Sock Terminology

For those who have been caught flat-footed in discussions on foot coverings here are easy to understand explainations and fun facts on the cloth that covers your feet.

A sock is a knitted garment for enclosing the human foot and/or lower leg. The purpose is to ease contact between the foot and footwear, keep the feet warm, and absorb sweat from the feet.

The word sock is derived from the the Latin word soccus, which was a type of low-heeled, loose-fitting shoe or slipper used by the Greeks. Roman comedians also wore soccus. The Latin word soccus could have been a variation of the ancient Greek sukkhos, which was a Phrygian shoe. This word was probably derived from an Asian language. Greeks wore their soccuses on their feet, then put their sandals on top on them, and as happens today, people removed their sandals walked inside their houses in their soccuses. The Old English usage was soc, which then became socke in Middle English times.

By 1583 the word "stocking" was used to describe a covering for the feet and legs. Stocking came from Middle English stok or stokke, meaning leg covering, from Old English stocc, tree trunk. A tree trunk isn.t too far from the shape of a human leg. The word evolved into "stock", used to mean the covering for a leg

Socks are typically designed to be worn with footwear that covers the entire foot, such as athletic shoes, boots, or dress shoes. They are sometimes worn with open-toed shoes, such as sandals. Socks are usually made from Natural Fibers such as cotton, wool, or less commonly from possum fur. Commonly used Synthetic Materials are polypropylene and nylon.

Athletic Socks are about the weight of casual socks, but they usually have a cushioned-sole or some other feature specific to the sport for which they were designed. Usually, they're white or white with colored stripes at top or with a logo. Athletic socks are mostly cotton, a natural fiber that lets your foot breathe and wicks away moisture. Synthetic fabrics may be added because of their wicking properties, warmth, and blister prevention.

Wicking is the term used to describe how socks absorb and transfer moisture away from the foot, keeping it dry. A wicking gradient occurs when the shoe upper is breathable (i.e., nylon mesh) so that ambient air encourages evaporation of water vapor.

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. According to personal preference, people may wear crew socks, which extend mid-calf.

Other popular sock types are Tube Socks, invented by Thomas Kelly and Hugh Ryan in 1875, and toe socks (also known as a digital sock), which wraps each toe individually. Ankle Socks that extend over the ankle bone become more popular for wear with athletic shoes, especially by teenagers and young adults.

Dress Socks are to be worn in dressier situations, such as work and are typically darker colors. They are generally composed of fine fabric such as silk, although wool and cotton socks in a thin fabric are also appropriate. The length of dress socks is most commonly over-the-calf.

Dress socks have several weaves.

• Plain - no texture, the most conservative.
• Ribbed - woven with raised vertical ribs.
• Cable - a raised rib that intertwines.

A stocking is a close-fitting, elastic garment covering the foot and lower part of the leg. The popularity, patterns. and opacity of stockings increases and decreases with fashion. In modern usage, stockings are configured as two pieces, one for each leg. They are kept in place in varied ways. The most common way is to wear a garter belt (known as a suspender belt in Britain) that goes around the waist and drops that attach to the tops of the stockings. Another support is 'stay-up' technology, where the inside of the top of the stockings has added to it an elastic band (typically silicone).

The least common means of support is the circular elastic garter that slips over the top of the stocking and holds it up by tightly clamping it to the leg. In circumstances where the tops of the stockings are visible, some people prefer the look of suspenders. The term hold-ups refers to stockings that stay up on their own, such as tights or pantyhose. In 1959, Allen Grant, Sr. invented pantyhose, which are leg coverings woven together with a panty or girdle