• Home
• Shortlist
• Bestsellers
• Recently Viewed
• Help
• My Account
• Your basket is empty View Basket

Like much of our present day clothing, socks have evolved with fashions over the centuries.

The sock has been traced back to Roman times, when it was very similar to the socks we have today. In the intervening centuries, however, the sock disappeared from use in the UK, as stockings became more usual wear until trousers lengthened and socks once again became coverings for feet only.

 
Roman times

 
Called the “soccus”, these garments appear to be used by Roman entertainers, who wore loosely fitting coverings on their feet. These were later adopted by other Romans, who wore the “soccus” inside their sandals and then removed the sandals when they came into a building, leaving the soccus on their feet indoors.

Roman – Tudor

 
In between the Romans leaving Britain and the Tudors claiming the throne, the “soccus” went through a number of changes, and the use of foot coverings was influenced by styles and traditions of invading and conquering tribes as well as general changes in lifestyle. Passing through phases as complete leg coverings, or “leggings”, socks became more as we would recognise them today as the outer covering or trouser became longer, although they were called “hose” by this time.

The knitting machine

 
In the 1590s, a knitting machine was invented, which speeded up the production of hose, which in turn made them more widely available. The discovery and use of new materials such as silk made hose more desirable for men and women and were a status symbol.

Up-to-date

 
Through the following four hundred years, socks developed into coverings solely for the foot and lower leg, particularly as trousers lengthened to the full length of the leg. Man-made materials made socks more elastic, easy to wash and cheaper to produce and today, we have a wide range of socks for all purposes, made with different fabrics and materials to suit all our needs.

So, where do they all go?

 
Why are there so many single socks? Where do they all go? We’ve all been the victim of a pair of socks that went in the wash together but came out single, and we’ve all seen the mysterious single sock on the pavement or in the park. There are websites devoted to single socks and what happens to them, and no-one has a foolproof answer.

 
Instead of wondering where that lost sock is, take a look at sockshop.co.uk and find some great new socks to replace the pair you’ve split up!