When we went to Japan for a couple weeks of cycling, there was a mix of riding styles on the docket, and we had to prepare for everything from sunny heat to lots of rain. CEP offered socks and (full disclosure) helped support our trip, so we dug through their sock drawer to find the best options for long days in the saddle and mixed conditions.
CEP Compression is the sporting division of Medi, a German brand primary in the medical-grade compression socks business. Which makes it sound like these things would be tight. Maybe too tight. Fortunately, they turned out to be very comfortable, with their knee-height travel/recovery socks being much lighter than we anticipated, and much easier to pull on and off than some competing brands I’ve tried.
That said, CEP is not a “cycling” sock brand. Their current catalog is tailored for running, walking, hiking, or everyday/office use. So we over-shopped to make sure we had something that would work. My sock cube was stuffed, and over two weeks, we tried every possible option to see what worked best for cycling. A few stood out – here’s what we liked:
CEP Hiking, Running & Wool socks are the best
Most of what we rode were the “Mid Cut” models. Our favorites were the Hiking Light Merino, Run Compression, and Ultralight Mid-Cut socks.
The Ultralight (shown above in black, at top of post in white) are the closest thing they make to a pure cycling sock. It’s extremely lightweight, making it great for hot weather. And the neutral white, black, gray, and navy color options should work with most cycling kits. If you’re the type of rider who uses their socks to add a splash of color to your kit, look elsewhere. CEP’s palette is rather reserved.
The Reflective Mid-Cut Compression socks (on right in olive green) add two reflective stripes to enhance visibility. They’re a general-purpose athletic sock that held up well, too, and was one of our faves.
In fact, all of their socks held up really well throughout the trip, and continue to do so. I’ve worn mine on a number of other road trips, hikes, and rides, and we spent plenty of time in Japan walking around in just our socks. They’re showing no signs of wear, despite trekking across bridges, tatami mats, gravel, and more.
All of their socks have extensive zonal knitting, adding compression here, padding there, and generally being very well thought out for the intended use. For cycling, I wish the cuffs were about one inch higher, but they never looked out of place…and I’m kinda tall, so that’s just my personal preference. Steve liked them just fine.
Because of all that zoned construction, they’re left- and right-specific, which I like. All that knitting does tend to pick up “stuff” off the ground easily, so check the bottom of your socks before sticking your feet back into your shoes if you’ve been traipsing around in them.
Most of their socks come in “normal” sizing schemes, but their full-height travel compression socks are based on ankle and calf size, so you’ll need to do a little measuring for those. We tested their lightweight Infrared Recovery model, which sounded like they were going to be hot, but ended up being very comfortable on the very long flight to and from Asia.
The Hiking Light Merino (shown above in Low Cut, also available in Mid Cut) was one of our favorites on the bikepacking part of our trip. It’s well padded on the bottom, but thin and light on top. That makes it comfy for hike-a-bikes and off-bike adventures, but without adding bulk or unwanted warmth.
The merino wool also stayed stink-free throughout consecutive days of wearing and riding in them. Note that the style has changed slightly since we got ours, but the features are the same. Also note that all links in this story are to the men’s versions, but they have women’s versions of everything, too.
The Run Compression Mid-Cut socks (on right) are the exception to their rule in terms of color. These offer a wide variety of hues with hits of brightness here and there.
For kits, we wore all Gore Wear cycling kits and jackets. Surprisingly, we were able to find enough CEP options to match some of Gore’s latest Spinshift and other kits. So it’s not like there’s no good colors from CEP, but most models are kinda limited to muted options. Almost all models have white, though, and we all know white is the fastest color, so…
Training Socks and other stuff we tried
Steve tried the Allday Compression Socks, which are very much like dress socks. These actually look the most like a traditional cycling sock from DeFeet or Swiftwick, with solid colors, minimal branding, and a very thin, lightweight knit.
But sadly they’re not very good athletic socks mainly because the cuff would sag down after a few miles of spinning. If you want something lightweight and mildly compressive for office work, these should be great for that.
I tried the Training Socks for two reasons. First, they seemed like a good all-purpose athletic sock. But second, and more importantly, I really like the way the stripes look on them, and I liked the navy blue color. Other colors also available.
These are, indeed, very comfortable socks, but they’re also really thick. They were too warm for the heat of Japan’s summer riding, and a bit thick for my cycling shoes. I can see these being a go-to in winter and/or with larger-volume shoes, though.
Final thoughts
Overall, CEP’s range of socks are comfortable, supportive, and have enough variety to meet almost any need in any season. There are plenty of other models that are more specialized (warmth, arch support, etc.) that we didn’t try. For cyclists, the Ultralight, Hiking Light Merino, and Reflective Mid Cut socks are probably the best options for most seasons.
I also wore the socks while walking and hiking around Japan for another three weeks after the cycling segments, adding in a few of Low-Cut styles. Feature wise, the Mid- and Low-cut options are similar, so if you find one you like, you’ve got options. I like the durability and support, especially on really long days on our feet. Worth a look if you’re trying to pack light for a variety of adventures.
