Everything you need to wear your shoes barefoot without the sweat, the smell or the slipping. Five minutes to read, and you only really need the first two sections.
1. What NotSocks actually are
This trips most people up on day one. NotSocks are not a sock you put on your foot. They are a thin cover that wraps around the insole inside your shoe. Your bare foot then rests on fabric instead of on the shoe's foam footbed.
That is the whole trick. A no-show sock slides off your heel because your foot is the only thing holding it on. A NotSock cannot slide off your heel, because it is wrapped around something that does not move.
2. Which pack do you need?
NotSocks wrap around an insole, so if you do not already own insoles you can cut to size, you need a Starter pack.
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New to NotSocks — Starter 2-Pack. Two pairs of insole socks plus one pair of cut-to-size insoles. The spare pair means there is always a fresh set while the other is in the wash.
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Just trying it — Starter 1-Pack. One pair of insole socks plus one pair of cut-to-size insoles.
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Already own them, or wear orthotics — Refill 3-Pack. Three pairs of insole socks, no insoles included. This one is for replacements, or for wrapping insoles you already have.
If this is your first order, do not start with the Refill 3-Pack. It does not include the insoles you will need.
3. Getting the size right
Every pack has a trim guide printed on it. Match the line to your shoe size and cut along it before you insert. Unisex sizing covers roughly women's 4 to men's 12; the kids' pack is one size.
Cut slightly long if you are unsure. You can always trim more, and a fraction of extra length disappears once the insole is seated in the shoe.
4. Notes by shoe type
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Hey Dudes. The soft foam footbed is exactly the kind that soaks up sweat and holds onto it, and you cannot machine wash the shoe without wrecking the shape. Wrapping the insole is the fix.
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Vans and canvas slip-ons. Thin footbeds, so trim close — a snug wrap sits flattest.
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Skechers slip-ins. Keep the heel area trimmed clean so the step-in mechanism still works freely.
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Loafers and dress shoes. This is where invisibility matters most. Trimmed properly, nothing shows at the collar.
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Boat shoes and deck shoes. Heat plus bare feet plus a long day is the hardest test there is. Rotate a second pair if you are wearing them daily.
5. The wash routine
Machine wash, air dry, press back into the shoe. Most people run a weekly cycle. If you are wearing them hard in hot weather, rotate two pairs so one is always dry and ready.
Bamboo charcoal fabric absorbs moisture and works against odour rather than covering it, but no material outruns a week of heat without a wash.
6. If something is not right
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It shifts inside the shoe. Usually means it was cut a little too small. Sizing up on the next trim solves it.
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Still catching a smell. The shoe itself may already be holding odour from before. Wash the NotSock, air the shoe out fully, and start clean.
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Feels tight. Some low-volume shoes are snug once anything is added. Trimming closer to the footbed edge frees up room.
Still not sure?
Every order is covered for 30 days. If it does not fix the sweat, the smell or the slipping, we refund it.
