There is limited knowledge about the benefits of functional textile in arthritis management. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of wearing functional socks in patients with rheumatoid or psoriatic arthritis. Patients were randomized into an experimental group (
n = 23) and control group (
n = 18). The intervention involved wearing functional textile socks for 12 weeks. Sock composition was analyzed using X-ray fluorescence spectrometry and scanning electron microscopy. Outcome measures included the Numeric Rating Scale, Health Assessment Questionnaire–Disability Index (HAQ-DI), and RAND-36 (Estonian version). At week 12, the experimental group showed significantly lower metatarsophalangeal and toe joint pain (
p = 0.001), stiffness (
p = 0.005), and ankle stiffness (
p = 0.017) scores than the control group. Improvements were also observed in HAQ-DI reaching (
p = 0.035) and activity (
p = 0.028) scores. RAND-36 scores were higher in physical functioning (
p = 0.013), social functioning (
p = 0.024), and bodily pain (
p = 0.006). Role limitations due to physical problems improved in the experimental group but worsened in the control group (
p = 0.029). In conclusion, wearing functional socks led to some statistically significant improvements in foot and ankle pain and stiffness, physical function, and health-related quality of life. However, the effect sizes were small, and the clinical relevance of these findings should be interpreted with caution.
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