Worn by Rakitic: Tapedesign Anti-Slip Socks Review

A few weeks ago, we made a post about the socks worn by FC Barcelona's Ivan Rakitic, produced by Austrian company Tapedesign. Tapedesign's anti-slip socks have been gaining a lot of traction lately, with many different professionals at the highest level using them - amongst them are players such as Reiss Nelson, Bas Dost, Malcom and Marko Arnautovic.

Over the past couple of weeks we've been able to try the Tapedesign socks and we'll give you our unfiltered opinion and verdict today, but let's start with a short introduction.

Tapedesign's socks aim to reduce slipping inside the shoe by placing sticky dots on the bottom of the socks, something that was of course first done in football by Trusox. Unlike Trusox, which has patented this part of its construction, Tapedesign's socks do not feature dots on the inside. Instead, they aim to make sure that the foot is not slipping inside the sock by using a very firm and yet quite elastic material that closely wraps around the foot. In fact, this allows Tapedesign to have just two sizing options (30-36, 37-48) which is quite outstanding.

The Tapedesign socks are available in a wide array of colors and its possible to have them personalized with your initials, country flags or even Emoji. They range from €30 per pair for the basic options to €40 for personalized and longer socks.

Features

• ONE size (size 37 – 48) due to special processing of the very high quality material
• Specially placed rubber knobs on the outside in ergonomic foot shape for a perfect fit in the shoe
• Tested by professional and amateur athletes in all kinds of sports (such as football, tennis, handball, volleyball, etc.) and perceived as excellent
• Can be used in all sports where direction changes and rotational movements are required
• RRP: €30 (~$35, £27)

Following our test, which involved football as well as running, we can confirm that Tapedesign's socks basically eliminate any kind of slipping inside the shoe. This brings a lot in many sports as it allows for faster direction turns and less lost energy with every step.

We were a bit skeptical about the one-fits-all sizing, but they've managed to pull it off thanks to the material that's used. Although they are pretty stretchy, and thus easily to put on, the socks have a very tight fit. It might actually be a bit tight for some people, especially with larger or wider feet. However, since these socks main feature is to provide a tight and close fit, it's something you'll have to live with.

The socks are also a fair bit thinner than other football socks, which again might not be what you want. Quality and production of the socks appears to decent, and while we of course haven't put in a lot of time with them yet, we feel like they should hold up for a fair amount of time. We'll continue to wear them regularly and will update you if there are any issues in this department.

Impression

• No slipping inside the shoe
• Easy to put on
• Very firm fit
• Might be too tight for some people
• Decent quality
• Very visible branding

To sum it um, Tapedesign's socks bring more or less what they promise. They are a true performance product made for match days, but might lack a bit in terms of comfort. Pricing is definitely a bit steep at €30 per pair, but if you're currently having issues with things like slipping or blisters, they're worth trying out for sure.

The socks can be bought directly from Tapedesign as well as a small selection of retailers, mainly from Austria and Germany.

Do you have anything to add, any questions? Comment below.