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Questions, answered.
Everything we get asked most, in one place: how grip socks work, how to size them, how to make them last, and how orders and returns are handled. If your question is not here, email support@sundayleaguepsp.com and you will get a real answer from a real person.
Grip Socks, The Basics
What are grip socks, and what do they do?
Grip socks are performance socks with silicone grip printed across the sole. That grip holds your foot in place inside your boot instead of letting it slide on every cut, stop, and sprint. Less slide means faster direction changes, better contact with the ball, and fewer blisters, since blisters come from friction between your foot and the shoe. Everything else about the sock, the knit, the cuff, the reinforcement, exists to support that one job.
Do grip socks actually make a difference?
Yes, and the difference shows up in the moments that decide a play: hard cuts, sudden stops, and the first step of a sprint. When your foot slides inside the boot, you lose a fraction of every movement you make, and you pay for it in blisters. Grip socks remove that slide. It is why they went from niche to standard at the professional level in about a decade.
Are grip socks allowed in games?
Yes. Grip socks are legal at every level of play, including FIFA-sanctioned competition. The one rule that affects you is uniform consistency: your visible sock has to match your team's kit. Most players handle this by wearing grip socks underneath their team socks, or by pairing grip socks with cut socks in the team color. Youth and high school leagues sometimes add their own equipment rules, so check your rulebook if you are unsure.
Do you wear grip socks with or instead of team socks?
Both work, depending on your league. If your team has a required kit, wear the grip sock against your skin and pull the team sock over the top. Most players cut the foot out of the team sock first, so they are not stacking loose fabric under the boot, which cancels out the grip. That is what cut socks are built for. For pickup, training, or futsal with no kit requirement, wear grip socks on their own.
Can you wear grip socks for other sports?
Yes. The same principle applies anywhere your foot slides inside a shoe: basketball, volleyball, handball, tennis, futsal, and gym training. SL PRO grip socks also get plenty of use outside sport, in yoga and pilates studios where grip against the floor is the point. The sock does not care what you are playing, only whether your foot is moving when it should not be.
Sizing And Fit
What size SL PRO grip socks should I get?
Order by your shoe size using the size guide. SL PRO comes in four custom adult fits plus a youth size, and each adult fit covers about a 1.5 shoe-size range with its own tailored shape and grip layout. That is deliberate. Most brands stretch one to three sizes across three or four shoe sizes, or sell small, medium, and large with no size guide at all, which leaves you guessing. A grip sock that does not fit your foot cannot hold your foot.
How tight should grip socks fit?
Snug, with no loose fabric anywhere under your foot. SL PRO uses a compression fit on purpose. If the sock can move around your foot, the grips are holding the sock to the boot while your foot slides inside the sock, which is the exact problem grip socks are meant to solve. It should feel locked in, not painful, and it should not leave deep marks when you take it off.
I'm between sizes. Should I size up or down?
Size down. A grip sock needs full contact between your sole and the sock to do its job, and a snug sock breaks in. A loose one bunches under the ball of your foot and creates the friction you bought them to avoid. If you are buying for soccer specifically, keep in mind that boots usually fit closer than street shoes.
Do you make youth sizes?
Yes. SL PRO runs from US youth 1 through men's 13, so the same sock a college player wears comes in a true youth fit. That matters more than it sounds. Plenty of parents buy the smallest adult size and hope, which puts a kid in a loose sock with the grips in the wrong places.
Do the socks shrink?
Slightly. Expect up to 1 to 2 cm over the first one to five washes, and then they hold. Wash cold and keep them out of high heat and you will stay at the low end of that. Shrinkage past that range is almost always a heat problem.
Care And Durability
How do I wash my grip socks?
Turn them inside out, wash cold on a gentle cycle with a mild detergent, and skip bleach and fabric softener entirely. Inside out protects the grips and puts the sweatiest surface where the water actually reaches it. Fabric softener is the one people miss: it leaves a residue on the silicone that measurably reduces traction. A mesh laundry bag helps.
Can grip socks go in the dryer?
Yes, on low heat or a delicate cycle. Air drying flat is still preferred and will get you the most life out of a pair, but a low-heat cycle will not ruin them. It is the high heat that does the damage, not the tumble. Most brands tell you to never use a dryer at all. The more useful version of that advice is to keep the temperature down.
How long does a pair of SL PRO grip socks last?
About six months, based on our testing at three high-intensity sessions a week while rotating a three-pack. The rotation is doing real work there: it spreads the wear and gives each pair time to dry fully between uses. Washing or drying them hot is the fastest way to cut that number in half.
Is it normal for the grips to wear off?
Yes, and it is not a defect. Grips wear down first in the highest-friction parts of the sole, which are also the parts that need the added traction least, so a pair keeps performing well after some of the grip has gone. What you are watching for is the sole going flat across most of its surface. That is the replacement signal, not a few worn spots around the edges.
