It’s About Socks – Part 1 – Cuts

You enter a department store and head toward the underwear section.  You are concerned about fit, comfort, style, and durability as you always are when choosing the right thing for you.  This trip isn’t for briefs, but for something else in the realm of underwear.  You know your size, but do you want something longer or shorter?  Do you want something in color, the original white, or maybe something with stripes or color rings?  When it comes to purchasing a good pair of socks, one has about as many options as when choosing a new pair of briefs.  Just the same, it all comes down to what the wearer expects and personal preference.

Here at UNB, we want people to know what’s out there so that a better choice can be made for the buyer’s comfort and in case the buyer wants to branch out and try something new.  First off, it’s important to know the different common lengths we find in stores:

• Over-the-calf – This style of sock is the best for wearing boots because of their length, covering the calves of the legs.  Some people might wear these because they like to feel something tighter below the knee.  Companies out there are making more and more socks for those with blood vessel issues.  These are also seen many times on athletes, who wear them so wonderfully.

• Crew – This style is worn by many athletes and can be said to be the most common.  The sock comes up to the calf or about midway the calf.  Many basketball players wear these with high-tops.  Some workers chose to wear these with construction boots as well when they do not want the full coverage of the kind above.  These were some sent by two Canadian friends a few years ago.  I ended up with two pair and I love them.  They were marketed in Canada to get people to have pride and cheer for their Olympic team.
  
• Ankle – These socks used to be worn primarily by women when they first appeared in the fashion world, but luck would have it that men noticed the look of this cut and wanted it in their day to day wardrobe as well.  These are popular with athletes wanting less material on their legs, students that don’t want to wear “un-cool” fashions, and everyday people who want summer comfort and style with shorts.

• Low-cut or no-show – This style of sock is somewhat new within the past few years for men. Again, it was primarily worn by females.   Mainly worn with low-top sneakers, these socks give the impression of not wearing socks with shoes.  Many shoe brands are making a lower top on their sneakers and people do not want the extra sock material above.  Some say they can and cannot wear these because of how little material there is, but once again, we see this as a personal preference.

The choice of sock definitely depends on what you will be doing when wearing them.  For instance, my father was in the timber industry for most all his adult life.  Many of his socks were the gray, over-the-calf socks with the wide red band around the top.  They were designed for those that would be on their feet doing strenuous work.  Construction workers are guys we are familiar seeing wearing this kind of sock.  We’ve seen many pictures of that from the 80s.

In the coming up articles, I will be discussing the different activities linked to socks, materials they are made from, the various fads we’ve seen in men’s socks, and what good places there are to find them. Stay tuned for more sock love!