It's here! National...sock..day? You betcha'! Started in 2016 by the sock based website 'pair of thieves', it was met with a great deal of excitement, at least by sock connoisseurs around the country. To celebrate this momentous occasion, lets take a look back at some of the key points in sock history.
Before about the 2nd century A.D. most people used either woven animal hair or leather/cloth wraps in order to protect their feet, if they wore anything at all. Sandals and soft fur linings known as "piloi, were the most used methods of wicking away moisture from the feet. At this time, socks weren't used for statements of fashion or art like we have today, and were mostly just a necessity for long travel or labor.
During the middle ages, socks became a part of the multipurpose trouser that many people wore in layers, the lower part around the ankle made of a tighter weave, and since they didn't have elastic back then, carters were put in place to hold everything up. It wasn't until late into the 10th century A.D. that proper woven socks became symbols of wealth and nobility, and started to be worn for their fashion value.
Finally, in 1589 a knitting machine was invented that could output socks at almost 6 times the amount that a hand weaver could produce. Drastically cutting prices and increasing the availability to everyone, and by 1938, blended socks began to become more popular than silks and cotton, and a softer more modern sock with advanced comfort and wicking properties came into being.
Nowadays, socks can be found in any material and style you can imagine, and comfort and quality are at an all time high. Luckily, peoples passion for socks and hosiery has remained intact down the centuries, and we get to enjoy the fruits of thousands of years of sock scientific evolution and study, culminating in the wonderful brands and styles we have today!
Ok, maybe we got a little serious there, I mean, its just a pair of socks right?
Right?
Or is there something more to all this sock talk, what do your socks say about you. and where would society be if we had never given a thought to our feet? However you choose to celebrate sock day, make sure to do it in your favorite pair!