How to Put On Motocross Socks Under Knee Braces

You can have a good pair of motocross knee brace socks and still have a rough day if you put them on wrong. A wrinkle under a strap, a cuff rolled under the brace, or socks yanked on after the braces are already tight: that's how you end up with bunching, slipping and raw skin mid-moto.

This is the simple way we put on motocross knee brace socks under braces. Just the order of gear that keeps the sock smooth and the brace sitting where it should.

Nothing generic. Nothing overcomplicated.

Get the size right first

If the sock is too short or too tight, no amount of careful dressing will save you. Goatbrand MX socks are sized off your thigh and leg, not your shoe size, because they have to clear the top of your knee braces.

• S-M: fits a 40–50 cm thigh and a 66 cm leg
• L-XL: fits a 50–60 cm thigh and a 70 cm leg

We enlarged the thigh sizing because earlier socks were too tight there. Measure around the fullest part of your thigh. If you're on the border, read our motocross sock size guide before you guess. Too small and they'll dig in and roll. Too big and they'll slide and bunch under the brace.

The order that actually works

Get dressed in this order: socks, then knee braces, then pants, then boots. Do not put the braces on first and try to feed the socks up underneath. That bunches the fabric, leaves wrinkles on your shin and behind the knee, and almost guarantees rubbing.

1. Start with clean, dry socks

Pull your socks on before anything else that goes over them. They should be clean and fully dry. Damp socks from last weekend grab at your skin and twist as you pull them up. Our post-ride checklist covers why they should never live in the bag.

2. Pull them up all the way, then smooth them out

Work the sock up the calf, over the knee and up the thigh so the cuff sits well above where the top of your brace will land. These are tall knee brace socks. They are meant to come up past the brace, not stop underneath it.

Then go back over them with your hands:

• Smooth the shin. Any crease there will sit under a strap or the lower frame of the brace.
• Smooth behind the knee. This is where a fold turns into a hot spot after a few laps.
• Check the heel is seated in the heel pocket, not twisted halfway around your foot.
• Make sure the toe isn't bunched. A twisted toe inside a stiff boot is a blister waiting to happen. We go into that in how to stop blisters in motocross boots.

The sock should look even on both legs, with no diagonal lines and no rolled cuff.

3. Put your knee braces on over the socks

Once both socks are smooth, put the braces on over the top. Don't yank the sock around while you do it. Hold the sock in place with one hand if you need to, and settle the brace where it normally sits.

Then check that the sock still clears the top of the brace, nothing has rolled down while you were doing up the straps, and there are no new wrinkles on the shin or in the crease of the knee. You should see sock above the upper strap or frame, not brace sitting on bare skin.

If a wrinkle appeared, undo the strap, smooth the sock and do it up again.

4. Set the straps snug, not cranked

Straps that are too tight squash the sock, pinch the skin and make the brace migrate. Straps that are too loose let everything shift, which is how socks end up sliding and folding. Aim for snug enough that the brace stays put when you stand and bend, without cutting in.

If your braces still chew up your legs when the socks are on right, read how to stop knee brace rubbing. The sock is a big part of it, but strap tension and brace size matter too.

5. Pants over the braces, then boots

Pull your pants on over the braces. If the pant leg catches the top of the sock and drags it down, stop and reset. Don't just keep yanking.

Boots go on last. Open them up properly, slide your foot in and settle the heel. Then do them up so the sock isn't twisted inside. A boot that's too tight will mash the sock into your ankle and shin. One that's sloppy lets your foot move around, which is another path to blisters.

Common mistakes

• Putting braces on first. Feeding a sock up under a brace that's already done up almost always leaves fabric folded under a hinge or strap. Socks first, every time.
• Stopping the sock under the brace. Short socks, or tall socks that haven't been pulled up far enough, leave a hard edge right where the brace sits. That edge is what rubs. The cuff needs to live above the brace.
• Ignoring a wrinkle. A small crease on the sidestand becomes a raw patch after twenty minutes of heat and movement. Smooth it before you leave the pits.
• Wearing the wrong size. A tight thigh or a sock that can't reach past the brace will roll and slip no matter how carefully you put it on. The size guide is there so you don't have to email us asking which one to get.
• Using last weekend's socks straight out of the bag. Stiff, damp, salty socks don't slide on cleanly and they lose their grip. Wash them inside out in a cold wash and hang them to dry. Skip the dryer. Heat cooks the elastic.

If they still slip once you're riding

Putting them on right solves a lot of it. If they still creep down mid-moto, it's usually sweat, a short sock, worn-out elastic, or the brace pushing the fabric south. We broke that down in why your knee brace socks keep slipping.

A well-made pair helps. Cheap, thin socks that were never designed for braces don't hold their shape, especially in Aussie heat.

We make gear we'd actually want to wear: quality materials, comfort and durability, and designs with a bit of character. For socks under braces, that means a pair that's tall enough to sit above the brace, with a cuff that stays put.

Have a look at prints like Ride Or Die, Norse, Ducky, Heist and Muerte, or the rest of the range: Grim, Drip, Ice Cold, Koala Kong and Rock Bottom. Same sock, different artwork. For the broader buying picture, see best motocross knee brace socks in Australia.

FAQ

Do I put motocross socks on before or after knee braces?

Before. Socks first, smooth them out, then braces over the top, then pants, then boots.

How high should knee brace socks sit?

Above the top of the brace. You should see sock above the upper strap or frame, not brace sitting on bare skin.

Why do my socks bunch behind the knee?

Usually a fold you didn't smooth out, a sock that's too small, or a brace strap that's a bit too tight across the crease. Reset them, and check the size if it keeps happening.

Can I wear regular socks under knee braces?

Most regular socks are too short and too thin. They leave an edge under the brace and don't handle the heat and pressure of a moto. That's what knee brace socks are for.

What size Goatbrand MX socks should I get?

S-M fits a 40–50 cm thigh and a 66 cm leg. L-XL fits a 50–60 cm thigh and a 70 cm leg. Measure your thigh at the fullest point. The full walkthrough is in our size guide.

Ready to kit up properly

That's the whole process. Socks first, smooth them, braces over the top, pants, then boots. Do that every time and you'll spend less of the moto thinking about your legs.

If your current pairs are past it, or they never sat above your braces in the first place, shop Goatbrand MX knee brace socks. We ship with Australia Post, and international orders usually take about 2–3 weeks. See you at the track.