Paradise found. The last place you’d imagine sporting coconut shells is on your feet. Find yourself in sock paradise plowing through the miles in the NBx Cocona Socks by New Balance. With just under half the fiber content in these sock derived from the coconut shell, you’ll enjoy superior moisture wicking and a performance fit with a sustainable edge.

A myriad of socks line the racks at both running specialty stores and other big-box retailers. The toughest hurdle for runners of any level is to figure out which sock is the best fit for them. I’d venture most runners pay very little attention to the thought process behind the purchase when it comes to these essentials. In my opinion the real key in keeping your feet happy and healthy is the “shoe + sock combo”. Both pieces of gear dance together every step of your run and need to deliver a stellar performance each time.

The New Balance Nbx CoCoNa sock now enters from stage right to begin their performance. The notable difference in the socks evades the eye yet stands clear in the threads weaving each stitch together. The threads contain a high amount of fiber content derived directly from a coconut shell. Honestly the first picture in my mind when I read, coconut, was nothing in the world of comfort. Then again I was thinking literally. When pulling on these socks for the first time I was surprised by their soft hand. Also, I noticed the attention New Balance paid to crafting a performance sock in the anatomical fit for each foot. Not to worry each sock is clearly marked with a red “left” or “right” symbol.

Now came the real test. The rubber (or coconut) meets the road over miles of run commuting and training. It was no surprise to me that these sock performed nicely. The natural moisture management from the CoCoNa fibers kept my feet nice and dry. Then the next important ingredient is the mix is odor management. Rest assured in these socks you’ll be spared the post run smelly foot. The capstone keeping these socks in my line up was blister management. While this is not a feature touted by the product, over the miles of testing my feet remained blister-free which is always a nice bonus.

What makes this sock special in my mind is the sustainability angle in the use of natural materials in producing the product. The performance aspects are par to the pack for all running socks so if you are sustainability minded the New Balance Nbx Cocona socks could be the perfect fit for your running lifestyle.