OS1st Blog

Myth Vs. Fact: You can't be the therapeutic brand and the performance brand

There's a belief that a brand has to pick a lane. Either you're therapeutic — careful, clinical, built for healing — or you're performance — fast, bold, built for pushing....

Myth Vs. Fact: All Running Socks Are Basically The Same

On the shelf, socks look interchangeable. Same rough shape, same drawer, similar price. It's easy to assume that once they're on your feet, they all do about the same thing....

Myth Vs. Fact: A Medical Background Means Clinical, Not Capable.

There's a lazy assumption baked into the word "medical" — that it means stiff, sterile, and slow. Beige. Something you're prescribed, not something you choose. So when people hear OS1st...

Myth Vs. Fact: You Deal With Foot Problems When They Show Up

Waiting until a blister or hot spot appears means you're already in treatment mode. Engineering works one step earlier. Because repeated shear force is what separates the skin's outer layer...

Myth Vs. Fact: A Sock Can't do much about what your feet go through

Think about the geometry. The sock is the single layer in direct contact with your skin on one side and your shoe on the other. That's not a minor role...

Myth Vs. Fact: OS1st is Just a Recovery Brand

Founded in Hickory, North Carolina on decades of hosiery expertise and biomechanical insight, OS1st has always been about supporting the body's natural mechanics — whether that means helping a foot...

Myth Vs. Fact: "Performance" is a thinner sock and a louder logo.

Walk a wall of running socks and you'll see the same two signals over and over: thin fabric and a big logo. Thin reads as fast. The logo reads as...

Myth Vs. Fact: Hot spots just happen on long runs.

Pay attention to where your hot spots show up and a pattern emerges fast. Ball of the foot. Heel. The outside of the little toe. Maybe the top of a...

Myth Vs. Fact: Blisters Aren't Bad Luck. They're Physics.

Blisters aren't random. They're friction plus moisture, repeated thousands of times a run. Here's the science — and how the right sock breaks the chain.

runner wearing os1st plantar fasciitis socks

Plantar Fasciitis and Running: Causes, Prevention, and Recovery

If you are a runner and have ever stepped out of bed only to feel sharp heel pain with those first few steps, you may be dealing with plantar fasciitis....

A Sock For Every Runner

Running is one of the simplest ways to stay active, but every runner knows that the wrong gear can make even the shortest jog uncomfortable. While shoes get most of...

How to Start Running (And Stick With It)

Starting to run can feel intimidating, but with the right mindset, plan, and gear, anyone can become a runner. Whether your goal is to train for your first 5K or...

5 Signs That You Need Plantar Fasciitis Socks

Plantar fasciitis is a common foot condition that can cause debilitating heel and arch pain. If left untreated, it can lead to chronic discomfort and even make it difficult to...

How OS1st Supports the Way You Move

Our products aren’t magic, and we won’t pretend they are. You still have to show up, put in the work, and listen to your body. But OS1st can help you...

Compression for Runners Who Move with Purpose.

Runners deserve socks that work as hard as they do. Compression should be lightweight, breathable, precise—and part of your everyday performance, not a separate routine. At OS1st, we’re proud to...

Not Just a Trend: OS1st is here for the long run.

Wellness isn’t about quick fixes or following the crowd. It’s about building habits, routines, and tools that actually support your body. That’s where we come in. Every OS1st sock and...

Why Running Socks Matter: The Secret to Better Performance & Comfort

When it comes to running gear, most athletes focus on shoes—but what about socks? The right running socks can make or break your performance, helping to prevent blisters, regulate temperature,...

What OS1st Stands For: More Than Just a Name

At OS1st, our name is more than just a brand—it’s a promise. OS1st stands for "Our Socks, Our Sleeves, Our Services First." It represents our unwavering commitment to innovation, comfort,...

The Importance of Toe Splay

Natural toe splay refers to the way your toes naturally spread out when not confined by tight shoes or socks. Unfortunately, many types of footwear squeeze the toes into an...

Gift Guide

Looking for a gift that promotes health and wellness? Whether your loved one is an athlete, fitness enthusiast, or someone seeking to enhance their well-being, we have them covered.

Gift ideas for First Responders from a Firefighter.

On any given shift as a California firefighter, we could find ourselves on the medical aids, fighting fires, dissembling car collisions, hiking to fight wildland fires, doing PT exercises, attending...

Elevate your pickleball game: OS1st gift picks from someone who plays pickleball

For those passionate about pickleball, these OS1st essentials - The Pickleball Sock, AS6 Performance Arm Sleeve, and Fresh Snaps - are the ultimate gifts or stocking stuffers. Crafted with precision...

The OS1st Nekkid Comfort Sock: Perfect for Life On the Go

The OS1st Nekkid Comfort Sock isn't just any sock; it's your trusted companion for a life on the move. With performance-driven features, it effortlessly adapts to your busy schedule and...

