Socks

A sock is a knitted or woven type of hosiery garment for enclosing the human foot. Socks are designed to ease chafing between the foot and footwear, keep the feet warm, absorb moisture, provide comfort, absorb perspiration, help prevent athlete's foot, a fashion item and to keep your feet clean. 

Sock is also the term given to the layer of leather or other material covering the insole of a shoe. When only part of the insole is covered, leaving the forepart visible, this is known as a half-sock. The average foot has 250,000 sweat glands, and the average pair gives off about half a pint (almost 250 ml) of perspiration per day. Socks help to absorb this sweat and draw it to areas where air can wick the perspiration away. In cold environments, socks help to retain and remove the moisture given off by one's feet, decreasing the risk of frostbite. There was a shoe worn by Roman comic actors called soccus in Latin. It was a slipper and fitted loosely so it could be taken off quickly. 

Socks can be created from a wide variety of materials. Some of these materials are cotton, wool, nylon, acrylic, polyester, olefin, polypropylene, or spandex. To get an increased level of softness other materials that might be used during the process can be silk, linen, cashmere, or mohair. The color variety of sock choices can be any color that the designers intend to make the sock upon its creation. Sock 'coloring' can come in a wide range of colors. Sometimes art is also put onto socks to increase their appearance. Different sports generally brandish different sock colors and sometimes each sock will have a different color (for some significance or another). Colored socks may be a key part of the uniforms for sports, allowing players teams to be distinguished when only their legs are clearly visible.

Sock sizes can vary from 8.5 - 11.5. Sock lengths vary, from ankle-high to thigh level and much in between. Other styles of socks include crew socks, mid-calf, and bare socks. A toe sock (also known as a digital sock) encases each toe individually the same way a finger is encased in a glove. Leg warmers, which are not typically socks, are commonly replaced with socks in northern regions of Scandinavia due to the cold climate.