Please visit our website for more information on this topic.
Pictured above: This 18th-century painting shows a man and a woman wearing decorative socks in a crowded tavern. The woman pulls up her over-the-knee socks and eyes the man's socks, one of which has slipped down his leg.
Did you ever wonder when people started wearing socks, and how we got the many types of socks we wear today? We found all sorts of fun facts about socks when looking into their origins and their evolution. This history of socks timeline should help you learn a little more about how we went from the earliest socks made of grass to the functional and fun socks we know and love today.
A replica of the shoes found with Ötzi, a mummified man who likely lived between and BC. The leather shoes were lined with a netting made of bark filled with soft hay &#; could this lining have been the first "socks"?
3,400 B.C. &#; In archaeologists find a Neolithic mummy in the Alps who was given the nickname Ötzi. Along with other well-preserved clothing, Ötzi wore a pair of shoes made from the skin of bears and deer. Inside the shoes was perhaps the very first known example of ancient socks: a netting of bark lined with soft hay. This shoe lining would have kept his feet warm while wicking away moisture, two important uses of socks today!
Who invented socks?
While nobody knows exactly who invented socks, many ancient cultures around the world had some version of a sock, often a piece of cloth made to be wrapped around the feet inside of shoes.
600 B.C. &#; Felted fur socks. The Ancient Greeks wear a style of socks called &#;piloi,&#; which were made from matted animal fur, probably similar to felt. In fact, the Greek word for felt was &#;pilos,&#; the singular form of piloi. To the Greeks, the purpose of socks was purely functional: keeping one's feet warm and lining leather shoes to make them more comfortable.
In 500 BCE, Greek poet Hesoid wrote in his poem Works and Days,&#;around your feet, tie your sandals made from brutally hunted oxen skin and, under these, dress them in piloi."
300 A.D. &#; Egyptian socks. A method of making socks called nålebinding is used to make socks and other fabrics. Similar to knitting but more time consuming, this method was used to make a pair of bright red socks discovered in a burial ground on the Nile and currently displayed the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. They may not be just like the crazy socks we have today, but at least they are a bright and bold color!
What did people wear before socks?
Before socks, many cultures wrapped their feet in cloth. That is because before knowledge of knitting became widespread, weaving was the primary way people turned spun fibers into fabric.
400 A.D. &#; In Europe at this time, a type of foot wrap called a puttee is worn by holy people as a way to symbolize their purity. Back then, someone who never had to get their feet dirty would have been seen as very special indeed. Puttees were put on by spiraling a long, thin piece of cloth around the lower leg and continued to be worn by indigenous tribes and in uniforms like those of the British Army clear up to World War II.
November 6, &#; A photo from World War I shows American soldiers in puttee leg wraps greeting an elderly French couple in the Ardennes, France.
When did fun socks become popular?
While socks were invented for practical reasons, people started to really have fun with their socks by around 1,000 A.D. when wearing colorful stockings, socks and leggings became a symbol of luxury.
&#; In this oil painting, George Clifford, 3rd Earl of Cumberland shows off his unique hosiery, a pair of stockings decorated in gold stars. Clifford was a courtier of Queen Elizabeth I.
&#; A.D. &#; During the Middle Ages, wealthy Europeans begin wearing long, colorful knee socks to show off to the other nobility. Some people even wore mismatched stockings with each leg a different color! These socks and stockings were made by sewing together pieces of fabric like silk, wool and cotton. They weren't very stretchy and would fall down without a sock garter.
&#; Knitting arrives in Europe, with the first knitted items being made by Muslim knitters employed by the Spanish royal families. From there, the practice likely spread quickly, becoming popular enough by the 14th century that some painters even depicted the Virgin Mary knitting.
Who invented socks and sandals?
We are not sure who invented socks and sandals, one of the most controversial footwear fashions of our time. However, we know that ancient Romans were wearing socks with sandals 2,000 years ago, and the style has emerged in different cultures around the world ever since.
s A.D. &#; Japanese people began wearing tabi socks, a style of sock with a split in the middle. Tabi socks were designed to be worn with thonged sandals like wooden geta clogs or zori sandals, which are similar to our modern flip-flops! Traditional tabi socks were white, but today your can find all kinds of fun, colorful novelty socks with split toes.
Why are socks white?
The color white is associated with purity and cleanliness. By wearing white socks, people can quickly see that your feet are clean (especially if you wear them with sandals). This subtly signals that you are healthy, hygienic and can afford plenty of new socks when the old ones get dirty!
A drawing of William Lee's knitting machine, invented in to quickly knit stockings.
