5 Reasons Runners Should Sport Compression Sleeves

We love Kim Bogin's synopsis of compression sleeves for trail runners.  Recently, compression sleeves have caught on like wild fire among professional athletes.  We've seen them sported on runners, basketball players, football players, and in just about every other athletic event over the past couple of years.

For the past few years, studies have gone back and forth on the level of benefit these sleeves provide but what we have found (and what Kim Bogin found as well), is that those that use them swear by them regardless of science.

So, even if the exact science of what these sleeves offer is currently being debated, we love Kim's list of 5 reasons to sport these compression sleeves:

1. Protection:  They protect your legs from small scratches, abrasions and nasty things like poison ivy on the trail.

2. Swelling:  Compression technology has been proven to limit swelling, especially in people who spend all day on their feet. I'm guessing spending 24 hours on the trail for a 100-mile ultra counts.

3. Dirt:  Collects on your sleeves and not on your legs.

4. Warmth:  Allows you to wear shorts on those iffy days when you'd reluctantly wear tights.

5. Coolness:  No they don't keep you cool, but the Team Salomon guys looked pretty darn cool in their Salomon EXO III calf sleeves.

So, we ask ourselves, does it matter if scientists have found the sleeves to be beneficial if we can't imagine running without them ever again?  Does the opinion of the scientists outweigh what we believe to be true?  No way.

To browse calf sleeves, click here.