half work at our THERAFIRM plant in Hamlet, NC. We also have 4 field based sales reps.

Where are your products manufactured?

Our Knit-Rite orthotic and prosthetic products are manufactured in Kansas City, KS and our THERAFIRM compression products are manufactured in Hamlet, NC. Yes, our products are 100% made in the USA!

What’s your best selling product?

Core-Spun has built the biggest notoriety for the company. This is available in a knee high and now a thigh high as well. Many individuals struggle with putting their support hosiery on every day. Core-Spun, a patented innovation by THERAFIRM, solves this issue with the use of stretchy Core-Spun yarns for a sock that is ultra stretchy and therefore easier to put on. Core-Spun yarns are made by twisting fibers around an inner fiber, creating one yarn. This process is used to enhance stretch comfort, strength, and durability. Core-Spun consists of spandex as the “core yarn” with polyester yarns as the “sheath” of twisted yarns around the core. The result is a support sock that is ultra stretchy, easier to put on, and more comfortable to wear. This product is VERY popular!

What’s your hottest new product?

EASE is our hottest new product and we have received great feedback from patients thus far. EASE is a premium opaque gradient compression line that complements the patented Core-Spun compression socks—both engineered using ultra stretchy yarns for compression garments that are easier to put on and more comfortable to wear. It is made of high stretch, moisture wicking CoolMax fibers and provides dry comfortable coolness. It delivers lab tested true gradient compression to promote better blood flow, prevent mild to moderate swelling, and relieve tired, achy legs and feet.

Besides compression stockings, what else does Knit Rite make?

Knit-Rite’s core business is manufacturing textiles for the orthotic and prosthetic community, which is artificial limbs and braces. We more or less make any textile that could fall into that category including prosthetic socks, shrinkers, various product interfaces, etc.

Has Knit Rite ever made a product that bombed?

Of course not! We’re perfect! In all seriousness, we initially launched Core-Spun with one sizing chart, but made adjustments to it after its launch to better fit the modern day population. Ankle to calf ratio is so important to properly fitting a compression product, so those adjustments were made to accommodate that.

Have you noticed any trends in compression stocking colors?

People want compression to look like any other sock, tight, etc. they would wear. As a society, we are very fashionable and enjoy fashionable colors. With that said, we are seeing trends for various colors outside the normal black, beige, etc.. Our THERAFIRM Light line (10-15mmHg) comes out with seasonal colors 2 times per year. Right now, we have THERAFIRM Light opaque footless tights available in a handful of seasonal colors including Boho Pink and Geranium for Summer 2014!

For athletic wear, what do you sell more of – socks or sleeves?

We actually sell more socks. We make our Core-Sport line in socks, leg sleeves AND arm sleeves. Athletic socks are ideal for your runner and biker. For someone who does triathlons, they tend to prefer leg sleeves because they can wear them during the swim, bike and run portions. Core-Sport has Core-Spun yarns in them, so it will dry quickly, making it ideal for any type of athlete during performance or during recovery.

You travel a lot as a sales manager, what’s your favorite travel sock?

For me, I prefer Core-Spun the most. I wear dress shoes almost daily, so not only is that sock easy to get on and comfortable to wear, but its very comfortable for me in dress shoes. It’s not too thick and not too thin, so it works well for me.

What’s the biggest hurdle or obstacle to getting someone to try compression socks for the first time?

The misconception amongst many people is that compression socks are ugly, hot, hard to get on, and not fashionable. Compression has very much evolved over the years. Products like Core-Spun and EASE are easy to get on, are comfortable to wear and are offered in a wide array of colors. Once someone, whether it’s someone who needs compression for medical reasons OR someone who just wants to energize their legs, understands the benefits of compression and gets the standards “myths” debunked, they are usually very open to trying it and making their legs feel better.