Best Racing Socks For Track Days And Racing
Before anything else: this is about fireproof motorsport socks, the Nomex kind worn under race boots as part of your fire resistant underwear layer. It is not about running socks or compression socks. If you searched for racing socks expecting sportswear, this is not that guide.
Racing socks are one of the cheapest things in a fire resistant kit and one of the easiest to get wrong, almost always on sizing and almost never on the sock. Cameron takes these calls and says the same thing every time: bring your boot size, not your shoe size.
Most of what follows is built much the same way. What separates them is height, fit, and whether you actually need FIA approval for what you are doing. Garreth would add one more thing, which is that this is the one category where he thinks the cheap option is genuinely as good as the dear one, right up until you get to the Walero, and then he changes his mind.
- FIA 8856-2018 is the current approval standard for fire resistant underwear, socks included, in FIA regulated motorsport
- Approved socks are cut knee or calf length, usually 25cm minimum. An ankle sock in the same fabric will not satisfy the regulation
- Kart socks are comfort socks and carry no FIA approval, so do not let the price tempt you if your regs specify 8856-2018
- Approved socks on this page run from £25.20 to £67.20 inc VAT, which is the narrowest price spread of anything in a race kit
- Size against your race boots, not your everyday shoes. This is where the returns come from
What FIA 8856-2018 actually covers
FIA 8856-2018 is the current standard for fire-resistant underwear, and it covers your whole base layer, suit lining, underwear, balaclava and socks, worn together as a system alongside your outer race suit. If your series regulations specify approved underwear, your socks need to carry this approval too, not just the top and bottom.
The height matters as much as the fabric. Most approved socks are cut to at least 25cm, calf length rather than ankle length, because that is what the regulation requires for full leg coverage under your boots and race suit trousers. A short sock in the same Nomex fabric will not be approved if it does not meet that height.
The FIA approved socks in this guide
The OMP First calf length sock is £25.20 and the OMP One is £31.20. Both carry FIA 8856-2018 and both are cut to the required height.
The step up to the OMP Tecnica at £31.80 buys you finish and stitching, not a different approval. Both satisfy the same regulation and the same scrutineer.
The Alpinestars Race V4 at £31.20 and the Sparco Nomex calf sock at £38.52 sit in the same bracket. Some of these are sized against UK shoe size instead of S, M and L, so read the size chart against your actual boot instead of guessing.
The Sparco RW-7 at £42.00 is part of Sparco’s wider RW-7 underwear line instead of a standalone sock, which is worth knowing if you are putting a matching base layer together at the same time.
| Model | Price inc VAT | Approval |
|---|---|---|
| OMP First calf length socks | £25.20 | FIA 8856-2018 |
| Alpinestars Race V4 socks | £31.20 | FIA 8856-2018 |
| OMP One socks | £31.20 | FIA 8856-2018 |
| OMP Tecnica socks | £31.80 | FIA 8856-2018 |
| Sparco Nomex calf socks | £38.52 | FIA 8856-2018 |
| Sparco RW-7 sock | £42.00 | FIA 8856-2018 |
| Walero 2.0 | £67.20 | FIA 8856-2018 and SFI 3.3 |
Prices are what the site charges, VAT included. Ring us on 0115 9893488 for current lead times on any of them.
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From £42.00 Incl. VATPayPal CreditSelect options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
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From £25.20 Incl. VATPayPal CreditSelect options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
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From £31.80 Incl. VATPayPal CreditSelect options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
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From £31.20 Incl. VATPayPal CreditSelect options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
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From £31.20 Incl. VATPayPal CreditTry in-storeSelect options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
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From £38.52 Incl. VATPayPal CreditSelect options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
A step up: temperature regulating socks
The Walero 2.0 at £67.20 is a different thing again. Still FIA 8856-2018, also carrying SFI 3.3, but built around Walero’s own temperature regulating fabric instead of standard Nomex, and cut knee length where the rest of this page is calf.
It is about two and a half times the price of the OMP First, which is where Garreth and Cameron fall out. Cameron cannot see past the fact that it is a sock. Garreth has done enough long stints in a hot footwell to think that if your feet are the thing ruining your last ten minutes, this is a cheap fix compared with everything else you could change.
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From £67.20 Incl. VATPayPal Credit0% pay-in-3Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
Sizing against your race boots
Buy your sock size against your boot size, not your everyday shoe size. Several of the ranges above list sizing directly in UK and EU shoe sizes instead of S/M/L, which lines up more reliably with your race boot fitting. A sock that is too tight bunches inside the boot and becomes uncomfortable over a long session, too loose and it can bunch under your foot in the same way. If you already have your race boots, take that size with you instead of sizing socks in isolation.
Common questions
Do racing socks need to be FIA approved?
Only if your series or club regulations specify FIA approved fire-resistant underwear, in which case your socks need to carry FIA 8856-2018 alongside your suit and undergarments. Check your specific regs if you are not sure.
Can I wear normal socks under race boots?
You can for a track day where fireproof underwear is not mandated, but if your regulations require an approved fire-resistant underwear system, normal socks will not satisfy it and you risk being turned away from scrutineering.
What length do racing socks need to be?
Approved socks are cut to a minimum height, typically calf or knee length, around 25cm or more, an ankle sock in the same fabric will not meet the requirement.
Are kart socks fireproof?
Not usually. Comfort kart socks like the OMP KS are a wicking fabric with no fire resistance and no FIA approval, distinct from the fireproof Nomex socks covered in this guide.
How do I size racing socks against my boots?
Use your race boot size where the sock is listed in UK or EU shoe sizes, instead of guessing from your normal shoe size or an S/M/L chart, fit varies enough between brands that this matters.
What we would buy
Final thoughts
Sizing against your boots is the part people get wrong, and it is the only reason socks ever come back to us. If you are not sure what to order, ring 0115 9893488 and Cameron will match the sock to your boot size before you buy, not after.