A.D. &#; The first stocking frame knitting machine is invented by William Lee in England. Concerned that the machine would take jobs away from her subjects, Queen Elizabeth I refused to give Lee a patent, so he took his invention to France. Eventually the machines became widespread, but they were only able to make a flat piece of stocking fabric that still needed to be hand-sewn up the back, creating a seam.
&#; Punched cards with patterns (similar to the Jacquard cards used in weaving since their invention in the s) allowed people to program knitting machines to create intricate designs that would come out the same every time. These cards were the forerunners of the punchcards used to create the first computer programs.
A modern example of a circular knitting machine at work at a Darn Tough sock factory in Northfield, Vt.
A.D. &#; French engineer Marc Brunel builds the first circular knitting machine. By arranging the needles in a circle rather than a flat bed, he made it possible to turn out the tube of a sock instead of a flat piece of fabric. British sockmaker Matthew Leo Townsend would perfect this design with a new type of needle called a latch needle in , which became all the rage in America when Townsend immigrated to New England. As knitting machine factories made knitted items cheaper and easier to produce, hand-knitting grew less common in the industry, but remained a popular hobby.
October 8, &#; A group of women wearing their stockings rolled down below their knees surround a man playing the piano.
s &#; Flappers make socks a sex symbol. In the s it was unheard of for a woman to leave the house with her legs uncovered. Silk stockings were worn to make sure nobody could see the skin on your legs (and were also great for covering up leg hair). The trendy flappers began wearing their stockings rolled down below the knees to show off a little skin! They would often put red makeup on their kneecaps to make them look cute and rosy.
How did socks stay up before elastic was invented?
Before we had elastic socks, socks and stockings were held up with garter belts or sock garters. They weren't always the most comfortable contraptions, and these days they are usually just worn for looks, not necessity.
July 26, &#; A U.S. Department of Agriculture fabric technician inspects cotton stockings, a product that served as a wartime substitute for silk stockings and the newest fad, nylon stockings, which were not being produced fast enough to meet demand. A caption explains that with the silk supply waning, "the ladies will probably be wearing cotton stockings by the end of the year or else go barelegged."
&#; The first elastic socks. Nylon is invented during World War II as a substitute for silk, which had become difficult to come by after supply from Japan, the leading silk exporter, was cut off. Soon this "wonder fabric" is used as elastic in socks and to make the first nylon stockings, which become a worldwide fad. Nylon continues to be used today to give many of our crazy socks their stretch!
s &#; Dancing in your socks. As teenage culture rose to the forefront of society, teen trends like the sock hop became popular across America. These social dances were usually held in high school gyms, where young people would gather wearing socks without shoes and dance to the latest craze in music: rock and roll. White bobby socks folded down to create a cuff at the ankle were by far the most popular style.
s &#; In the s, socks and tights for women blossomed into bright colors and crazy patterns. It became common to match your dress to your socks. People wore chunky socks in the winter to keep warm and add a fashion statement, too. For men, plain white sports socks became the modern fashion, similar to the typical crew socks still worn today.
s &#; The popularity of novelty socks grew during the eighties, with slouchy socks and leg warmers becoming must-haves for dancers and fitness fanatics. Ruffled and lace-topped ankle socks, originally popular in the '40s and '50s, came back in style and were worn by celebrities like Madonna and Cyndi Lauper.
s &#; Novelty socks became a part of every millenial's back-to-school shopping list. Most popular were fun patterns, bright colors and of course knee socks &#; and nobody looked better wearing them than the fashionable character Cher in the movie Clueless, which came out in .
These days, fun socks are wilder and more imaginative than ever!
&#; Our business opened and began selling novelty socks in Bellingham, Washington.
With more than 10 years in the business, we know socks inside and out! Our inventory has continued to expand and our fan base has grown, making our store a top destination for downtown Bellingham gift shopping. Step through our doors and enter a sock paradise full of colorful displays and unique socks that help you express yourself to the world.
At Cute But Crazy Socks, we are the sock experts. We have the best selection of crazy socks online with every pattern you can imagine and popular brands including Blue Q, Sock It to Me, Socksmith, Solmate Socks, Gumball Poodle, Darn Tough and of course our in-house brand, ModSocks.
This image shows me wearing a pair of ModSocks' original Mushrooms knee-high socks while standing next to a fungus-covered stump in Bellingham, Wash.
The ModSocks brand uses cutting-edge sock technology to manufacture beautiful, detailed images on socks. ModSocks has even pioneered a few techniques to make socks stretch better around the calves without sacrificing cute design!
Cute But Crazy Socks gives back by donating 1% of all product sales to support mental health.
Explore what we have to offer and marvel at how far the simple sock has come when you visit our website. Comment below with what kinds of socks you would love to see us carry, and help us shape the future of socks!
