7 Facts About Socks That Make Them More Interesting
7 Facts About Socks That Make Them More Interesting
Your sock drawer is probably filled with socks that you rarely wear, unless it’s summer and you’re wearing flip-flops. Socks can be pretty mundane most of the time, but there are quite a few fun and useless facts about socks that make them more interesting than you might have realized. Here are seven facts about socks that will make your next pair of socks more interesting to you!
1) Who makes socks?
Did you know that socks were once made by nuns in convents? This isn’t actually a joke—the oldest known reference to knitting is found in convent archives from 1333. Between caring for orphans and praying for forgiveness, these very devout women were also keeping their feet warm and toasty. Since then, we’ve learned a lot about sock making: patterned socks weren’t common until 1868 (they first appeared at The Great Exhibition) and 71% of knitters are right-handed. If you thought it was weird that you can never find matching socks in your drawer, well, now you know why. #Philosockphy.
2) There are many ways to wear socks
from layered socks, to baby socks, to sock subscriptions. The best part is that you can buy men’s and women’s socks online and have them delivered straight to your door. Here are 7 interesting facts about socks that might make you want to buy some new ones
3) Sock designers have a lot of nicknames
they’re called philosockophy, sock nuts, and a range of other terms. But what do you call someone who studies socks? A sockologist? A sockogist? A socking-ologist? You can be your own sock of a scientist by starting a sock subscription—you choose which type of socks to receive on a monthly basis and how many pairs each month. But before you subscribe to your first pair, here are some fun facts about socks that will help you know where to start!
4) The United States produces the most socks
It is estimated that nearly 10 billion pairs of socks are produced in the United States each year. Americans, whether they know it or not, are big consumers of socks; but they don’t produce enough to make a dent in our overall consumption. China is by far and away the top producer, with more than 100 billion pairs of socks produced each year. While few of us are aware of it, every time we pull on a pair of US-made socks, we should be thanking China!
5) What makes good sock material?
Good sock material has a blend of nylon and spandex that enables it to stretch but also supports your feet. Fabrics that contain these fibers are typically called thermoplastic elastomers, or TPEs. These materials allow socks to be flexible enough to mold around your feet while still providing support. Softer socks with more elasticity make your feet feel great, but they won’t offer much stability or support, making them poor choice for high-impact activities like running. On the other hand, stiffer fabrics will provide more arch support, but aren’t as comfortable against bare skin and aren’t recommended for shoes without socks. The right fabric will usually provide both comfort and stability so you can wear them all day long.
6) How big are socks factories?
Did you know that there are more sock factories in Maine than there are lobster shacks? These socks factories can produce up to 12 million pairs of socks every year. Maine is a very interesting place when it comes to socks, because almost all of its sock manufacturers used to make shoes until they saw how big a market sock subscriptions were becoming. The industry was forced to shift and now employs people who spend their days cutting patterns, folding fabric, dying yarns and even putting tiny little pom-poms on toes. Shifting from making shoes to making socks is a huge switch, but most people consider it one worth making if they get to work in such an exciting environment with one of their favorite clothing items.
7) What other products do sock companies make?
There are a number of socks subscription companies that exist today and many more sock-producing brands. If you’re looking for other types of products, then you might also want to check out sock of the month clubs and retailers.