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review
2024 Rapha Pro Team Socks.jpg£20.00
VERDICT:
Impressive, if expensive, socks that are breathable and comfortable
Impressive wicking
Breathable
Good-looking
Supportive
Pricey
Weight:
43g
Contact:
At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.
What the road.cc scores meanGood scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad.
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The Rapha Pro Team Socks offer excellent wicking, breathability and support, as well as a classic understated design.
> Buy now: Rapha Pro Team Socks for £20 from Rapha
During the summer there is nothing worse than poor sock choice – something that doesn't wick or breathe well enough can genuinely ruin a ride.
Luckily, these do very well on that front, with a mesh upper that allows air to quickly flow through the socks and dissipate heat effectively. I could comfortably wear these during hot weather rides without feeling like I had a couple of paddling pools on my feet.
On top of this they also offer support around the middle of the foot and have a compression band across the top. I have no idea whether this improves performance, but it certainly keeps them in place well throughout even long rides.
I have several pairs of Rapha socks that have lasted many years and I have no reason to believe these would be any different, with reinforcement in key areas around the heel and toes to reduce the chance of holes.
That helps justify their RRP of £20, which is more than most summer socks (in our buyer's guide to the best they start at £6.99). Northwave's Extreme Air Sock, for example, similarly designed for hot weather riding, comes in £6.50 cheaper. You can spend more, though – if you really wanted to splash out you could get the Castelli Premio socks which are another £6, though they do have a more complex structure.
Overall I've been impressed with these socks. They wick well, support my feet, and stay up nicely to boot.
> Buy now: Rapha Pro Team Socks for £20 from Rapha
Verdict
Impressive, if expensive, socks that are breathable and comfortable
road.cc test report
Make and model: Rapha Pro Team Socks
Size tested: Regular
Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it?
Rapha says, "A pair of performance socks with a soft, comfortable and high-wicking fabric."
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product
Rapha lists these details:
Elite-level performance socks
Made with lightweight, breathable materials for high tempo riding
Featuring a high-grade nylon fabric for efficient sweat wicking
Reinforced toe and heel boxes for added durability
Breathable mesh upper section provides temperature regulation
Compressive raised cuff holds the sock in place
Rate the product for quality:
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
8/10
Rate the product for value:
5/10
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
Very well, they're comfortable and breathable on long, hot rides.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
The breathability.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
The price.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
Northwave's Extreme Air Sock is similarly designed for hot weather riding and comes in £6.50 cheaper. Castelli's Premio socks are £6 more, but have a more complex structure.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Yes
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes
Use this box to explain your overall score
They are comfortable, wick impressively well, and look great. They're expensive, but they are very good.
About the tester
Age: 35
I usually ride: CAAD13 My best bike is: Cannondale Supersix Evo
I've been riding for: 10-20 years I ride: Every day I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed,
George is the host of the road.cc podcast and has been writing for road.cc since 2014. He has reviewed everything from a saddle with a shark fin through to a set of glasses with a HUD and everything in between.
Although, ironically, spending more time writing and talking about cycling than on the bike nowadays, he still manages to do a couple of decent rides every week on his ever changing number of bikes.
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