Trail runner Sarah Barber reviews CEP Compression: Reflective Tights and No-Show Training Compression Socks. Products for review were provided at no cost.
“Lighting!” squealed my friend as we switched on our headlamps and began to jog up a local trail.
Is she hallucinating? I thought. It was 5 am, and looking up at the sky, all I could see were stars. That meant no clouds. Which meant no lightning. “What are you talking about?” I called over my shoulder to her. “There’s no lightning.”
Her quick response came from the darkness a few feet behind me: “Your tights, dummy! Those are so cool!”
Reflective
Ah, yes, of course—I had forgotten I was wearing CEP Compression’s Reflective Tights for the first time since admiring their gorgeous eggplant color in my well-lit kitchen after unboxing them. They look splendid in bright interior light, thanks to superior construction and CEP’s Tightfit Technology, but it’s in the darkness that they truly stand out.
CEP wove a reflective substance in the shape of lighting bolts into the compressive fabric of these warm-enough-for-winter tights, and the effect is dramatic. Whether it’s a full moon or a passing vehicle’s headlights, any amount of light will illuminate the lightning bolts on my legs as I go storming by. Not only is this a brilliant safety feature, but there’s also an element of intimidation that made me feel bold amidst the shadows. No one messes with Thor! Plus, there’s something about lighting that just feels…fast—270,000 mph is the standard discharge from the sky to the ground.
Fashionable and functional
It sometimes feels as if the odds that fashion and function will collide are on a par with being struck by lightning, but CEP Compression seems to pull it off with every piece of merch they produce. The Reflective Tights are built to conform and support without binding or restricting. The slight articulation at the knee accommodates a wider range of motion than running requires, making midnight yoga or swing shift bike commutes equally doable.
Meanwhile, the zippered waistband pocket on the back is big enough for a can of bear spray—because we’re trail running in the dark, after all. In the event of an actual thunderstorm, the front paneling protects against incoming wind and water while the entire garment wicks away perspiration. And unlike actual lightning, which is essentially a result of cloud-to-cloud friction, I found CEP’s Reflective Tights to be frictionless, leaving my skin unabraded even though I do not have (and will never have) a “thigh-gap.”
Barber sporting the CEP No Show Training Socks.
Socks or sockless
Days later, I found myself running on a sunny afternoon with a different training buddy.
“Dude. You’re still such a triathlete,” he remarked a few miles later. Wait—what?? I’m a trail runner now, dammit! I thought. And then I realized what he saw. Or rather, I realized what he didn’t see: socks!
Running sockless is common among multi-sport afficionados because they usually race sockless. But that was never me, and it still isn’t. I have notoriously cold feet. I adore socks. I ALWAYS wear socks when I run. But because I was wearing CEP Compression’s No Show Training Socks, well, they didn’t show. Back when I was a serious cyclist, I took great pride in having a sharp mid-calf demarcation in my skin tone: the tall sock tan line. However, now that I’m in the upper end of middle age, having the appearance of wearing white knee-highs when I’m wearing flip-flops in July does absolutely nothing for me.
Again, CEP Compression provides outstanding function with an eye toward fashion. Anatomically correct and blister-proof, the entire sole is padded, which adds cushion to my low-profile sneakers. The compression and support are targeted across the arch to fend off dreaded foes like plantar faciitis and the mysterious metatarsalgia.
Avoid the tan lines
Clearly, skipping socks to avoid funny tan lines is not only unnecessary, but it’s also doing a disservice to your feet. Thanks to CEP’s No Show Training Socks, I can spend hours on desert trails with no fear of irregularly bronzed legs and still come away with happy, healthy heels and toes. For those who prefer pale ankles, good news: CEP offers a full range of low-cut, mid-cut, and tall socks, all with graduated compression that will prevent the lower extremity edema that often accompanies long runs. Cankles don’t equal bragging rights—it’s way more fun to brag about finishing an ultra with cleanly chiseled ankles and feet. The compression-enhanced circulation also vastly improves recovery from said endurance events.
CEP No Show Training Socks have an “R” and “L” indicator.
Look good, feel good, play good
Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders coined the phrase, “If you look good, you feel good, and if you feel good, you play good.” CEP Compression has taken it to the next level by ensuring that their gear both looks and feels good regardless of who’s wearing it. In trail running, there’s never any pressure to “play good,” but with the right kind of pressure—the CEP Compression kind of pressure—playing good is inevitable.
Editor’s note: See Barber’s review of adidas TERREX Soulstride Flow, pictured above with the CEP No Show Training Socks.
