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Swiftwick Review: Perfect Socks for Active People

Published on September 28, 2022 by Brock McGoff · Accessories, Product Reviews May contain affiliate links (what's this?)

Swiftwick makes awesome socks for athletes! Want the full scoop? Here’s our review.

Table of Contents

  • About Swiftwick
  • What I’ve Tried
    • About Swiftwick’s Sock Catalog
    • Pursuit 7
    • Maxus Zero Tab
    • Aspire Zero
    • Aspire Seven
    • Flite XT Five
    • Flite XT Trail Two
  • Final Verdict: Great Socks for Active People
Swiftwick Review

I’m really surprised that Swiftwick isn’t more popular and well-known than it is. Of the many sock brands out there that cater specifically to active people, it’s one of the best and most comprehensive that I’ve found.

I learned that by testing just about every sock style that Swiftwick offers — and now I’d like to share my experience and insights in this Swiftwick review. I’ll cover six different pairs of socks from the brand and give you my honest opinions of where each type of sock might fit into your wardrobe.

About Swiftwick

Founded in 2008, Swiftwick started as a dedicated running and mountain biking sock company and has quickly transformed into a performance sock brand with options for just about any activity you can think of. 

Swiftwick Pursuit Zero Ultralight

The brand’s mission statement says it all: “To empower people to be the best version of themselves through the pursuit of adventure.” And even better? All of their products are still made right here in the U.S. That makes them pretty unique among today’s sock brands.

What I’ve Tried

For this review, I tested six different pairs of Swiftwick socks — one from each of their major collections, in various heights and materials. 

First off, I should mention that it can be a bit overwhelming to look through their huge catalog. So, to help get us oriented, let’s talk about how Swiftwick names and sells their socks before getting into my individual reviews. 

About Swiftwick’s Sock Catalog

With about a dozen different activities, collections, and sock heights to choose from, there’s no doubt that Swiftwick has just about everything you could want.

Finding the exact right pair of socks for your needs, though, can be a bit trickier — unless you use their Sock Finder, one of the coolest tools I’ve seen on any brand’s website.

Swiftwicks Sock Catalog

Taking the Swiftwick Sock Finder Quiz will clue you into the exact pair of socks that fits your needs. By giving them an overview of the activities you do and how intensely you engage with them, the Sock Finder will return the Swiftwick collection that best matches your daily activities.

From there, you can choose whatever sock height fits you most comfortably. Each of Swiftwick’s socks is named first by the collection and then by a number — zero, five, seven, etc.

The number indicates how tall the sock is, making it easy to find multiple comfortable pairs across their collections.

Now, onto the individual reviews!

Pursuit 7

The Pursuit 7 is Swiftwick’s premier boot sock, available in both standard and hiking-centric designs as well as ultralight versions that are perfect for wearing with sneakers.

Swiftwick Pursuit Seven
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This sock is right in the middle of just about every metric: Not super heavy, but with a good bit of insulation from its merino wool construction.

It has a medium cushion with seamless toes for extra comfort. And the 7-inch mid-calf length is great for casual wear as well as long day hikes. Highly recommended overall.

Maxus Zero Tab

As far as running socks go, the Maxus Zero Tab is about as heavily cushioned as it gets.

Swiftwick Maxus Zero Tab No show Socks
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Its super plush footbed is designed for maximum comfort on your runs, and the back tab prevents your shoe from rubbing against your heel and giving you blisters.

With a medium compression, it’s a great all-purpose running sock for people that like extra cushion on their runs.

Aspire Zero

The Aspire line is all about lightweight, thin, breathable performance — with a big amount of compression.

Swiftwick Aspire Zero
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They’re made with minimal cushion, making them the opposite of the Maxus running socks listed above. If you like a lightweight feel in your running shoes, these are the socks for you.

While the colors in this collection aren’t really my style, the plain black and white versions get the job done.

Aspire Seven

A longer sock from the same Aspire line makes for a pretty near-perfect weightlifting sock.

Swiftwick Aspire Seven
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The thin, lightweight, and breathable construction still has lots of compression, and that helps keep the high crew length from sagging while you lift.

They’re Swiftwick’s best-selling sock series and are a great place to start with the brand.

Flite XT Five

The Flite XT series of socks is built for maximum stability, with medium cushion and compression.

Swiftwick Flite XT Five
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Swiftwick uses a proprietary fiber in the heel and forefoot that minimizes slippage, which you can really feel while you’re wearing them.

I love using this sock for just about anything — lifting, hiking, cross training, or just wearing with sneakers on casual days off.

Flite XT Trail Two

Designed specifically for hiking, the Flite XT Trail Two takes all the innovations of the Flite XT series — especially the grippy padding — and adds extra ankle support for those long days on the trail.

Swiftwick Flite XT Trail Two
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They’re super comfortable and have quickly become my go-to sock for hiking.

Final Verdict: Great Socks for Active People

The bottom line for Swiftwick: It’s a really, really good sock brand if you’re into any performance activities.

They’re underrated, relatively affordable, and have a big range of socks to choose from. They’re not a perfect brand for casual everyday wear socks unless you’re into pretty bold colors, but they make a good first choice for just about any sporting activity.

Questions? Comments? Leave them below!

Accessories, Product Reviews socks, Swiftwick

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About Brock McGoff

The Modest Man founder, Brock is an aspiring minimalist who enjoys working out, spending time with his family, discovering new brands and creating great content.

Background: Brock McGoff has a bachelor's degree in psychology and a professional background in digital marketing. He believes that men's fashion is just one facet of self-improvement, and he started The Modest Man to help regular guys feel more confident by improving their appearance.

An east coast native, Brock currently lives in Arizona with his wife and daughter. When he's not working, he spends time with family, training BJJ, reading/listening to books and podcasts, and unsuccessfully trying to decide which movie to stream.

Expertise: Brock has built a men's lifestyle YouTube channel with over 400k subscribers. He's also worked as the creative marketing manager in a men's apparel startup. Brock has been quoted in, mentioned by or featured in publications like Esquire, Huff Post, Men's Health, WWD and Forbes.

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