Wick this

After running in a torrential downpour one evening last week, I exited Central Park with a friend. Scott looked down at his feet and announced they were soaked. I swore up and down that mine were completely dry except for a little dampness at the toes (where, incidentally, I had holes in my running shoes). So I thought it was a little odd when I got to the dressing room at the gym only to find that my socks were, indeed, soaked ... until the next morning when I got up only to find that my sneakers were drenched -- tops, bottoms, insoles, everything. And that, my friends, is why the Powers That Be make moisture-wicking fabrics. I give you the Balega socks:

I'm not sure whose brilliant idea it was to go to South Africa for technical socks (where they're made), but they work wonders. My Balegas provide a lot of cushioning, in winter they keep my feet warm -- including the time I ran a 10-miler in 11-degree weather and ended up with frostbite on my derriere -- and in summer I don't get hot. I bought mine at the New York Running Company.