8 Facts About Socks You Never Knew
8 Facts About Socks You Never Knew
Learn all the interesting facts about socks with these 8 random, fun, and useless facts about socks! Here are 8 Facts About Socks You Never Knew!
Fact 1: There are more than 100 types of socks
From thin ankle socks to thick ski socks, here are some facts you probably didn’t know about socks. The average American owns seven pairs of black socks, six white and 12 pairs of other colors. Also, at any given time, a large percentage of Americans own two left shoes (perhaps due to being matched with another pair), four red shirts and nine pairs of blue jeans. According to Kohl’s Department Stores, more than 72% of adults always match their underwear with their outerwear. What do you think about that? Think it's weird or is it just us? Let us know in our poll below!
Fact 2: Did you know? Sock sizes are different
Men’s sizes are determined by shoe size, while women’s are based on leg length. A woman with a size 5 shoe will generally wear a size 6 sock and so on. The amount of stretch in socks means that they can be either large or small. It all depends on what you like! If you prefer your socks snug then it may be worth getting some smaller ones but if you like them loose then go for something bigger.
Fact 3: Check out these famous socks!
In 2001, one of these socks sold for $1.98 million on eBay. The winning bidder, a Las Vegas casino owner, won with one of his own feet (the rules stated he had to wear it). After winning, he said that he wasn’t going to display it in a museum or anything – but rather just keep it in his sock drawer. Talk about Philosockphy. Who knew?!?
Fact 4: Are your feet weird? Learn why they say that.
They're packed with nerve endings so we can experience pain. Here's what that means: All of our body's other nerve endings are encapsulated, meaning they're surrounded by a non-nervous tissue called epineurium, which protects them from harm. This is called a closed system. But when it comes to our feet and toes, there is no epineurium surrounding those nerve receptors, making them vulnerable to damage or infection. So if something happens to one of your five separate nerves in your big toe for example, you'll feel it (and probably scream). At least that's one reason socks have such a big role in every horror movie ever.
Fact 5: History of socks – All starts with the Egyptians!
Ancient socks were made from woven papyrus and decorated with brightly colored stripes. These socks were primarily worn by royalty, but eventually spread to all parts of Egyptian society. Interestingly, no ancient Egyptians wore shoes in public – only sandals. This has caused speculation that perhaps they thought shoes were undignified, or that they didn’t need them because their feet had hardened over time to become sturdier than we modern softies. Whatever their reasoning, it’s clear they wore no knitted woolen stockings like you and I do today!
Fact 6: What’s your sock style?
Philosockphy is all about your own personal style. Try combining shoes and socks of different patterns, or better yet—have an outfit in your closet you only wear when its raining outside. Create a sock style to match each season. Or better yet, create a sock style for every single day! Feel free to mix and match your favorite styles; you’ll never be bored wearing Philosockphy. The possibilities are endless when it comes to changing up what goes on underfoot! In fact, if we see you wearing a pair of unoriginal socks, we’ll take them from you personally and make sure they’re transformed into something special—and then send them back with a Philosockphy label just for you! We do have rules after all...
Fact 7: Weirdest history of socks ever!
In 17th century, socks were associated with political views. Noblemen wore white stockings, while peasants wore black ones. They believed that white represented freedom and equality, but it was in fact a sign of aristocracy; on one hand it meant they had enough wealth to wear something different than commoners, but at that time socks weren’t used by lower classes. However, even if only a few individuals wore them, no one wanted to be mistaken for commoner wearing black stockings. Eventually everyone began using black socks because it was an easier way to stay in their social rank rather than actually wearing the color of their beliefs.
Fact 8a) Origins of slippers
The history of slippers begins before humans were even walking upright, Dr. Karla Starr, a clinical assistant professor at The New York College of Podiatric Medicine told Business Insider. Ancient humanoids roamed around and all they had on their feet were bare skin and soft, protective hair. Eventually, we developed thicker skin that could handle wearing shoes, but our feet still retained much of their sensitivity to touch. Enter: soft leather and fur socks!