A sock is a baglike covering for the foot and/or lower leg, which is designed to:

• ease chafing between the foot and footwear,
• keep feet warm, and
• absorb sweat from the feet.

Sock lengths vary, from covering only the foot, to knee level. There are the just-below-the-knee socks used by soccer and football players (and some fashionable basketball players as well). There are the crew socks, mid-calf and the bare socks. A toe sock[1] wraps each toe individually.

Socks are usually made from cotton, wool, or nylon.

Although socks are sold in pairs, contrary to shoes, the two socks are usually the same. Mismatched socks were stereotypically the symbol of someone who was absent-minded. In 2004, they were a fashion statement[2]. The sock colour should match the colour of the shoes and/or pants. Wearing white socks with a dark suit is a sterotypical fashion mistake of those wearing suits infrequently.

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

See also

• stocking
• tabi
• loose socks
• crew socks
• just-below-the-knee (soccer player) socks
• sock(s) finder
• socks link
• socks bag

External links

• Webpage on men's tights and socks, focusing on Germans
• NY Times article on large-scale sock production in Datang, China