I'm Teyte, and alongside my co-founder Ben, we've built VRTX Grip Socks in the UK. We design and sell high-performance grip socks for Hyrox and hybrid racing athletes. Our socks retail at £14.95, and we've now sold to over 3,500 athletes worldwide with more than 150 five-star reviews.
Ben and I have been mates since we were six years old, when we joined the same football team. We played together right through until university. Ben reached semi-professional level and loved using grip socks for the extra stability, power and comfort they gave him on the pitch. When he started training and racing in Hyrox, he quickly realised how valuable grip socks were for the running, sleds and overall stability during races.
The problem? He was buying a new pair almost every week. The socks he found weren't durable enough for Hyrox, didn't have the necessary grip for movements like sled pushes where your feet really need to be locked in, went stiff in the wash, and slipped down when running. That's when Ben asked if I wanted to help him create proper grip socks that could endure multiple Hyrox races, stay comfortable, and deliver enough grip to actually make a difference.
So we got to work.
We started by digging into the science of what makes a good grip sock: breathable materials, padding in the right places, the makeup of the perfect grip shape and material, and durability. We met up every day after work to go over logo designs, grip templates and searched for the best supplier. We turned down over 20 suppliers before we found the right one.
We got our final design to a place we were happy with, ordered samples, tested them, iterated, and repeated. Then came the exciting bit: we ordered our first big batch of socks and started designing the website. When the socks arrived, we needed professional photos but didn't have a professional photographer, so our first attempts were, let's say, amateur. We eventually invested in a proper photographer.
Ben went out and ran a Hyrox race in them as product testing. He was genuinely impressed with how they turned out: comfortable, breathable, didn't fall down, and most importantly, they were brilliant for sled pushes.
We started building a community on Instagram and assembled a team of ambassadors. When we finally launched to the public, the sales started coming in. Shortly after, the reviews arrived, and people loved them. We sold out within days, restocked and sold out again.
As more people started using the socks for their training and races, there was one comment more than any other: can we have a bright pink colour? So of course, we got back to work and delivered. We sold out of those too.
Then we hit a problem. On our biggest bulk order yet, which we put all of our money into buying, the socks came faulty. The grips weren't as durable as our first batches. We had to check each pair one by one to see if they were up to our high standards before sending them to customers, and unfortunately they weren't. We would never send out sub-par pairs, so we had to eat the cost and start again.
After lots of back and forth with our suppliers, we finally received the new batch, and they were perfect. Since then we've added another three new colours, sold out multiple times, and built what we genuinely believe is the best community in hybrid racing.
The five-star reviews kept coming, and we kept working hard. We now ship free on orders above £40 and offer a 30-day return policy. Our customer base has grown to over 1,500 athletes who trust VRTX for their races and training sessions. We've been tested in races worldwide, from Hyrox Manchester to Glasgow, and even internationally in Germany.
One of our customers, Dan, increased his sled push from 150kg to 320kg with no sock slippage. Another reviewer said our socks gave them "a metaphorical hug for my feet." We've had athletes tell us they won't run a Hyrox session without them now, and one customer owns 10 pairs, using them for everything from strength training to running to Hyrox.
Instagram has been our primary growth channel. We built an ambassador programme early on and focused on creating genuine relationships within the Hyrox and hybrid racing community. We didn't rely on paid advertising at first; instead, we let the product speak for itself and encouraged our customers to share their experiences.
The bright pink colourway became unexpectedly popular. As one customer put it, "go loud or go home." That taught us to listen closely to what our community wanted and deliver quickly. User-generated content has been invaluable, with customers sharing photos from races and training sessions wearing our socks.
Word of mouth has been massive. When someone tries the socks and feels the difference during a sled push or doesn't get blisters on a long run, they tell their training partners. That organic growth through genuine recommendations has been more powerful than any advertising campaign could be.
We're hybrid athletes ourselves. We designed these socks specifically for Hyrox and hybrid racing, not just as generic sports socks. The grip pattern is optimised for the movements that matter most in these events: sled pushes, sled pulls, burpees and running.
Our socks feature silicone grip technology that gives traction and stability at each station. They're engineered for durability, with forefoot ventilation and wear-resistant elastic bands for a secure fit during races. Unlike other grip socks that go stiff or lose their grip after a few washes, ours maintain their quality. As one customer noted, they "feel as new after many washes."
The attention to detail matters too, with R and L marked on each sock so you always wear them on the correct feet.
Start before you're ready. We didn't wait for everything to be perfect; we launched, got feedback and improved. That faulty batch was devastating at the time, but it taught us the importance of quality control and standing behind our product.
Listen to your community obsessively. The pink colourway request wasn't part of our original plan, but listening to that feedback led to one of our best-selling products. Your customers will tell you what they need if you pay attention.
Product quality is non-negotiable. When we received those faulty socks, we didn't cut corners or try to offload them at a discount. We ate the cost because protecting our brand reputation was more important than short-term cash flow.
Build genuine relationships, not just transactions. Our ambassador programme isn't about paying people to promote us; it's about supporting athletes who genuinely love the product and creating a real community around hybrid racing.
If I was starting over, I'd invest in professional photography and branding from day one. Those early amateur product shots probably cost us credibility with potential customers who didn't know us yet.
I'd also build more inventory buffer earlier. Selling out is exciting, but it also means lost sales and frustrated customers. Better cash flow management to maintain stock would have accelerated our growth.
We could have started the ambassador programme even earlier. The community-building aspect has been so valuable that I wish we'd invested more time in it from the very beginning.
We're launching in Australia in January 2026. The hybrid racing scene is exploding there, and we're excited to bring VRTX to athletes across Australia and New Zealand. It's a significant step for us, expanding beyond Europe and establishing ourselves in a market where Hyrox and functional fitness are growing rapidly.
Our big goal is to help 100,000 athletes perform at their best. That's not just a sales target; it's about genuinely supporting that many people to train harder, race faster and feel more confident in their gear. Every review we get and every customer who tells us they won't race without VRTX brings us closer to that vision.
We're continuing to expand our colour range based on customer requests. The community keeps asking for new colourways, and we're listening. We're also working on improving our online portal and customer experience to support our growing international customer base.
Product development continues. We're always looking at how we can improve durability, comfort and grip. The feedback loop from our athletes helps us identify exactly where we can make improvements, and that will only get stronger as we reach more markets.
We're also exploring partnerships with Hyrox event organisers and training facilities to get our socks into more athletes' hands. The goal is to become the go-to grip sock brand for anyone serious about hybrid racing, whether they're competing in Manchester, Berlin, Sydney or beyond.
VRTX socks are not generic sports socks. They were designed by hybrid athletes specifically for the demands of Hyrox racing. The grip pattern is optimised for movements like sled pushes and burpees, using silicone technology to keep your feet locked in. They also feature durable materials, forefoot ventilation, and wear-resistant elastic bands to ensure they last through tough races and washes without going stiff.
Yes, absolutely. VRTX offers different versions tailored to your needs. You can choose from the VRTX SOCKS© for your daily training sessions and peak performance on race day.
The right gear can make a significant impact. Customers report substantial improvements, with one athlete increasing their sled push from 150kg to 320kg simply by eliminating sock slippage. The socks provide the stability needed to transfer power effectively, especially during stations where traction is critical.
Comfort is a key feature. They are designed to prevent blisters even on long runs and have been described by users as feeling like 'a metaphorical hug for my feet'. The breathable, padded design ensures they remain comfortable for training sessions lasting over two hours.
Your satisfaction is important. VRTX offers a 30-day return policy, giving you peace of mind to try them out and feel the difference for yourself during your training.
