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Socks are designed for wear with footwear that covers the entire foot, such as athletic shoes, boots, or dress shoes. They are sometimes worn with open-toed shoes, such as sandals, but the practice is considered somewhat unfashionable (and can earn the wearer the label of shoebie). Socks are also frequently worn by themselves, typically indoors.
The average foot has 250,000 sweat glands and the average pair gives off about half a pint (almost 250mL) of perspiration per day. Socks help to absorb this sweat and draw it to areas where air can wick the perspiration away. Socks not only help with sweat, they also help keep feet warm and dry in cold environments where frostbite can be a common problem. Without socks, the moisture given off by ones feet will build up and could freeze, leading to frostbite.
Socks are usually made from Cotton, Wool, or Nylon. They come in many colors, though are typically dark for formal attire and white for athletic or casual attire. Colored socks may be a key part of a sport team's uniform. For example, different colored socks come in handy when struggling for a ball in a soccer match at times when several players become bunched. A teammate’s leg can be distinguished from the legs of an opposing player legs based on the color and pattern of their socks.
Sock lengths vary, from covering only the foot, to Knee level. There are the just-below-the-knee socks used by soccer and football players (and some fashionable basketball players as well). There are the crew socks, mid-calf and the bare socks. A toe sock wraps each toe individually. In the United States, shorter socks such as quarter socks, low-cut socks or "no-show" socks have become more popular for wear with athletic shoes, especially by teenagers and young adults, as someone who wears high socks with shorts (outside of a sporting context) may be the subject of ridicule.
Although socks are sold in pairs, contrary to shoes (which are made specifically for the right and left foot), the two socks are usually the same. Mismatched socks were stereotypically the symbol of someone who was absent-minded. With formal or semiformal wear (such as a suit) the sock colour should match the colour of the shoes and/or pants. Wearing white socks with a dark suit is a sterotypical fashion mistake of those wearing suits infrequently.
Socks can also be used for alternative purposes, including:
A sock is also the term given to the layer of leather or other materials covering the insole of a shoe, some times only part of the insole is covered leaving the forepart visible, this is known as a half-sock.
Socks also have an alarming propensity to lose their mates in the laundry. This leads to the famous "one-sock question": does one toss the mate, only (per Murphy's Law) to have the lost footwear reappear days later, or does one hold onto the mate, thinking that by some twist of fate, the wanderer will return?
Another problem is that socks usually come in only one size, typically designated "Fits All" or "Fits Sizes 6-13". Many find this size too big, and have to bunch up the sock in front of their toes to keep the heel from crawling up the back of their leg.
The Elastic at the top of the sock is crucial for the sock. Too tight, and the sock is uncomfortable; too loose and the sock slips down the leg, also causing discomfort. If the elastic is overstretched and loses its Elasticity the sock may be considered unwearable.
White socks can also become very dirty, especially in the soles, but this is typically not a result of wearing them with shoes. When socks are worn by themselves, without shoes, they pick up dust and dirt on the ground or floor. Since socks can be somewhat wet from sweat, especially right after shoes are taken off, the problem can be compounded.
It is said, for example, in a popular campfire song, that black socks never get dirty. The song claims that "The longer you wear them the stronger they get."
It has also been noted that disposing of a lonesome sock virtually guarantees that its long-lost mate will re-appear the next day.
Some with a ruthlessly logical approach to life may solve this problem by taking every sock in the house to a local charity and then purchasing a sufficient number of replacement socks in a limited number of styles and colors, thus maximizing the odds of finding matching socks in the laundry.
Some with a less ruthless but still logical outlook on life will simply buy multiple pairs of the exact same kind of sock, down to any pattern the sock may exhibit.
In 2004 and the early 1980s, mismatched socks were a fashion statement. This continued into 2005 .