My grips feel less sticky. Can I fix that?
Often, yes. Most sudden grip loss is surface buildup rather than wear: sweat oils, detergent residue, and dirt sitting on top of the silicone. Wipe the grips with a cloth and a little rubbing alcohol, let them dry completely, and a lot of the tack comes back. If you have been using fabric softener, stop, and give it a wash or two to recover.
Shin Guards And Cut Socks
What are cut socks, and why do players cut their socks?
Cut socks are team socks with the foot already removed, so you get the look of a full sock with a grip sock doing the work underneath. Players started cutting their own for the same reason: pulling a full team sock over a grip sock puts a layer of loose fabric between the grip and the boot, which cancels out the grip. Scissors work, but the cut edge frays and unravels. SL CORE cut socks are finished properly and come in five colors.
What are built-in shin guards?
Built-in shin guards combine the guard and a compression sleeve in one piece. The sleeve holds the guard flat against your shin, so there is nothing to strap, tape, or readjust mid-match. You pull them on like a sleeve and wear cut socks or team socks over the top. SL CORE built-in shin guards use a slim, low-profile guard in a breathable, form-fitting sleeve, in five sizes.
Are built-in shin guards legal for my league?
Usually, but check your rulebook before you switch. Club soccer in most states has no specific shin guard regulation, so built-in guards are fine. High school play tends to be stricter about equipment, and some competitions require a specific certification stamp on the guard itself. It takes two minutes to check and it saves you a conversation with a referee at kickoff.
What size built-in shin guards should I get?
Use the size guide rather than going by age. Because the sleeve is what holds the guard in place, a sleeve that is too loose defeats the design, and this is not a one-size product. SL CORE built-in guards come in five sizes.
Do I need shin guard straps?
Only if you are wearing traditional slip-in guards. Straps solve the problem of a guard that will not stay put, which is the most common complaint with slip-ins. If you have already moved to built-in guards, the sleeve is doing that job and you do not need straps.
How to keep shin guards from sliding · SL VISE shin guard straps
Orders, Shipping, And Returns
How fast will my order ship?
We aim to fulfill orders within 48 hours. Orders are packed in-house in Portland. Delivery time after that depends on the shipping speed you pick at checkout.
When do I get free shipping?
Free shipping starts at $60 for US orders and $80 for international orders. Below those, shipping is calculated at checkout.
Do you ship internationally?
Yes, we ship worldwide. International orders over $80 ship free, and below that, rates are calculated at checkout. Customs duties, import taxes, and any fees charged by your country are the customer's responsibility and are not included in what you pay us.
Can I return or exchange something?
Yes, within 30 days of receiving your order. Items need to be unworn and unused, with tags on and in the original packaging, and you will need proof of purchase. Email support@sundayleaguepsp.com to start a return and we will send you a return shipping label along with instructions. Sale items and gift cards cannot be returned. If you need a different size or color, the fastest route is to return the original and place a new order rather than wait on an exchange.
Something arrived damaged, or I got the wrong item.
Email support@sundayleaguepsp.com right away with your order number and a photo, and we will make it right. Do not send anything back before you hear from us, since returns without authorization cannot be accepted.
Are there any deals or discounts?
Occasionally, but we do not run sales often. When something is running you will see it in a banner on the site or on the product page itself, so there is no separate deals page to check. Team, club, and wholesale pricing works differently: email support@sundayleaguepsp.com for details and pricing.
About Sunday League
What does "Sunday League" mean?
Sunday league is the name for amateur weekend soccer: pickup matches, pub sides, rec leagues, the game played for no reason other than wanting to play it. We took the name because that is the version of the game we are built for. A first-timer lines up next to someone who used to get paid for it, and nobody checks your resume before kickoff. Everyone is welcome. That is the whole idea.
Do you offer team, club, or wholesale pricing?
Yes. We work with teams, clubs, high school programs, and retail stores, with separate pricing tiers for each. Email support@sundayleaguepsp.com with what you need and roughly how many, and you will get details and pricing back directly. Orders of 1,000 units or more can also open up custom options.
Do you make custom socks with names or numbers?
Not on individual orders. We do not do name embroidery, jersey numbers, heat transfers, or screen printing on one-off purchases. Custom work is available at volume, starting around 1,000 units. Email support@sundayleaguepsp.com to talk it through.
What is the giving program?
For every pair of SL PRO grip socks we sell, we donate a pair of cotton socks to a homeless shelter or charity in need. Cotton rather than performance gear is deliberate: socks are one of the most requested and least donated items at shelters, so a warm everyday pair does more good there than a grip sock would.
Where are you based?
Portland, Oregon. Sunday League was founded in December 2022 and is still run day to day by its small team and founder, Grant Garcia.
Still Have A Question?
Email support@sundayleaguepsp.com and you will hear back from a person, usually within a day. Team, club, and wholesale inquiries go to the same address.