Once upon a time, in a land far away, some ancient Greek dude decided that he was sick and tired of having cold feet. After some contemplation and a few trial and errors (we assume) the first versions of what we call socks were worn. These kickers were made from matted animal hair, wrapped around the foot and tied at the ankle. Quite the rage at the time. Also, quite the smell. Next time you are grossed out about your gym sneaker sock stench, be thankful you didn’t just run a 5-mile marathon with your feet covered in goat hair.
So how did we earthlings get from that to a wonderful world of vibrant, fun and stylish socks that can even be delivered to your door via monthly subscription? A few key developments occurred (thankfully) that have brought us to where we are today.
In the 11th century, knitted socks were introduced. Initially designed to help ease the pain of chafing from walking around in those horribly uncomfortable medieval clunkers, they quickly became a status symbol for wealth and prestige. By the 16th century, the knitting the machine had been invented, helping to make socks more accessible to the other 98%.
It wasn’t until the 20th century that socks became mass produced. With the industrial revolution, advances in factory processes and the availability of cheaper materials such as cotton and nylon had ugly tube socks and boring white socks accessible to everyone.
But then…..we found style. And we rolled with it. The roaring 1920’s brought the patterned argyle sock and the 1980’s delivered neon pink sports socks. Flash forward to 2016 and the world is your oyster, baby. Bacon socks, zebra socks, trippy socks, zigzag socks and every color under the sun can be on your toes in an instant.
What will this century be remembered for? Sock-Obsessed!