Ive got some nearly-new smartwools, which have got that really sticky residue from compeed patches on them. The residue is well and truely embedded after 50miles of running, so I can't pick/peel it off.

Any suggestions for how to get rid of it? Anyone found a particular solvent that works well on the glue but not the sock or the lycra component?

Cheers.

I use white spirit to get the gunky residue from zinc oxide tape or compeeds off my socks, though I've no idea if the socks have lycra in them. Then I put them through the wash a couple of times to try to reduce the white spirit smell!

Have you tried putting them in the freezer,

No idea if it works or not but it does a treat on chewing gum.

if it hardens up then you should be able to crumble it out then wash the remaining.

I'd be interested to know if you find anything that really works, as i have not used compeed in years for that reason I just ended up binning the socks, i was young and lazy

Try this three-stage approach:

1. Throw old socks in bin.

2. Buy new socks.

3. Don't get blisters!

i'm with paddy.

bob's footcream, hence no blisters, comes off socks in the wash.

Thanks kate, I'll try the white spirit.

Thanks for the alternative suggestions guys, but my experience of footcreams, gels etc. has been that they don't come close to lasting an ultramarathon. Compeed does, and cushions the feet a little more as well.