As the sport grows, so does the variety of gear that is available. We’ve seen a few companies pop up and make waves such as OCR Gear and Xracewear for their bib pouch shorts and shirts. MudGear enter the fray and are handily holding their own as far as I’m concerned.
When I reached out to them to test some stuff out they graciously sent over a few different products.
First, let’s get into their fitted race jersey.
This is not a compression top, but is definitely snug. Not snug like a woman’s bustier or anything, but just enough so that when you’re doing work, the sweat can catch and wick away. It’s extremely comfortable and very lightweight.
While I haven’t used it in an OCR, and likely will not because I gotta rep my Spahtens, I do use this every time I am out running or doing an outdoor workout. One of my favorite shirts I own is one made by Asics and this one is exactly the same material. Superb quality!
Secondly, let’s go over some sock options.These guys not only offer a long sock, which we will go over in a minute, but they offer an ankle sock that is superior to anything I have tried so far.
These 1/4 ankle socks have a cushioned foot-bed which is nice for those that strike more toward the front of the foot as you run. I’ve done the minimal thing, and it was fun while it lasted, but I need a bit more up front. Heck, I need a shoe with more cushion all around. There is also some cushioning on the front top of the sock. Depending on how I tie my sneakers, I get quite a bit of rubbing and friction. Sometimes it can get rubbed raw. These socks though offer a ton more cushion and I can tie these as tight as I want with no issues.
Speaking of the top of the sock… These were made for those that prefer a lower sock but still want to race in the mud with them. The collar of the sock is nice and tight. Not elastic tight as in it’s not comfortable, but super snug and, wait for it, keep rocks out and dirt out! I’ve yet to wear these particular socks in an OCR but use them on the trails often, even in wet conditions. My feet always feel nice and dry, from the wicking and drainage, but they also feel great without being demolished by gravel and pebbles.
Lastly, the high compression sock…
I have tried multiple socks in this range and so far I have yet to find one I can fully stand behind. I may even have reviewed a couple in the past maybe a little on the hasty side. After a few uses of the others I found things I did not like. One of them for instance was way to sheer and was super tight. The other, while I loved the fit and the feel of it, they split rather quickly in the toe-box after an OCR or two.
I put these Mudgear one’s through the Tri-State Super this weekend though and they came out on top of any of the others. Not only are they made for OCR’s, which the others were not, but they are awesome quality. I spoke about cushioning in the 1/4 ankle socks, these have it too. Ever get ropeburn from a rope climb or rope traverse? Yeah, that isn’t happening anymore. Along the backside, the calf, of these socks is some extra cushioning. While there wasn’t a traverse rope at the Super, there was a rope climb and I intentionally put a little extra pressure back in the calf to see how they felt and there were great.
The material was great for wicking away water, I didn’t feel like they were super heavy or weighing me down at all.
One thing I really liked was taking them off. Not because they were uncomfortable or anything but because they actually came off with minimal effort. The others were not easy to get off, especially the sheer one’s. These rolled on down the calf and my feet were free.
All in all, if I were to rate the quality of Mudgear it would get the highest of marks. I really think these guys are on to something and think you’ll agree.
Product info: http://mudgear.com/
ps. Loved the bonus beer coozies they sent!! Now I can rep my favorite OCR gear company while sipping on a cold one!!
