Compression Socks for Netball, Soccer and Hockey

Size your compression socks by your ankle, then try them at home before the first match: with your court shoes for netball, or with your boots or turf shoes, and shin guards if you wear them, for soccer or hockey. On match day, put them on in the morning, before you start your day, and your shoes or boots go on over them later. Pack a dry pair and a bag for the worn pair, and wash them by hand when you get home.

That's the routine we'd suggest. Cherry Pop is the pair we make for the gym and sport: red cherries on warm cream, with a red cuff, heel and toe, a bright pair for anywhere you want your socks to be seen. Every Vital Socks print is knee-high, ending just under the knee, so any of them can go in your kit bag.

Everyday socks in a sports kit bag

Vital Socks are everyday compression socks, sized by your ankle, in a soft, all-season blend of combed cotton, polyester and elastane. We don't make grip socks, ankle supports or a team's match socks, and we make no claim about how you'll play in them. They're knee-high, with prints worth showing off, chosen by your ankle for a fit that suits your leg.

If your school, club or league sets rules about socks or sock colour, read them first. Those rules come before anything we say here.

Measure before the season starts

We size by ankle circumference rather than shoe size alone, so your boot or court-shoe size won't tell you which pair to order. It's worth measuring before you buy for the season.

Measure first thing in the morning, before you've been up and about, on bare skin (our measuring guide has the steps). Wrap the tape around the narrowest point, just above the ankle bone, snug against the skin without pressing in. No tape at home? String, a shoelace or a phone charger cable and a ruler will do.

Your calf comes next: sit with your foot flat and measure around its fullest part. The ankle sets your size, and the calf is a fit check. Enter both in the fit finder on our size guide. If your calf is outside the range for that size, send us both measurements before you order and we'll advise you.

Netball: knee-high socks and court shoes

A knee-high sock shows from the top of your court shoe to just under the knee, so on court the print is part of your kit. Where plain is the rule, wear Black: it's plain black, with VITAL in white on the cuff. Where a print is allowed, Cherry Pop's red cuff stands out, and Checker's black and cream checkerboard doesn't fight the rest of your kit.

Try your court shoes on at home over the socks, and lace them up the way you would for a game. You want to find out at home, before a match, whether a favourite pair feels different over a knee-high sock.

Soccer and hockey: shin guards, boots and turf shoes

For soccer and hockey, try the whole set at home: our socks, your shin guards and, if your team wears its own match socks, those too. Then put your boots or turf shoes on over the lot.

Check the cuff still sits just under the knee without folding, and that nothing bunches at the ankle or behind the shin guard. Don't fold or roll it down. If the sock bunches, ease it back down to the ankle and bring it up again more evenly.

Our FAQ describes how compression socks should feel: snug and supportive without causing pain, numbness, tingling or significant discomfort, sitting smoothly against your leg without excessive bunching or rolling. If the whole set doesn't feel like that at home, sort it out before match day rather than on the field.

Putting them on for a match

On a match day, put them on in the morning, before you start your day, and your kit, shoes or boots go on over them later.

Sit down, turn the sock inside out down to the heel, slip your foot in and line up the heel. Then ease the sock up your leg a little at a time rather than pulling from the cuff, and smooth out any wrinkles. Our guide to putting on and taking off compression socks goes through it step by step, including how to get them off after a game.

The kit bag and the wash afterwards

Add these to your kit bag:

• a clean, dry pair of socks, in case the pair you're wearing gets wet or muddy
• a small bag for the worn pair, so it comes home to be washed and doesn't stay in the kit bag
• your shin guards, boots or court shoes

Hand wash them in cold water using a mild soap, gently remove excess water and leave them to air dry in the shade, and avoid bleach, harsh detergents, tumble drying and excessive heat. So a muddy pair goes in a basin when you get home, and the tumble dryer and the heater stay out of it.

If you train during the week and play on the weekend, count your pairs against your fixtures, so you're not reaching for a damp sock on match day.

A print for the sideline too

Supporters can join in. A parent on the sideline might pick Daisy's white daisies on soft lavender, Espresso's cream cups and beans on mocha, or any of the others. All of them are on our compression socks collection, so you can compare the prints side by side before you choose.

Before you order

Vital Socks are not medical-grade compression and are not meant to treat a vascular or any other medical condition. If you have a medical condition, read our FAQ's answer to "Can I wear these if I have a medical condition?" before you order.

Measure your ankle in the morning, check your size in the fit finder, then order Cherry Pop, our compression socks for the gym and sport, in time for your next match.