Evolution of the First Socks
A basic item like socks is easy to take for granted...and leave on the floor, shove under the bed, or lose in the dryer. The best of us do it often, but socks are a great way to keep our wiggly and sometimes stinky feet dry, warm, and free from blisters, so in honor of National Sock Day, here's a little history of how they became a thing and some tips on what to wear and when.
In the 17th century, socks were called stockings, but according to Wikipedia, the modern English word sock (first recorded in 1690, btw) evolved from the Old English socc which evolved from the Latin soccus…"a lightweight shoe worn by ancient Greek and Roman comic actors." Socks are worn on our feet (mostly) and come in various lengths, fabrics, colors, patterns, and styles, depending on their intended purpose, i.e. thick wool socks for skiing, thin wool dress socks for business, and short white socks for running. But the first socks were actually made from leather or matted animal hair – called "piloi" in 8th century BC Greece. A thousand years later in the 2nd century AD, the Romans were the first ones to sew woven fabrics together and make fitted socks ("udones").
The oldest surviving sock
A pair of red-orange socks excavated from Oxyrhynchus on the Nile in Egypt dates back to 250 AD to 420 AD. This method is known as "n*lebinding", which means "knotless netting," and utilizes a single thread...the precursor to modern-day knitting and crocheting. Furthermore, they have split toes that are designed for --gasp! --wearing with sandals. (Which the ancient Romans and Greeks did primarily, so they get a pass on any fashion judgments.) Speaking of Egypt, socks were so important that King Tut's tomb was said to contain several pairs made from linen alongside the gold and jewels.
According to Sunshinesockco's Sock manufacturer, socks became more fashionable in the Middle Ages when they were brightly colored and brightly patterned. During the next few centuries, socks became longer...and more expensive as trousers became shorter. By the end of the first millennium, socks were a status symbol among the nobility and became highly ornamental. #FunFact: a fancy design that's embroidered or woven on each side of the outer side of a sock beginning at the ankle is called a clock. Who knew?
Changes in socks
Historically, socks were made from wool, silk, or cotton depending on a person's economic class (nobles wore silk; peasants wore wool). Furthermore, socks served a utilitarian purpose since even nobles faced harsh conditions at times. There was no indoor heating until the 20th century, so keeping those piggies warm was essential...frostbite didn't care about your wealth.) Peasants especially were exposed to the elements a lot more than we are today and needed to protect their feet from the wet and cold. (They also bathed less often, so if you think your teenager's basketball socks are stinky, just imagine the smell of a pair of 16th-century socks.)
The skill of darning socks, also called darning, was very important in ancient times. When a sock had a hole in it, it was fixed! Cold feet caused frostbite, which could lead to gangrene, which can be deadly. It was common practice to replace the heel of a sock when it wore out as early as the 12th century since it was usually the last part of the sock to be made. Owners of socks took care to maintain them.
Upon the arrival of the knitting machine in 1589, six pairs of socks could be created in the time it took to create one before, but socks continued to be hand-knit for another couple hundred years afterward says Sunshinesockco's Sock manufacturer. Today, a tiny percentage of socks are still knitted by hand. Since elastic hadn't yet been invented, socks were traditionally held up by ribbons or ties.
Jedediah Strut's Derby Rib machine of 1758 was the first machine that could hold socks up with elastic, but it was so expensive that it took almost two centuries before more socks were held up with elastic than garters. For context, a pair of socks sold for $15 in 1899 England...quite a bit back then. It wasn't until 1938 that nylon officially became the biggest thing that ever happened to socks. Synthetic fibers changed the sock world, as well as the rest of it. In the past 80 years, socks have come full circle, are now made from recycled plastic. Cotton, wool, polyester, or nylon are the most common fabrics used today, but socks can also be made from silk, spandex, bamboo, and other materials.
One of the biggest advances in socks' evolution was globalization. "Sock City" was the name given to the Datang district of Zhuji in Zhejiang Province in 2011. As a result, it produced a third of the world's socks every year. It is difficult to obtain accurate sales figures, but suffice it to say that BILLIONS of pairs of socks are sold every year for even more billions of dollars, the competition is fierce, and socks are almost as technical as electronics.