Bed Socks

Fun Facts About Socks

Feet and socks are not the most interesting things to discuss in many cases but I am going to do it anyway. Socks can help someone, express their individuality, style and personality.  They also have more practical uses like keeping us warm at night, to protect our feet and for medical use.  Socks are very important in our lives.  So I beg the question, why do we lose socks so easily when they are so important to us?  Enjoy the fun facts about socks.

Fact #1.

Feet are apparently one of the sweatiest parts of the human body.  It’s right up there with your armpits and head.  Socks help absorb the sweat and move the moisture from the sweatier parts to areas of the foot where the moisture can evaporate.  So take your extra socks and stick them in your armpits.  After all the human body can lose half a liter of sweat a day through the feet.

Fact #2

Greeks wore socks made of matted animal hair in the eighth century.  I am very thankful that we have evolved with socks since then.  Matted animal hair just doesn’t seem that comfortable to me.  I certainly wouldn’t prance around the house or use them as bed socks.

Fact #3

China produces approximately 40% of all socks in the world.  You probability already had some idea about this.  The city in China that produces the most socks is Zhuji in Zhejiang Province.

Fact#4

Socks can and have been made of bamboo, wool, cotton, acrylic, olefins, nylon, polyester, spandex, silk, and cashmere.  Some of the best bed socks are made from cotton and cashmere (in my opinion).

Fact #5

The design on the side of a sock is called a clock.

Fact #6

But adding anywhere between 2% and 5%  of elastic in a sock, you socks become more stretchy, flexible, the fit better and last longer.   Something to consider when purchasing your next pair of bed socks.

Fact #7

The word sock comes from what used to be a loose fitting slipper called soccus which is a Latin word.  It Roman comic actors would wear the loose fitting socks.

Fact #8

The earliest pair of socks that have survived date back to 300-500 AD.  They were excavated from Oxyrhynchus on the Nile of Egypt.  They had split toes which were designed for sandals.  They are on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

I hope you enjoyed these facts as much as I did writing about them.  Life without socks just isn’t a comfortable life.  We have come a long way with socks and I can’t wait to see what new socks will be made in the future.