The Santini Mille High Profile Socks are good quality, comfortable, Italian-made socks designed to complement Santini's own jerseys. But don't overlook them if you don't have a jersey – they're an excellent choice in their own right.
Santini has some bold colours in its range, and the Mille High Profile socks come in four schemes, each one to pair with a particular Karma Luce jersey. Our Teal sample looked incredibly smart with the corresponding jersey I reviewed at the same time.
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But a strong sock game is about more than just matching the jersey: pulled up, the Santini sock measures 25cm from heel to cuff. That puts it just below the calf muscle and firmly in the 'pro zone', as defined by bike fashionistas and #sockdopers alike. Any lower and you're heading into tennis player territory.
The pro zone is all well and good, but a sock has to stay tall and wrinkle-free throughout the ride – and Mille does that. It grips the lower calf with an even pressure that stays comfy, and even a month of washes hasn't dampened their elasticity.
There's a ribbed band over the top of the foot and running under the arch. I haven't seen any claims for compressive properties, but I can feel a little bit of extra support; especially helpful if you have flat feet, as I do. The stretchy fabric is very soft and comfortable next to the skin.
I've been incredibly impressed with how quickly they dry, and how well they wick during a hot, hard session (on the road, the turbo and even running). They're very thin, allowing the feet to breathe as effectively as possible and not interfering with the fit of cycling shoes.
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Like Santini's other kit, these socks are made in Italy and have a feel of quality about them, with a light but durable polyamide/elastane mix.
Value
At £14, the Mille High Profiles are cheaper than socks such as the Defeet Levitator Lite 6 or Pongo Grey Breton Stripe, both of which are great, but some might say they don't quite have the value or cachet of the Italian brand. Whether you have a matching Santini jersey or not, these are great socks at a good price.
Overall, the Mille High Profiles perform exceptionally well in hot weather, wash up well, stay really comfy and add that little bit of Italian flair to your rides.
Verdict
Stylish and very comfortable Italian-made socks that perform very well
Make and model: Santini Mille High Profile Socks
Tell us what the product is for
Santini doesn't say much about these socks in its marketing. On the packaging: "Fit. Performance. Comfort. Durability." And then: "High quality, Italian engineered. The perfect complement to your kit."
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
95% polyamide, 5% elastane
Rate the product for quality of construction:
9/10
Very well constructed with a little bit of bulk-free reinforcement around the heel and toe – and no 'technical' zones.
Rate the product for performance:
9/10
I've been very impressed with their performance, particularly in hot weather or on the turbo.
Rate the product for durability:
9/10
The toe box and heel are reinforced and aren't showing any signs of wear at all after a month.
Rate the product for fit:
10/10
Perfect fit with no rucking at all.
Rate the product for sizing:
9/10
Rate the product for weight:
9/10
Rate the product for comfort:
9/10
Excellent level of comfort, and supportive too.
Rate the product for value:
7/10
Performance and looks are excellent, and while £15 isn't cheap, it's lower than some.
How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?
No issues.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
Incredibly well. I have to admit I wasn't quite expecting them to be this good. I mistakenly assumed they were intended to just match the Karma Luce jersey as a kind of novelty item, but they're actually a top-quality pair of socks.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
Everything. Design, cuff height, breathability, durability – this sock has it all.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
Nothing.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
Cheaper than socks from Defeet or Pongo yet more fashionable, although Le Col's excellent socks are £14, while Northwave's Sunday Monday socks are slightly cheaper still.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Yes
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes, if they had the corresponding Santini jersey.
Use this box to explain your overall score
These are really nice, comfortable, well-performing socks with a stylish, traditional construction – so no technical mesh zones. Fit, performance, comfort and durability are excellent, and they deserve a 9.
Age: 50 Height: 178cm Weight: 68kg
I usually ride: Racer Rosa custom alu My best bike is: Colnago Master Olympic
I've been riding for: Over 20 years I ride: Most days I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, touring, club rides, sportives, School run on a tandem
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