I always recommend that beginners in hiking or jogging wear thick woolen socks and shoes that are a size or two larger, because the extra cushioning protects the foot from blisters and rough insides of a shoe; after experimenting with my lightweight gym shoes during highâintensity training (jogging, flexing, lifting) and then switching to wellâworn hiking shoes, I realized that the thick socks warmed up the feet and helped relieve fatigue painâan odd, dull annoyance that disappears quickly when the skin is gently compressed or wrapped. In a recent experiment, tightening my socks by wearing two pairs made the fatigue disappear after three hours of dancing, suggesting that tighter, scratchier socks can act as a simple âfoot wrapâ to reduce postâexercise aches; this winter I plan to test this further, hoping the snug, slightly heated socks will consistently lift the aches away.






















