Reviews You Can Rely On

Balega Hidden Comfort Review

A sock that is very comfortable for a great price, but has a few drawbacks when it comes to performance
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balega hidden comfort running socks review
Credit: SocksGeek
Price:  $18 List
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Manufacturer:   Balega
By Andy Wellman ⋅ Senior Review Editor  ⋅  Jun 25, 2019
63
OVERALL
SCORE
  • Comfort - 25% 8.0
  • Fit - 25% 5.0
  • Wicking & Breathability - 25% 6.0
  • Slip Prevention - 15% 7.0
  • Durability - 10% 5.0

Our Verdict

The Balega Hidden Comfort is comfortable and quite affordable. Since comfort is one of the most important considerations for a running sock, why wouldn't we recognize the one that gives the best comfort for the least price? While we love it for how easy it is to pull on at any time, and how great it feels to wear virtually all the time, we will admit that this sock didn't perform quite as well out on a run, and ranked near the middle of the pack in our overall rankings. It features a basic design that isn't congruent with all other contenders that offer a thoughtful architecture. While we don't mind wearing it for a run here or there, it's not our favorite for the daily wear. Though, we do love it for its comfortable fabric features.
REASONS TO BUY
Excellent price
Very comfortable
Super stretchy
REASONS TO AVOID
Likes to slip off the back of foot
Padding not targeted to most important areas

Our Analysis and Test Results

This sock is cozy and comfortable with a non-specific fit. While it's not the best running sock out there, its excellent price may persuade you to buy it for other activities like lounging around the house or taking a bike ride.

Performance Comparison


balega hidden comfort running socks review - crystal lake is one of our favorite places to get in a short...
Crystal Lake is one of our favorite places to get in a short, relatively flat run (hard to find in these mountains) in an incredible setting. Here we are testing different socks against each other with a brown dog.

Comfort


There is no doubt that the Balega Hidden Comfort is very comfortable. As the most important characteristic of a running sock, this can't be overlooked. While wearing this sock we never noticed any pinching, tightness, rubbing, or excessive looseness anywhere or at any time. The predominantly polyester fabric felt very smooth against the skin and was rarely even noticed once it was put on.

balega hidden comfort running socks review - a look at the non-specific but plush cushioning that we absolutely...
A look at the non-specific but plush cushioning that we absolutely LOVE slipping our foot into.
Credit: Amber King

The marketing speak on Balega's website claims that this sock has a ratio of "50 percent volume, and 66 percent cushion." We aren't exactly sure how to substantiate that claim and assume that it is in comparison to other Balega socks. Regardless, the top of this sock is made up of very thin fabric with a breathable weave, while the entire bottom of the sock is thick padded cushioning.

balega hidden comfort running socks review - the ankle tab is highly protective with its cushioned collar. the...
The ankle tab is highly protective with its cushioned collar. The elastic does a decent job at staying in place on flats and downhills.
Credit: Amber King

Rather than targeting the padding to just where it is needed, Balega chose to simply blanket the entire sole of the foot in padding. We don't think it's necessary to have the arch super padded and prefer lighter, more breathable fabric. The padding wraps over the tops of the toes but doesn't come up around the sides of the big and pinky toes, or the ball of the foot. It also stops short of the ankle cuff on the back of the heel, leaving an unpadded region over the Achilles tendon. We do, however, appreciate the padded collar around the top of the sock that adds to the comfort of this sock. Overall, this sock offers cushioning that is sufficient, but unthoughtful in its design.

balega hidden comfort running socks review - a look at the division between the breathable upper mesh and the...
A look at the division between the breathable upper mesh and the cushioned underfoot.
Credit: Amber King

Fit


In general, the fit, at first, feels a little small, but over time it does stretch out. The sock is pretty simple in design, resembling a large tube of fabric. As we mentioned above, the cushioning isn't targeted but it still offers a decent fit. Of the socks tested, it is one of the easiest to simply slip over your foot.

