Two pairsFrom part five, shoes and the floor
The riskiest floor you walk on is your own
Part five gives shoes a whole section and then lands on something quieter. Bare feet on hard floors, or thin slippers with no structure, is the most common footwear situation in the house and the least discussed. It counts twice. Once because a slippery sole on a stair or a wet kitchen floor is a real hazard, and once because the fear of slipping changes how you walk more than most insoles ever will.
Two pairs of mid calf ribbed cotton socks with silicone grip across the whole sole. They are not a shoe and we are not going to call them one. They are what goes on for the first hour, the stairs, the rug and the floor practice, so that the sole you are standing on is not the smooth one.
- Two pairs, so one is always out of the wash
- Silicone grip across the whole sole, not just a heel tab
- Mid calf ribbed cotton, plain, no logo
- One size, which is a real limit. The sizing question is below
One size. Read the sizing question before you buy.
- Free US shipping
- 90 day guarantee
- US support
Why the sole matters
Nothing about a sock changes a joint, and this page is not going to suggest it does. What it changes is the surface between you and the floor.
The floor you know best
The stair, the kitchen, the bathroom door. The one hazard part five names on its own is a slip on a hard surface, and it happens on the routes you stopped thinking about years ago.
Fear changes the walk
The book is direct about this. Fear of slipping changes gait more than most orthotic interventions do. A sole you trust is not a small thing, it is half of what a shoe is doing for you.
For the floor practice in part five
The half kneel, getting back up through the front heel, five rehearsals twice a week next to a sturdy chair. All of it is done in socks on a hard floor, and all of it is easier when the planted foot stays where you put it.
Where to wear them
- 1
On before the first stairs of the day
Part five puts the worst thirty seconds of the day right after you stand up. Put them on sitting on the edge of the bed, after the heel slides, before you go anywhere.
- 2
On for the floor rehearsal
Five half kneels twice a week beside a solid chair is what keeps you getting down to the rug in three years. The grip is what stops the front foot sliding out from under you.
- 3
Off for the shower
Wet tile is a different problem, and part five wants a non-slip mat and a grab rail fitted properly into studs or tile anchors. Socks on wet tile are worse than bare feet, not better.
The specifics
- Sold as
- Two pairs
- Height
- Mid calf
- Sole
- Silicone grip dots across the full length
- Material
- Ribbed cotton knit
- Sizing
- One size
- Branding
- None
Questions
What size are they?
One size, and we would rather put that in front of you than at the bottom of a chart. The only pair we could find with a plain sole, no brand stitched on the toe and grip running the whole length is made in one size. If your feet sit at either end of the range, this is not the product for you yet. We are looking for a sized version and this page will say so the day we have one.
Is this instead of indoor shoes?
No. Part five says a supportive indoor shoe is not a ridiculous thing to own, and if you will wear one at home, wear one. These are for the parts of the day when you are not going to: the first hour, the bedroom, the rug, the floor work.
Do they go in the machine?
Yes, a warm wash. Air dry them rather than tumbling them hot, which is what shortens the life of any silicone grip. Two pairs means one is always dry.
Will they help my knee?
Not directly, and we are not going to pretend otherwise. Nothing in part five claims a sock changes a joint. What it changes is the chance of a slip and the way you walk when you are worried about one, and on your own floors that is worth twenty dollars.
Ninety days on your own floors
Wear them through a season of mornings. If they end up in the drawer, the ninety day guarantee covers these the same as everything else we sell. Return postage is yours.