From Total Knee Replacement Surgery, Back to the Pickleball Court

May 1st, 2023. The day of my total knee replacement surgery to repair all the damage caused by 50 years of playing hard court tennis. The journey from then until...

Health doesn’t always equal “staying fit” but rather rest, rest, and more rest.

"Since my accident last November and then the TBI relapse and Chiari diagnosis in March this spring, my health has been my number one priority, as it always is. But...

Record-Breaking Achievement: 48-48-48 Pickleball Challenge Completed

The World Record attempt by Dean Matt, aiming to complete 48 pickleball matches in 48 states within 48 days, has come to a triumphant close.Dean Matt set out to play...

How is OS1st's K-Zone® Bracing Technology like low-dye taping?

Low dye taping requires athletic tape to be applied each time it is used, whereas K-Zone® technology is built into the compression sleeve for example, the AF7 Ankle Bracing Sleeve...

Nekkid Comfort Socks and the active lifestyle

Have you ever wondered if you could get the “no-sock” look in your running shoes, track cleats or cycling shoes while still benefiting from the support that socks provide? Well you...

To say pickleball has changed my life doesn't do it justice.

There is something to be said about an activity that brings people together from all walks of life…enter pickleball. One of the most social and fun sports that I’ve had...

Pickleball: My Journey, My Love, My Equipment, My Attire, My Invitations

From my first time on the court, with my tennis background, pickleball felt familiar to me. I didn’t feel like I was good when I started, but I didn’t feel...

How to prevent Pickleball injury

Injuries such as ankle strain, Achilles tendon strain (back of the ankle), heel bruise, wrist fracture, knee, hamstring, groin, quad strain or shoulder strain are common to the Pickleball community. In...

Day in the life as someone who is Pickleball-obsessed

I’ll never forget my first game of pickleball. I was visiting friends in Austin. We were at a restaurant and it had an outdoor pickleball court (and yes those do exist).

How to return to exercise safely after injury

Two common scenarios happen when returning to training following an injury: one, you remember where you were before your injury and jump right back into it, or two, you plan...

How to prevent running injuries

Injuries are a frustrating part of sport (and life) that show up as chronic-type injuries when you have no clue what caused it or traumatic-type injuries when it was inevitable...

What it takes to run the oldest 100-mile trail race

Every ultra-runner has their own story of how they got to the start line of a race with a course longer than a marathon distance, and the runners of the...

How To Properly Foam Roll

Foam rolling may be the tool that you are missing in your daily routine. It provides relief to muscle stiffness and tightness, which allows you to be ready for your...

4 Exercises for Sprained Ankle Recovery

If you’ve been diagnosed with a grade 1 ankle sprain, you can perform some at home interventions and stretches to aid your body’s natural healing process. The alphabet exercise is...

Knee Stretching Made Easy

Knee health is important as you use your knees everyday all day. If you are currently experiencing knee pain or you want to avoid knee pain in the future these...

Staying Hydrated in the Summer Heat

Hydration is often times overlooked. Too many people fall victim to the mistakes of poor water intake and lack of preparation. In order to make sure that you don’t fall...

How to Care For Compression Socks

Socks are an ever-elusive part of our daily wear, often entering a dryer to never come out, or taking residence under a bed for years. In fact, research says you...

5 Stretches for Plantar Fasciitis Relief

These stretches are simple, easy to do, and require little to no equipment. You can do these stretches anywhere and especially in the comfort of your own home. To make...

Running with Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar Fasciitis is inflammation of the tissue that connects your heel bone to your toes . Roughly 83 percent of active adults will experience some form of Plantar Fasciitis in their...

How Sergio Florian set a record and built community during the pandemic

Team OS1st member and physical therapist, Sergio Florian, set the record for running the perimeter of his home island of Oahu, Hawaii. He ran the island in 27 hours and 15 minutes...

OS1st March Virtual Running Challenge

Runners should complete at least one 5, 10, or 15K run on their own, and track their activity on the Strava app as a member of the OS1st Club. The app can be...

OS1st January Virtual Running Challenge

The OS1st Virtual Running Challenge is back for round three, with 10 days of virtually uniting runners who are safely training/racing, on their own, outdoors or at home, through a virtual...

How to qualify for the ElliptiGo World Championship

What exactly is an ElliptiGo bike? The “Go” combines a running, cycling, and elliptical motion while standing (read: you don’t ever get to sit down while pedaling this thing). This...

Overcoming running injury and downtime

Training goes well until, well, it doesn’t. I’m sure for many folks, that’s been the case a time or two. For me, that seems to have been the story line...

What does it mean to be an athlete?

The deep ties in society between an athletes performance, "winning," and a person's assigned value can sometimes create an identity crisis within an athlete. "Are you a winning athlete or...

About our founder

OS1st, originally founded in 2008 by Dave Higgins, grew into a “Three-Generation” company with David's son as President, David's grandson as Materials Manager, and Dave’s wife and other two son’s are owners and directors.

OS1st Blog

Myth Vs. Fact: OS1st belongs on the recovery wall, not next to the running socks.

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