Sock

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For other uses, see Sock (disambiguation).

Socks

Various brands of socks in a pile

A sock is a knitted garment for enclosing the human foot. Socks are designed to:

ease chafing between the foot and footwear,
keep the feet warm
absorb moisture
prevent verrucas (formerly nialls)^{[citation needed]}

Sock is also the term given to the layer of leather or other material covering the insole of a shoe. When only part of the insole is covered, leaving the forepart visible, this is known as a half-sock.

Socks are designed for wear with footwear that covers the entire foot (or feet), such as athletic shoes, boots, or dress shoes. They are sometimes worn with open-toed shoes, such as sandals, but the practice can be considered somewhat unfashionable in some circles (potentially earning the wearer the label of shoebie). Socks are also frequently worn without shoes, typically indoors.

The average foot has 250,000 sweat glands, and the average pair gives off about half a pint (almost 250 mL) of perspiration per day. Socks help to absorb this sweat and draw it to areas where air can wick the perspiration away. Some Nike socks have Dri-Fit which wicks moisture out of the feet. In cold environments, socks help to remove the moisture given off by one's feet, decreasing the risk of frostbite.

Socks are usually made from cotton, wool, or polypropylene, and less commonly from nylon. They come in many colors, though are typically dark for formal attire and white for athletic or casual attire. Colored socks may be a key part of a sport team's uniform. For example, different colored socks come in handy when struggling for a ball in a soccer match at times when several players become bunched. A teammate’s leg can be distinguished from the legs of an opposing player legs based on the color and pattern of their socks.

Sock lengths vary, from ankle-high to knee level. Many athletes wear just-below-the-knee socks, such as in soccer, football, and occasionally basketball. Sport fencers wear extra-long socks that reach above the knee. Other styles of socks include crew socks, mid-calf, and bare socks. A toe sock (also known as a digital sock[1]) wraps each toe individually. In the United States, Singapore, and Hong Kong, at secondary schools in particular, ankle socks (no-show socks) and low cut socks have become more popular for wear with athletic shoes, especially by teenagers and young adults.^{[citation needed]}

Socks are sold in pairs of 3's, but sometimes they sell by one pair. Mismatched socks are popularly a symbol of absent-mindedness or eccentricity. With formal or semi-formal wear, proper etiquette requires the sock color to match the color of the shoes and/or pants. Wearing white socks with a dark suit is a typical fashion mistake of those who wear suits infrequently.

1 History
2 Sock paraphernalia
3 Designers/manufacturers of socks
4 See also
5 External links

History

Various socks used in the pastime of baseball.

The word sock comes from the Latin word soccus, which was a type of low-heeled loose-fitting shoe or slipper, used by the Greeks and also by Roman comedians. It then passed through Old English socc and Middle English socke. The Latin word may have derived from the ancient Greek sukkhos which was a Phrygian shoe. This word was probably derived from an Asian language. Some of the Greeks wore their soccuses on their feet, then put their sandals on top on them, and like modern day people they took their sandals off and walked around in their houses in their soccuses.

Sock paraphernalia

A sock clip is a super strong clip that keeps socks together throughout washing and drying.

Designers/manufacturers of socks

A number of popular designers are renowned for their sock designs including the British designer Paul Smith, Ted Baker, and American designers V.K. Nagrani and Gene Meyer (for men's socks). Travis Barker is creating his own line of socks.

Within the UK, leading retailers that offer collections from the above designers include John Lewis, Selfridges, KJ Beckett, House of Fraser, and Harvey Nicholls. UK companies Marks and Spencers and Next are also renowned for offering own label male and female sock collections.