Should you wear socks for Yoga?

You might expect overpriced leggings or sweatshop brands to be controversial, but the humble sock brings out surprisingly strong opinions with yoga teachers and practitioners. This is why it's time to tackle the question of whether we should be wearing socks for yoga practice...

Caught in the act, wearing socks for Yin Yoga

What's the bother about wearing socks for yoga?

As a yoga teacher and a student, I often see socks being worn on yoga mats, and I'm surprised that I haven't been asked the question more often about whether we should wear socks for yoga or not.

I think perhaps this is something to do with western yoga being represented as an exercise class rather than being given context as participation in an ancient wisdom lineage. If we are just exercising then maybe it doesn't matter whether our feet are firmly grounded and we can really feel how we are standing and moving.

Opinions will come down on both sides amongst people regularly practicing physical yoga, in my experience largely because they either don't like exposing their feet or because they find wearing socks impractical (ie not grippy). Amongst yoga aficionados, teachers and experts, strong opinions mostly seem to exist in one direction, that we should not be wearing socks on the mat for safety, practical and more subtle reasons.

The truth is that this is a surprisingly complex topic for such a basic and ubiquitous piece of clothing and bears a bit of consideration for anyone stepping into a yoga practice.

Why shouldn't we be wearing socks for yoga?

OK let's start off with what seems to be the establishment opinion.

Safety:

As a yoga teacher, I prefer people not to wear socks in my classes during the standing posture sequence. This is from a safety point of view, as you will be less stable and more slippy when wearing socks in the standing poses (this includes downward facing dog). The way in which you learn to apply power, strength and stability, particularly as a new yoga student, will be impacted by wearing socks, so in my opinion for the development of a safe and stable practice it's best to avoid wearing socks on the mat from the very first time.

If you choose to wear socks during these poses it's up to you, but I do believe it limits your practice capacity here (even grippy socks- for reasons explained below).

Natural Mobility:

I have also frequently heard teachers who say that socks prevent your feet and toes from moving freely. I personally prefer toe socks, which mean that my toes can spread out more 'naturally', but I do appreciate the point that they're still very much enclosed.

But why does moving freely matter? Over time, as we wear socks and shoes that restrict the movement and spreading out of our feet and toes, our feet and toes become the shape of the things which enclose them rather than their optimal formation. I won't treat you to a photo of my toes, but safe to say I have warped toes from years of wearing shoes that weren't shape of my feet (note to say that I no longer wear these shoes and have become a HUGE advocate of natural shaped shoes). The yoga mat is one of the few spaces where we can allow our feet and toes the freedom of movement without these restrictions, so it's ideal to keep it sock-free.

Unrestricted movement of feet and toes contributes to better balance, stronger feet, less foot pain (including plantar fasciitis), lower fall risks as we age and overall better mobility and strength.

Respect & Connection:

The traditional path of yoga also tells us not to wear socks & shoes for practice as we are practically and symbolically leaving the outside world behind when we take them off to step on the yoga mat. This shows respect for the teacher and the practice.

We are making a direct connection with the ground through our bare feet, which better establishes the mind/body connection as we can feel a lot more without the barrier of socks. Modern science tells us that we have over 7000 nerve endings in our feet, similar to our hands, but because the feet are so often enclosed, the map that these nerve sensations make in the brain is greatly diminished in comparison. Our senses in our feet are dulled because we don't give them the opportunity to feel and this creates a negative feedback loop.

Ancient yogis knew what science now supports, that connecting your feet to the ground firmly and really being able to feel the connection leads to a sense of safety and solidness (root chakra connection) which extends through your physical body and aids proprioception (sense of where the body is in space), also supporting mental & emotional wellbeing, actively reducing stress & anxiety (read here if you are nerdy on this like me). So socks are a big no from a traditional point of view.

Why should we be able to wear socks for yoga?

There are a few persuasive and practical considerations that might bring socks onto the mat or mediation cushion.

Temperature:

In the UK, unless you are lucky to practice yoga in a very modern dedicated space, it's rarely a comfortable temperature to be barefoot for an entire hour or 75 mins of a yoga class. As a teacher, I think it's perfectly acceptable to wear socks at the start of class and take them off as required for the movement practice, putting them back on if necessary for the pranayama and relaxation sections.

Style of Practice:

Not all styles of practice require bare feet, in my opinion. For anything that's standing, it's generally best to be barefoot and solidly grounded, but for other practices, socks will not usually impede the yoga itself.

Unless it's a solid 25-30 celsius where you're practicing then wearing socks for seated meditation, yoga nidra, seated or supine pranayama, yin yoga or restorative yoga is actually likely to improve your practice as the body temperature drops when you move less.

Medical issues or body Anxiety:

I understand that some of us have genuine issues with our feet that mean we wouldn't come to class if we had to go barefoot. I know folks with nail and skin issues on their feet and do not begrudge them being able to wear socks at least whilst these are healing.

Anxiety and phobia around feet is a bit more of a thorny topic, as body acceptance can be a goal of physical yoga practice or at least something we can work on through our practice. But I wouldn't want someone not to come to yoga because they feel like anxiety about getting their feet out is overwhelming or that they will be shamed into taking off their socks, so I will never tell you that you simply can't wear socks for yoga.

What kind of socks can we wear for yoga?

Socks which enable movement and grip are best for an active yoga practice if you are actively choosing not to practice barefoot. Bearing in mind that even with these socks, your connection with the ground, level of sensation and proprioception will still be limited.

I'm a huge fan of toe socks, which allow the toes to move independently and also spread out more for improved balance and strength (I notice that most feet have perpetually squished-together toes from the pointed shape of 'normal' shoes- they're not really meant to be like this).

You can buy socks which have both individuated toes and grippy soles from quality yoga stores like yogamatters. These will improve safety and the quality of physical practice no end in comparison to wearing trainer liners, etc.

For a yin, meditation or restorative practice, which is much less active, grip is not really a concern, so a regular toe sock (I am never without my injinji trail socks...) or even a cosy sock can enhance the practice by keeping your feet warm whilst your body & mind settles.

The bottom line

It's entirely up to you if you choose to wear socks for yoga or not. Barefoot is very much the traditional way, but many modern practitioners choose to wear socks where it is appropriate and safe to do so.

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