You can wear compression socks for support in many aspects of your life. Elite and amateur athletes wear compression socks to increase their athletic performance, speed up muscle recovery and alleviate the lactic acid buildup that occurs post workout. Seasoned travelers wear compression socks to alleviate leg cramps and swollen feet and to minimize their risk of developing a DVT on a long flight. Many healthcare workers or anyone who sits or stands for long periods of time can wear compression socks for leg support and to keep fluid from pooling in the ankles and feet. Pregnant women wear compression to help their circulation, which is compromised for many reasons – including hormonal changes, thickened blood and the weight that babies put on veins. Compression socks are no longer the ugly beige medical ‘grandma’ socks of years gone by. They’re now part of an athlete’s arsenal of gear, a traveler’s must-have for long flights and the healthcare worker’s standard uniform.

Compression makes our legs feel refreshed and energized by increasing the blood flow from our legs to our heart and raising our blood oxygen level. But compression socks do more than just make our legs feel great. They minimize leg pain and cramping and reduce swelling in our ankles and feet. Wearing compression socks can also help keep our legs healthy, by delaying the onset of varicose and spider veins. Most importantly, they can help prevent a DVT (deep vein thrombosis)— a life-threatening blood clot that can show up in our legs.

Graduated compression begins with a slight squeeze or pressure at the foot. The tightest compression is at the ankle, followed by a decreased, incremental and carefully measured squeeze moving up the leg. This squeeze, or compression, ensures blood flows toward our heart instead of down toward our foot— or even laterally into superficial veins. This upward movement keeps blood from pooling in our ankles, returning it to our heart and lungs more efficiently than without compression. Compression reduces the diameter of major veins, which increases the velocity and volume of blood flow. The overall pressure we feel as a result of the compression is affected by many factors, including the elasticity and stiffness of the compression material, the size and shape of our legs and our movements and activities. As a result, we experience increased blood oxygen levels, which can enhance athletic performance, speed up muscle recovery and simply leave our legs feeling refreshed and energized.

Wanna wear ‘em right? A picture is worth a thousand words. Compression socks are more challenging to put on than regular socks. Watch our fun ‘How To’ video to learn how expert nurses put them on their patients. Once you’ve mastered these steps, you’ll see it’s easier than you expected and you’ll begin to feel the difference!

How is compression measured? Compression strength is described as a range. Each range is described in the chart below. The higher number represents the pressure at the ankle and the lower number represents the pressure at the top of the sock. This unit of pressure is referred to as mm/Hg (millimeters of mercury). Category of Compression: Light8-15 mmHg Moderate15-20 mmHg Firm20-30 mmHg - Typically requires a doctor’s prescription Extra Firm30-40mmHg - Always requires a doctor’s prescription and management Heavy40-60 mmHg - Absolutely requires a doctor’s prescription and management

Lily Trotters uses 15-20 mmHg, which is conventionally the strongest level of compression one can technically use without a doctor’s prescription. It is also the optimal level of compression recommended for exercise, travel, sitting and standing for long periods of time and for general wear.

Lily Trotters is committed to providing quality graduated compression – which is tightest at the ankle and incrementally and evenly less tight as it moves up the leg. Testing compression graduation is a core quality standard at Lily Trotters. We are committed to getting this right and test our socks regularly as standard-practice.

Compression socks are often used to minimize swelling and help with recovery from some surgeries. They are also helpful managing many medical conditions including Compartment Syndrome, POTS, venous issues, diabetes and more. If you have a medical condition (especially a history of blood clots), consult your physician before wearing compression socks to see if they could be part of your treatment plan, and if so which level of compression is best suited to your needs.

Compression socks, stockings and other garments originated for medical purposes – to improve blood circulation, add support after injuries, treat venous insufficiencies, wear post-surgeries and manage chronic illnesses. The idea of wearing compression for athletic performance and recovery is relatively new. Medical compression socks range in strength from 8-15 mmHg to 40-60 mmHg. They’re typically a thin sock and available in mostly plain beige, white and black. Performance compression socks deliver the same benefits as medical compression socks, but they are gear, built marathon- strong. They are primarily 15-20 mmHg— the optimal compression strength for performance, recovery and non-medical wear.

A lot of factors can affect the way our socks appear when relaxed and not on our legs. Each sock we knit has a specified targeted length. In hosiery manufacturing, hitting that exact length 100% of the time is impossible, so there is an acceptable range for each size, and a slight variation in length is to be expected between pairs. Temperature and humidity in transit can also affect the appearance of relaxed socks. If you are concerned about the size of your socks, please first try them on, as they do stretch a lot. If you are not happy with your fit, contact us by email, or call me - Fibi @0272535353 and we will replace your purchase as soon as possible. We are committed to our 100% customer satisfaction guarantee and ultimately your happiness.

Sizing for compression is all about knowing your calf circumference. Carefully measure your calf - at its' widest part - using a fabric measuring tape. Lily Trotters can really stretch, so to ensure your calf feels the 15-20 mmHg hug accurately, select the size that matches your calf circumference. Many people can wear both sizes comfortably. The majority of our product testers found the S/M to be the right size. Our socks do stretch everywhere, so keep that in mind. If you are on the taller side, you may prefer the length of our L/XL. Remember, Lily Trotters are 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed. Refer to our sizing guide below.