A hand-knitted sock
A sock is a piece of clothing worn on the feet and often covering the ankle or some part of the calf. Some types of shoes or boots are typically worn over socks. In ancient times, socks were made from leather or matted animal hair. In the late 16th century, machine-knit socks were first produced. Until the s, both hand-made and machine-knit socks were manufactured, with the latter technique becoming more common in the 19th century, and continuing until the modern day.
yipin are exported all over the world and different industries with quality first. Our belief is to provide our customers with more and better high value-added products. Let's create a better future together.
One of the roles of socks is absorbing perspiration. The foot is among the heaviest producers of sweat in the body, it can produce over 0.25 US pints (0.12 L) of perspiration per day;[1] socks help to absorb this sweat and draw it to areas where air can evaporate the perspiration. They also protect shoes, a more expensive, durable, and frequently reworn foot covering, from perspiration, extending their life.
In cold environments, socks made from cotton or wool help warm up cold feet which in turn helps decrease the risk of getting frostbite. Thin socks are most commonly worn in the summer months to keep feet cool.
In men's fashion, light-colored socks are typically worn with sports shoes and dark colored socks with dress shoes (often black or navy blue dress socks). Fanciful sock designs are becoming more common. [2]
Etymology
The modern English word sock is derived from the Old English word socc, meaning "light slipper". This comes from the Latin soccus, a term to describe a "light, low-heeled shoe" worn by Roman comic actors,[3] and deriving from the Ancient Greek word sykchos.[4]
History
Silk woven socks from the Mawangdui tomb, Western Han, 2nd century BCE. Ancient Chinese socks are loose fitting and were tied with strings at the back. Egyptian socks created by naalbinding. Dating from 300&#;500, these were excavated from Oxyrhynchus on the Nile in Egypt. The split toes were designed for use with sandals. On display in the Victoria and Albert museum, reference &A-. 12th-century cotton sock, found in Egypt. The knitter of this sock started work at the toe and then worked up towards the leg. The heel was made last and then attached to loops formed while knitting the leg. This practice allowed the heel to be easily replaced when it wore out.Socks have evolved over the centuries from the earliest models, which were made from animal skins gathered up and tied around the ankles in the manner of the later Greek and Roman carbatinae shoes. Because the manufacture of socks was relatively time-consuming in preindustrial times, they were long used only by the rich. The poor wore footwraps, simple cloths wrapped around the feet. These remained in use in Eastern European armies until the end of the 20th century.
According to the Greek poet Hesiod, in the 8th century BC, the Ancient Greeks wore socks called "piloi", which were made from matted animal hair.[5] The Romans also wrapped their feet with leather or woven fabrics. Around the 2nd century AD, the Romans started sewing the fabrics together making fitted socks called "udones". By the 5th century AD, socks called "puttees" were worn by holy people in Europe to symbolize purity.
During the Middle Ages, the length of trousers was extended and the sock became a tight, brightly colored cloth covering the lower part of the leg. Since socks did not have an elastic band, garters were placed over the top of the stockings to prevent them from falling down. When breeches became shorter, socks began to get longer (and more expensive). By AD, socks became a symbol of wealth among the nobility. From the 16th century onwards, an ornamental design on the ankle or side of a sock has been called a "clock".[6][7][8]
The invention of a knitting machine in meant that socks could be knitted six times faster than by hand. Nonetheless, knitting machines and hand knitters worked side by side until .
The next revolution in sock production was the introduction of nylon in . Until then socks were commonly made from silk, cotton and wool. Nylon was the start of blending two or more yarns in the production of socks, a process that still continues today.
Fabrication
Socks can be created from a wide variety of materials, such as cotton, wool, nylon, acrylic, polyester, olefins (such as polypropylene).[9] To get an increased level of softness other materials that might be used during the process can be silk, bamboo, linen, cashmere, or mohair.[9] Merino wool is a popular fabric choice that offers warmth and comfort to socks, and retains its shape better when blended with other materials.[10]:&#;242&#; The color variety of socks can be any color that the designers intend to make the sock upon its creation. Sometimes art is also put onto socks to improve their appearance. Colored socks may be a key part of the uniforms for sports, allowing players teams to be distinguished when only their legs are clearly visible.
Fort Payne, Alabama, is regarded as the "sock capital of the world" due to nearly half of socks manufactured in the early 21st century were made here. The Fort Payne sock industry employed about workers at its peak around the year .[11] Fort Payne, while still one of the largest producers of socks, only produces only a quarter of all socks, and has lost that title to Datang, China.
