Orro Sportive Sock

Tell us what the product is for

Says Orro's website: "The ORRO Sportive sock is so thin and supportive it feels like nothing you've ever had on your feet. Made from fibres that wick moisture away and help maintain natural bacterial skin balance. Gentle midfoot and ankle compression areas ensure increased circulation with great arch support. Available in a selection of bright hues, that aid visibility on the road, with a strong and stylish 6-inch cuff."

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Made in Italy

85% Polyamide

15% Elastane

These are well put together in Italy. Not bad for a sock under £10.

A comfortable summer sock with no bad habits. The all-synthetic build might have proven scratchy or rough but they're soft to wear and stayed cool and comfortable throughout the test period, which included the July heatwave.

No snags or pulls so far. Only the heel and toe panels are stitched in, the toe flatlocked without any lumpy bits.

Pretty well perfect for me: the ankle cuff is secure but not tight; they're very tidy down my slender shins and the foot gripper is wide and comfortable.

I tested a size large and they were perfect for my size 11 feet. The Large fits up to size 12 and the Small goes down to a petite size 2, so there should be something there for you.

Unless you're routinely riding in frying heat these are ideal summer-weight socks.

Nothing to fault here.

Half the price of some! And at the time of writing they were reduced by a pound. You can also buy a three-pack, usually at £29.99 but as I write they're reduced to £14.99. (You can even have a mixed pack.)

How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?

They've had priority through the wash to try to give them a good thrashing and they've come up fine. White socks are not the easiest things to live with but they do look good. The only place where they're showing the grime is under the ball of the foot, where the sewn-in panel of fake flannel has gone a bit bobbly and trapped small bits and pieces.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

They're called Sportive socks and they've proven ideal for all-day rides out in the spring and summer. My feet have felt dry and comfortable in them, the gentle compression around the instep keeps them from moving about, and the wide, elastane-powered ankle grip keeps them in place without biting in. There's a little padding under the toe/ball of the foot area that may or may not have assisted in comfort – I sometimes get a hot-spot in the middle of the ball of the right foot and these socks were pretty good at preventing that from flaring up.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Very good fit and sizing, good looks, cool and comfortable in use. Made in Italy but still inexpensive.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

The flannel-like pad under the ball of the foot has gone bobbly and a bit grey-looking but that hasn't impacted the performance.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

MAAP's Emblem socks have a similar, classic look with matching comfort and performance but are priced at £18, and Rockay's Ignites are another all-white sock, with a high recycled fibre content, and £20.

Use this box to explain your overall score

A classic white sock is a staple of any cyclist's wardrobe and these are really good value with great looks, comfort and fit. They're sized to fit a wide range of riders and can be had in yellow or blue too. At under £10 a pair for Italian-made socks, there's very little to complain about.