And now we resume normal programming …

**

Even before embracing minimalism a few years ago, I was familiar with Injinji socks .  They were something of a novelty among ultrarunners, although those who used them seemed completely enamored with their ability to prevent blisters on or between your toes.

Shortly thereafter, the whole minimalist thing exploded, and Vibrams became the sexiest thing going – sometimes literally .  And since most of us live in places where the weather gets cold – yes, even here in California – Injinjis soon became the cheese to Vibram’s macaroni, and surged in popularity along with the FiveFingers.

Here’s the thing, though: I wasn’t exactly wild about Injinji’s early offerings.  They were fairly comfortable and great at keeping grit from grinding against your bare skin during a long trail run, but I wasn’t really impressed with their insulating capacity or ability to dry quickly.  They also seemed to stretch out and lose their shape fairly significantly after a handful of wash cycles.

So when I was offered a few pairs to try again this fall, I made sure to ask the rep if something had changed from the pairs I tested from a few years ago.  It turns out, something had – and the new Injinji Performance 2.0 series will be available in early 2013.

The new line has less of a cottony feel than the previous versions, with improved CoolMax fabric that is more similar to technical running socks in its wicking ability and moisture management.  They use a variety of fabric combinations and weave patterns to improve the fit, and they seem more compressive than the previous line.  I’ve washed mine several times, and so far they are holding their shape quite nicely.

Injinji classifies the Performance 2.0 line according to activity, such as Run, Trail, and Sport. They are further categorized by height – from knee high all the way down to micro - and by fabric weight (lightweight, original, and midweight).  In other words, there are a lot of options, which should make it easy to find a variety you like.

My favorite of the new collection is a wool model from the trail line.  Although it isn’t as comfortable as some other materials, I’ve gradually become a fan of wool socks during wet or cold-weather outings, mainly because of its ability to maintain insulation even when wet.  Injinji’s wool socks are thicker than its other fabric blends, but they are quite effective at keeping your toes warm in shoes with highly breathable uppers.  The only downside is that if your FiveFingers are a snug fit, you may need to size up for winter running.

I suppose the bottom line is that if you liked Injinjis in the past, you’ll like the Performance 2.0 line for sure – and if you (like me) weren’t wild about Injinjis in the past, it may be time to give them a second look.  And following this post, a few readers will get the chance to try Injinjis for themselves.  The company is offering three winners a running sampler pack including a road model, trail model, and wool Injinji sock.  There’s no criteria to enter – it’s simply a luck of the draw thing of this one.  Leave a comment below to enter, and I’ll announce the winner on Sunday night.

Thanks very much to Injinji for sponsoring this giveaway, and good luck to everybody!

*Products provided by Injinji