In our previous post, we encouraged you to find the correct shoe for your feet and to tie your shoes in a way that would allow you to take advantage of the structural components of the shoe that work best for your feet. The next thing to consider is the footwear apparel between the shoe and the foot, the sock. Socks are often an overlooked piece of apparel as the points of consideration for socks have often been limited to price, color, and will it reduce blisters, as people pick up a bag of socks for shoes sizes 7-12. However, size, materials, and components are factors that should become part of your sock decision-making processes. Let’s start by considering the compositional differences between a traditional sock and a specialized sock. Figure 1 presents how specialized socks have various components that perform different functions, such as a relatively new component known as the elasticized arch support1. While Figure 2 demonstrates the lack of foot accommodating components of a traditional “tube” sock. Socks that are not designed for your foot size, such as the traditional sock, will cause the sock to either ride too high up your heel or irritate your heel. Socks comprised of various materials, such as cotton, spandex, and nylon, and in varying percentages, address many concerns of the wearer. Some of these concerns can be identified as the capability of the sock to wick moisture away from the foot, provide graduated compression, provide enhanced cushioning with targeted padding, and provide reinforced support to the toes, heels, and arch support. Additional information about the functionality of these materials has been identified in the table below. The unique variations of components added to socks enable personalized comfort and improvement to the sock's performance. Socks started as a commodity of fashion but have evolved into an essential tool for the care of the human foot.
Figure 1: Components of an athletic sock.