The township-level district of Datang in the city of Zhuji in Zhejiang Province, People's Republic of China, has become known as Sock City. The town currently produces 8 billion pairs of socks each year,[12] a third of the world's sock production, effectively creating two pairs of socks for every person on the planet in .[13]
Styles
Socks are manufactured in a variety of lengths. No show, low cut, and ankle socks extend to the ankle or lower and are often worn casually or for athletic use. No show and low-cut socks are designed to create the look of bare feet when worn with shoes (sock not visible). Knee-high socks are sometimes associated with formal dress or as being part of a uniform, such as in sports (like football and baseball) or as part of a school's dress code or youth group's uniform. Over-the-knee socks or socks that extend higher (thigh-high socks) are sometimes referred to as female garments in the common era. They were widely worn by children, both boys and girls, during the late 19th and early 20th centuries; although, the popularity varied widely from country to country.[14] When worn by adult females, knee-high or thigh-high socks can become the object of sexual attraction and fetishism by some men.[15] Liner socks are socks which are worn underneath another sock with the intention being to prevent blisters.
Toe socks encases each toe individually the same way a finger is encased in a glove, while other socks have one compartment for the big toe and one for the rest, like a mitten; most notably what Japanese call tabi while other parts of the world simply call it split toe socks. Both of these allow one to wear flip-flops with the socks.[16]
Leg warmers, which are not typically socks, may be replaced with socks in cold climates and are similar to leggings due to the fact that they typically only keep legs warm in cold weather but not the entire foot.
A business sock or dress sock is a term for a dark-colored sock (typically black or navy blue) for formal or casual footwear. It is often loosely referred to as a work sock or a formal sock for formal occasions, for example, weddings, funerals, graduation ceremonies, prom, church, or work.
Crew socks are short and thick or thin everyday socks. Those socks are usually ribbed at the top of the ankles.[17][18] They can be used in a way to warm legs if pulled all the way up.[19][clarification needed] The first familiar practice of crew socks[clarification needed] was in .[citation needed] Crew socks are usually unisex.[20]
A low cut sock is a kind of sock that describe in a way to be cut below the ankle. Low cut socks are formed to cover the contours of a person's feet. Although low cut socks are unisex, women and girls commonly use them. Low cut socks are normally worn with shoes such as boat shoes, Oxfords, moccasins and loafers.[citation needed]
The Ancient Egyptian style of sock is a blend between modern Western socks and Japanese tabi, both of which it predates. Like tabi, Egyptian socks have one compartment for the big toe and another for the rest, permitting their use with sandals. Like Western socks, they fit snugly to the foot and do not use fasteners like tabi.
Sizes
Knee-high white socks, often worn as part of a school uniform or for fashionAlthough generally holding to a pattern of being divided into sizes of small-medium-large, etc., what range of shoe sizes those sock sizes correspond to carries in different markets.[21] Some size standards are coordinated by standard-setting bodies but others have arisen from custom.[22] Sock lengths vary, from ankle-high to thigh level.[23]
Sports
Most sports require some sort of sock, usually a knee length or mid-calf sock to protect one's legs from being scraped while participating in sport activities. In basketball, tube socks are worn, and in lacrosse, mid-calf socks are required.[citation needed] In football, knee socks are used. They are mostly to stop grass burns.[24]
Other uses of the word
The layer of leather or other material covering the insole of a shoe is also referred to as a sock. When only part of the insole is covered, leaving the forepart visible, this is known as a half-sock.[25]
Footwraps used by the Finnish Army until the sFootwraps, pieces of cloth that are worn wrapped around the feet, were worn with boots before socks became widely available. They remained in use by armies in Eastern Europe until the beginning of the 21st century.[26]
Thermal socks
For use in cold environments, thermal socks are thicker. They are commonly worn for skiing, skating, and other winter sports. They provide not only insulation, but also greater padding due to their thickness.
Diabetic socks are a kind of thermal sock made from an acrylic, cotton, nylon, and elastic. These are made to improve comfort while at the same time keeping feet cool and dry. However, there is no solid evidence that they are helpful.[27]
Holiday items
A sock is also used as a holiday item during Christmas. Children hang a large ceremonial sock called a Christmas stocking by a nail or hook on Christmas Eve, and then their parents fill it with small presents while the recipients are asleep. According to tradition, Santa Claus brings these presents to well-behaved children, while naughty kids instead receive coal.[28]
Religion
Among Muslims, socks have initiated a discussion about the intricacies of wudhu, the formal washing carried out before prayer. Some Muslim clerics, mindful of possible hardship among Muslims in inhospitable circumstances, have issued Muslim edicts permitting practicing Muslims to wipe water over their sock or sprinkle their sock.[29] This would allow prayer where there are no seating facilities, or if there is a queue. This is the stated opinion especially of Maliki Sunnis.[30]
See also
References
For more information, please visit football team socks.