Level 50 Zwifters who signed in after last week’s big Zwift update were quickly treated to a banner informing them of a fresh unlock: Fire Socks! “You can really feel the heat when wearing these socks,” Zwift says.
These socks aren’t just for current level 50 riders, either. Along with the Level 50 kit, fire socks will be unlocked by any Zwifter who hits level 50 in the future. Read all about Zwift XP and unlocks >
Even though the socks are unlocked and added to your garage at level 50, you still have to select them so your avatar can show them off:
Here’s how they look in the wild:
But what’s really wild about the fire socks is the flames they leave behind sprinting avatars!
You can even burn rubber out of the saddle on climbs:
The flame effect has been in game since April Fools Day 2019, when we all got to lay down flames for a day.
In releasing levels 51-60, Zwift wanted to create an Easter Egg for riders who had been at level 50 for a while. So they made some fresh socks, slapped the flame effect on, and gave it sensible parameters.
How They Work
If you’re wearing the fire socks, your rider will lay down a flame trail for up to 12 seconds, as long as you are putting out at least 150% of your FTP watts.
After 12 seconds the flames will stop, but you can drop your power for a few seconds then power up again to lay another flame trail.
Racing with Fire
They’re especially fun in races, where your flame trail is much like shooting a flare into the sky and saying “I’m attacking now!”
Some Zwifters might be cagey and swap their fire socks for something a bit more understated before a race, but we think it shows true bravado to take your fire socks into the pens and really light things up.
Your Thoughts
What do you think of the fire socks? Have you got yours set? Share below!
Ghostfire….nuff said.
YES
I love mine ! Especially when those you are racing with do not expect it!!
Can’t wait! Right now, at high level 41. Will unlock the Cadex frame in the next few days, too.
I love them. Weird thing: my level bar still reads level 50 even though I have the socks now…
They’re a level 50 unlock, so that makes sense!
I think those who go sockless will be disappointed 😜
you can still equip the socks and make them low enough so they are not visible anymore
yep thats what I do
LOVE IT!
Jesus it has taken me ages to get to level 12, level 50 whaaaaat
These fire socks set a high bar for the following socks, do the Cute Socks leave a trail of Cute Things?
I have high hopes!
Also love the perfectly captured Giant rideon just as the Fire Socks unlock 🙂
Imagine the carnage though: someone wearing ‘Cute Socks’ leaves a trail of fluffy puppies and kittens….then someone wearing ‘Fire Socks’ comes past and they all go up in fluffy flames, arghhhh, LOL 😀
I want socks that leave a trail of bubbles in my wake. 😃
More carnage if the banana socks dropped banana peels…..they should make that a power up in races, but only if you’re wearing the socks!!! 😁
En français svp
Avec Chrome browser.
Eric Serpent 😀
How did that happen translating from English to French? But yes, “Schlange” is the German word for “snake” 🙂
Il y a des centaines de langues. Apprend l’anglais.
Wow – Thats fun 🙂
Enjoyed seeing it for the first time in-game, and it’s a limited-enough effect to actually feel special… right now, anyway. Hard to say how it’s going to feel when it leads to a huge number of riders putting out those flame trails, though. (Perhaps TRON bikes once felt special; the preponderance of them now? Make them dull as dishwater and frankly something of an eyesore in almost any group ride. They don’t stand for a special, rare accomplishment. They stand for conformity (and the poor game design that led to that conformity). I’d rather be seeing a variety of realistic… Read more »
I’m so glad Zwift are expending development effort to bring us such a useful feature.
love the socks once I found out what they do and how they work
YES we need more prestige kit. Wheres that Tron suit they failed to give out? I dont care if it was ugly.
Ive also come to realize just how far away from the socks I still am when level 36 is only halfway to 50, and Ive all but run out of bonus XP routes
love the fire socks – great stuff worth waiting for !
Just done the latest October update, my fire socks won’t work. Anyone else having trouble trying to light up there rear wheel. They worked before the update when hitting around 7.5w/kg, now nothing, even when doing a stroke inducing 1200w+ effort. Please comment if I’m missing something which has changed how the socks work. Cheers guys. Ride on👍
After talking to a colleague who experienced the same issue, I was advised to uninstall, then reinstall the app, everything works perfectly. Back to lighting up the virtual tarmac ( asphalt ). All is good in the world, ( well, the virtual one at least). Ride On👍
Fire Socks are very cool, but lvl 50 is a bit too high a bar
It’s just reward for anyone prepared to put in the time… and given it’s a damn long time and sweat to get there, it’s a relative few, for now anyway who actually get to wear them. I’m at level 56, 77,000 kms and about 2040 hours currently. Started Zwifting in 2016 and was stuck on level 50 since early 2019. Close to 4 years. So no, it’s not too high a bar, it’s reward for effort.
Finally get yesterday!!
Got mine today!!
Sorry if I missed this, do they give you a boost or just for looks?
Just for looks.
Its 150% of your FTP watts?
Is this the FTP the rider selected or the one Zwift calculates for the rider?
It’s the one set in-game by the rider.
I LOVE the Fire Socks. Greatest gift ever from Zwift. 👍
Now at level 44, so within a few months I’ll go like hell !