Where to Buy Compression Socks in South Africa

You can buy compression socks in South Africa at pharmacies, sports shops and online stores. Ours are sold online, with delivery anywhere in the country. Where you buy matters less than what you check before you pay, because a pair in the wrong size or the wrong length ends up at the back of the drawer.

What each kind of shop offers

A pharmacy usually has a wide range in one place, from flight socks to compression socks in several strengths. The big pharmacy chains also sell online, with delivery or collection in store. Look at how each pair is sized: some go by shoe size alone, others give an ankle measurement as well.

Sports shops carry compression socks made for running and training. They're often sized by shoe size, and some pairs are sold in store only, so you can see them before you buy, but you'll need to get to a branch.

Online marketplaces list socks from many different sellers, and delivery times can differ from one region to the next. Read each listing closely. Not every one gives the compression as a figure in mmHg, and some size by shoe size only.

A brand's own online shop, like ours, sells only its own socks. The range is smaller, but the product page should answer everything about the pair you're looking at. We sell five designs, all knee-high and sized by your ankle.

What a pair costs here

A single pair of Vital Socks costs R299.99. Buy more and the price per pair drops: R250 each for 2 pairs, R225 each for 3 or 4, and R200 each for 5 or more. You can mix designs and sizes, and the bundle price is applied in your cart.

Delivery is R100 per order anywhere in South Africa, the same in Johannesburg or Pretoria as anywhere else, and it takes 3 to 5 business days once your order is sent. So one pair comes to R399.99 delivered, and five pairs come to R1,100.

How to compare pairs

Wherever you shop, put the listings side by side and check:

• a size chosen by your ankle measurement, not only your shoe size
• the length, and where the top of the sock sits
• the compression level, stated on the product as a figure in mmHg
• what the socks are made of, and how to wash them
• what the shop says the socks are for
• where the shop delivers and how long it takes
• what the returns policy says about worn and unworn pairs
• the total at checkout, delivery included, for the number of pairs you want

Measure your ankle before you look at sizes

A shoe size tells you about your foot. A compression sock has to fit your leg, so look for a size chart that starts with a measurement around the ankle, in centimetres. We size ours by ankle circumference rather than by shoe size alone, in S, M and L.

Measure first thing in the morning, before you've been up and about, on bare skin rather than over a sock. Find the narrowest point, just above the ankle bone, and keep the tape snug, not tight.

No tailor's tape at home? Wrap a piece of string or a phone charger cable around your ankle, mark where the end meets it, and lay it straight along a ruler. Skip wool or elastic. They stretch, so the number comes out too big. Our guide to measuring your ankle at home covers each method, a strip of paper included.

Then measure around the fullest part of your calf, sitting with your foot flat. Your ankle sets the size and your calf is a fit check. Put both into the fit finder on our size guide and it shows your size. If you're between sizes, or your calf falls outside the range for your ankle size, send us both measurements before you order and we'll advise you.

Knee-high means just under the knee

Check the length on the product page, and where the top of the sock is meant to sit. Ours are knee-high and end just under the knee. The cuff belongs there, so don't fold or roll it down to make the socks look shorter. If you've never worn a pair, our guide to putting compression socks on shows how to ease them up so the cuff lands in the right place.

Length also decides how much of the sock people see. Under trousers, most of a knee-high sock stays covered, apart from a flash at the ankle. With shorts or a short skirt, the whole sock shows. That's where the prints come in: Cherry Pop, Espresso, Checker and Daisy, or plain Black if you'd rather keep it quiet.

The compression level should be on the product

A compression sock should tell you how much compression it gives, as a figure in mmHg, on the product page or the pack. If a listing only says "firm" or "light" and gives no figure, ask the seller before you buy.

Ours is on every product page, just under the price, and in our FAQ, under "What level of compression do these socks provide?"

The product should also tell you what the socks are for. Every one of our product pages says it plainly: Vital Socks are not medical-grade compression and are not meant to treat a vascular or any other medical condition. They're everyday socks, made for long shifts, desk days, travel and the gym. If you have a medical condition, read the FAQ's answer to "Can I wear these if I have a medical condition?" before you order.

Fabric and care, before the parcel arrives

Look for the fibre content and the washing instructions on the product page. It's easier to know how a pair should be washed before you've paid for it than after.

Ours are a blend of 75% combed cotton, 22% polyester and 3% elastane: soft on the skin, with comfortable stretch, in winter or summer. To wash them, hand wash in cold water using a mild soap, gently remove excess water and leave them to air dry in the shade. Avoid bleach, harsh detergents, tumble drying and excessive heat.

So think about your own week. Socks that go in the basin and dry in the shade need a little more planning than socks that go in the machine with everything else.

Delivery, returns and the total at checkout

Online, you can't hold the pair before you buy, so the product page and the shop's policies have to answer your questions. Check where the shop delivers, what delivery costs and how long it takes.

We deliver anywhere in South Africa, whether you're in Cape Town or a small town in the Karoo. Our shipping policy gives the cost and the delivery time, and checkout shows the total, delivery included, before you pay.

Then read the returns policy, especially what it says about socks that have been worn. Compression socks are worn against the skin, so check what a shop will take back after a pair has been opened and worn, and how long you have. Our refund policy sets out what happens with worn pairs, unworn pairs and faulty ones, and the time limits for each.

That's the main reason to measure before you order: the right size the first time means nothing has to go back.

Measure your ankle, run it through the fit finder on our size guide, then buy compression socks online in the print you like. If anything on this list isn't clear on our site, ask us before you order.