The modern English word sock comes from the Old English word socc, that means”light slipper”. This same word comes from the Latin soccus, a term used to describe a “light, low-heeled shoe” worn by Roman comic actors,and deriving from the Ancient Greek word sykchos.
Like all clothing, socks are a part of the human’s wardrobe for a very long time; 2000 years ago to be exact. The need for humans to cover their feet goes back as far as Ancient Greek, in 800 B.C., where men were tying up matted animal skin to their ankle to be warm. Romans followed the tradition by tying up leather or woven fabric around their feet.
After the fall of the Roman Empire, by the 5th century AD, then called “puttees”, socks were considered a symbol of purity and was only worn by the clergy in Europe. By the year 1000, socks have become a symbol of wealth among the royalty and nobility. By the end of Middle Ages, in the 16th century, an ornamental design called a “clock” was added on the ankle or on the side of the sock.
By 1589, the first knitting machine was invented in England, by William Lee. Therefore, it accelerated the knitting process; they were six times faster than when they were knitted by hand. However, hand knitting and machines worked side by side until the 1800’s.
With the Industrial Revolution in the middle of the 18th century, socks were massively produced, were more accessible to the people, but still very expensive. In 1938, Nylon was invented and revolutionized the socks’ world were they were made of silk, cotton, and wool.
Team Custom Socks joined the sock-making industry and has followed in the path of history for producing socks. So take part in history with your own custom socks.