balega hidden comfort running socks review - a well-fitting sock that doesn't bunch at the toes. it's elastic and...
A well-fitting sock that doesn't bunch at the toes. It's elastic and comfortable for all-day wear. However, it does stretch over time.
Credit: Amber King

While this stretch was at first appreciated, we noticed that it doesn't hug or support the foot as well as it should. There is a burly elastic around the ankle, but the elastic that fits the circumference of the foot doesn't really keep the sock in place. There is a quite thick padded tab in place over the heel, designed to hold the sock up above the top of the shoe.

balega hidden comfort running socks review - the sock comes just under the ankle bone and high enough for high...
The sock comes just under the ankle bone and high enough for high backed running shoes.
Credit: Amber King

This worked just fine for us as long as we were wearing low-cut running shoes, but if we tried to wear any type of shoe whose ankle cut was higher than that of this sock, it quickly rolled off the heel and bunched under the foot. As a result, the fit isn't the best out there, but it works for a shorter training run or to wear just around the house.

balega hidden comfort running socks review - a look at the fit on our male main tester, showing a similar level...
A look at the fit on our male main tester, showing a similar level of height in the shoe.

Wicking & Breathability


This running sock does not supersede others in this category. In fact, because of its thicker construction, it didn't do too well in our breathability and drying tested. In our 15-minute foot drying test, we found that after the time was up it was still a bit damp on the inside, and the padded parts were noticeably moist. In the one-hour drying time test, we again found that the inside of the sock remained slightly damper than the outside of the sock, suggesting that the fibers are not moving moisture to the outside on their own.

balega hidden comfort running socks review - the breathable upper provides some ventilation, but the cushioned...
The breathable upper provides some ventilation, but the cushioned underfoot does have a hard time moving moisture. The looped cushioning does wick well, but the moisture gets stuck in the fabric.
Credit: Amber King

While running we noticed this same trend. Our feet felt hotter than they should on warm days, and the sock absorbed moisture more than other thinner contenders. While the hooked stitching can wick well, it doesn't breath as well as we'd hope. That said, it works great for cool weather but should be left at home when it starts to get super hot outside.

Slip Prevention


Slip prevention is another metric where the Balega Hidden Comfort struggled a bit. The super stretchy fit that we have talked about above also led to it allowing a bit of movement of the foot within the sock. The fabric on the outside of the sock was also slick: it slipped around inside the very loose shoe on steep inclines. With a loose fit it was also able to slip at times over the heel, although that problem was only due to how we were testing, and when we tightened our shoe up enough for running this wasn't a problem. That said, it wasn't as slippery as thinner contenders and did relatively well overall in this category.

balega hidden comfort running socks review - while these are comfortable, the exterior does slip a little bit in...
While these are comfortable, the exterior does slip a little bit in shoes that are looser or slipperier. We especially noticed this with super wide trail running shoes on the downhill.

Durability


Overall durability proved to be about average to sub-par. After just a few uses and washes this sock began to pill. After about 30+ miles of use, the level of cushioning compressed, providing less comfort and cushion. While we didn't experience any holes, some online reviews do lend to the idea that they experienced holes after just a few uses. All that said, our observations of durability infer that these socks should last a while, but it will take some time to find out how long.


Value


This sock almost won our Best Bang for the Buck award. While it is more expensive, it offers a better level of comfort and overall performance. If you're looking for a super cheap option, this is also a good sock that we would recommend.

balega hidden comfort running socks review - trail running, road running, and wearing around the house are all...
Trail running, road running, and wearing around the house are all great places for this protective sock. Avoid it if you sweat a lot on your feet or if you need something that breathes especially well. It will perform better with a tighter fitting shoe.
Credit: Amber King

Conclusion


The Balega Hidden Comfort stays hidden and supremely comfortable within a running shoe, delivering on the promise implicit in its name. It stretches easily over the foot for optimal comfort. That said, due to its stretchiness, underperforming wicking ability, and non-targeted padding that simply extends the length of the foot it's not great for super hot weather or steep uphill climbs where you might find your self sweating buckets.

Andy Wellman