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. Machine-knit socks were first produced in the late 16th century. Until the 1800s, 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.
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 of perspiration per day. 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, warm socks help people avoid getting 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. Fanciful sock designs are becoming more common.
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, and deriving from the Ancient Greek word sykchos.History
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.
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. By 1000 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". The invention of a knitting machine in 1589 meant that socks could be knitted faster.
The next revolution in sock production was the introduction of nylon in 1938. 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.
Footwraps
, 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.Fabrication
Socks can be made from a wide variety of materials, such as cotton, wool, nylon, acrylic, polyester and olefins. To get an increased level of softness other materials that might be used during the process can be silk, bamboo, linen, cashmere, or mohair. Merino wool is a popular fabric choice that offers warmth and comfort to socks, and retains its shape better when blended with other materials. Socks can be made in any color/colors. Colored socks may be a part of a uniform 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" as nearly half of socks manufactured in the early 21st century were made here. The Fort Payne sock industry employed about 7000 workers at its peak around the year 2000. Fort Payne remains among the leading hosiery centers, contributing roughly a quarter of the global output, while Datang, China now holds the top position.
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, a third of the world's sock production, effectively creating two pairs of socks for every person on the planet in 2011.
Types and 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. Knee-high socks are sometimes associated with formal dress or as being part of a uniform, such as in sports or as part of a school's dress code or youth group's uniform. Over-the-knee socks or socks that extend higher 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. Knee-high or thigh-high socks are sometimes the object of sexual attraction and underwear fetishism. Liner socks are socks which are worn underneath another sock with the intention being to prevent blisters.Toe socks
s encase each toe individually the same way a finger is encased in a glove. Some other socks have one compartment for the big toe and one for the rest, like a mitten, such as Japanese tabi or, in other parts of the world, split-toe socks. Both of these can be worn with flip-flops with the socks.Business and dress socks
A business sock or dress sock is a term for a dark-colored sock 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
Crew socks are short and thick or thin everyday socks. Those socks are usually ribbed at the top of the ankles. The first usage of the phrase crew socks was in 1948. Crew socks are usually unisex.Low cut socks
A low cut sock is a kind of sock that finishes below the ankle. Low cut socks are formed to cover the contours of a person's feet. Low cut socks are discreet and often worn with a variety of shoes, including sneakers, loafers, and even dress shoes.Egyptian socks
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.Sports socks
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. Tube socks are often worn for sports. In football, knee socks are mostly used.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
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.Non-slip socks
Non-slip socks are socks with non-slip features, such as a rubber tread, to prevent slips and falls. They are also known as hospital socks, psych ward socks or grippy socks, as they are commonly issued at hospitals, psychiatric facilities, and nursing homes. Patients can sometimes arrive at hospital by ambulance without footwear. Non-slip socks are intended as alternative footwear to help prevent falls, though evidence of effectiveness is inconclusive.Smell
Socks can acquire a foul odor due to prolonged wearing on feet. Their odor, which is complex and remains the object of study, is a mixture of ammonia, fatty acids, and lactic acid. Odorous socks are a strong attractant for some animals, including dogs and mosquitos. They have proven useful in controlling the behaviour of these animals.Although the odour of smelly socks is often associated with feet, it arises independently of contact with human feet in various foodstuffs, such as dairy products, cheeses, sausages and fish sauce, and is naturally present in several plants. The smell has also been noted in building and automotive air treatment systems, where it is described as "jock socks odour" or "dirty socks syndrome". Several technologies have been developed to incorporate materials into sock textiles which reduce or eliminate the strong smell.
The intense smell commonly results from bacterial action upon sweat which accumulates due to confining footwear. It has also presented itself as a problem among users of prosthetics. Smelly socks may be a source of air contamination in aircraft and dwellings. Their distinctive odour is commonly used as a reference. A 1996 Popular Mechanics article describes "jock socks odour" complaints as one of the magazine's most frequent queries with regard to automotive air conditioning systems, attributing it to fungal growth within the auto. The term "Dirty Sock Syndrome" is used to describe unpleasant odours that arise in building heating and cooling systems. High-efficiency heat pumps in the southeastern US have been noted as frequent offenders.
The odour is a diagnostic feature of a serious medical condition, Isovaleric acidemia. A widespread consumer perception of the odour in the medication metformin, frequently used to treat Type 2 diabetes, may have contributed to patient refusals of the treatment. A test of olfactory abilities deemed useful in Japan employs detection of "sweaty socks", along with two other odours, as a useful metric of these abilities. When fresh, alkyl nitrites or "poppers", smell fruity, but when stale their aroma seems like smelly socks.