Sock and Awe Trivia Quiz

Answer: Each toe is individually encased

Toe socks are descriptive of a type of sock that has a separate compartment for each toe to fit within individually. The toe sock acts similarly to the difference between a glove with finger holes for each finger and a mitten that covers the hand as a whole. Toe socks are not as efficient in providing warmth as mitten style socks, because the shared space of the mitten sock tends to create a moist heated environment. An advantage to the toe sock is that it keeps the feet dryer.

Toe socks are primarily a fashion accessory and can range from monochromatic to thematic or randomly colored. There is no set length to a toe sock, and you can find anklet to above the knee styles; however, longer toe socks are more prevalent. Toe socks are not inherently limited to any one gender or age group, but the vast majority of toe socks are made for and sold to young females.

Answer: 1970s

Surprisingly, the first toe socks were apparently developed by a Pennsylvania woman named Ethel Russell (Wynhym) in 1969. Ms. Russell submitted and received a copyright application for "mitten socks". Unfortunately, Ms. Russell was not able to stop others from making and selling their version of the toe sock. In the late 1970s, when Ethel tried to protect her design by suing hosiery manufacturer Trimfit, Inc. the U.S. courts told her to "put a sock in it" and dismissed her claims. The reason is essential to the difference between copyrights and patents. A copyright protects the image or particular words for example. A patent creates an exclusive right to use a unique idea for a period of years. Ms. Russell's copyright prohibited others from copying her designs. The copyright would include the color or pattern of the toe sock, but did not create a patent right to prohibit others from designing their version of a sock with separately encased toes.

In any event, toe socks became a rage and were worn primarily by young women during the 1970s. As fashion trends go the toe sock lost popularity during the 1980s, but a new generation of young women revived the toe sock as a trendy accessory in the 1990s.

Answer: Knee highs

Socks serve a number of purposes. The sock is woven from soft material to cover the foot, thereby protecting the sensitive foot and ankle skin from abrasions or blisters due to rubbing against the stiffer material of the shoe. Socks also provide a layer of heat retention and a moisture barrier for the foot, ankle and leg. Historically, the thicker a natural fiber sock was (wool, cotton, bamboo, hemp for example) the greater the aid the sock provided for protecting against the elements. The advent of synthetic polymers, such as 3M's "Thinsulate", reduced the need for making socks thick but the benefits of wearing a sock remain.

Socks are also an enduring fashion accessory for both men and women. Long pants and shoes hide the sock for the most part, but socks and other hosiery take on a greater prominence when the length of the pant or skirt shortens. Knee socks describe a sock that covers the entire calf and ends at or slightly above the knee. Women are far more likely than men to wear knee socks as most fashionable male socks do not extend much past the midcalf. Knee socks come in a dizzying array of colors and patterns, and you will find both mitten and toe styles.

Answer: No-show socks

No-show socks are hosiery that cover the heel and foot, but do not extend fully up the ankle. The intent of the sock is to create the illusion that you are sock-less. For the most part, the no-show sock is a sport or casual style that works best with short pants and low profile shoes. Two obvious fashion-forward advantages to wearing a no-show sock are that your lower leg will receive the same amount of sunlight as your upper leg creating an even color; and since no one will see your socks there is less importance on color and pattern.

The use of the no-show sock is more hygienic than simply going sock-less. No-show socks provide the benefit of trapping the foot sweat away from the shoe aiding in reducing malodorous feet and shoes. As with any sock, using a no-show style also reduces the likelihood of painful blisters and foot abrasions.

Answer: Slipper sock

Slipper socks are a modern term for a sock that has rubber or another material on the foot bottom. As such, the slipper sock can be both a comfortable sock and offer some protection for the foot when used as a shoe. As a matter of semantics, the modern slipper is a shoe that is easy to "slip" on and off and is made primarily for use indoors. Slippers are typically lighter in weight and not intended to be worn for extended periods out of doors. A slipper sock is essentially an enclosed slipper where sock material is added to cover the foot and some portion of the leg. The difference between slippers and slipper socks can be compared to the difference between a shoe and a boot.

Etymologically the term "slipper sock" is redundant. Sock is derived from the Old English word "socc" which means slipper. In turn, the Latin word "soccus" also means slipper or low heeled shoe. Nonetheless on a cold winter morning there are a lot of people quite happy to have warm feet and legs thank to their "slipper slippers".

Answer: Lack of a heel bend

Tube socks are a description of a sock without a bend at the ankle. Traditional socks are "L-shaped" while tube socks are straight. The tube sock was developed in the 1960s as a lower cost option for weavers. While unisex, most tube socks are made for the male athletic market. Tube socks can be any color or material, though a significant percentage of the socks are low-quality cotton fabric and white in color.

As a child of the 1960s and 1970s, I remember when it was the playground rage to wear white tube socks with bands of color across the top signifying my loyalty to a favorite sports team.

While tube socks remain available in every length and color their popularity with young males seems to have ebbed considerably.

Answer: The Merry Gentleman's Tailor

Historically, socks and stockings both refer to coverings of the foot and legs. At root, the difference between a stocking and a sock is that stockings extend to cover all of the leg and often the hip and buttock region. The word "stock" comes from the Old English word "stoc" which means stump or bottom. Thus, a stocking was a type of hose that covered the bottom. In the Middle Ages, stockings were primarily worn by men. Men often wore the stockings instead of breeches or pants. Women of the day wore long dresses and generally did not wear stockings.

When the hemlines of women's dresses began to rise in the early 20th century, the market for female stockings increased. The invention of nylon in 1939 greatly expanded the market for women's stockings. In modern parlance, "stockings" can refer to a variety of different types of hosiery. Stockings may be "pantyhose", sheer hose that cover the hips and bottom; "tights", thicker weaves that also cover the bottom, or "sheer hosiery", that covers the leg but is either attached with a garter belt and stays or elastic at the top. Modern stockings and socks are often made from the same materials with the difference being more a factor of length than anything else.

Answer: Flip-flop sandals

Tabi are socks that look like the claw of a lobster or crab. The foot body is separated into a larger area for the four smaller toes and an area for the big toe. The split-toe of the tabi allows access for the thong of a sandal. Tabi are generally ankle length and are often woven individually to size. The wearer slips the foot into the tabi from the back, and the tabi is then snapped or laced shut. Formal tabi are worn by both men and women with the zori sandal and kimono. Informal tabi are often worn with other types of sandals. A unique variation of the tabi called the Jika-tabi is a form of rubberized workman boot that was created by the Ishibashi family who also founded the Bridgestone Tire Co.

One of the enduring fashion debates is whether the use of socks (outside formal Japanese clothing) with sandals is a faux pas. A poll taken in 2013 by British clothier Debenhams concluded that wearing socks with sandals was the number one fashion no-no. Nonetheless, walk along any US or European street in the summer and you will likely find someone (probably male) wearing socks and sandals; and not too far away a mortified spouse or teen-aged child.

Answer: Socks that aid in blood circulation

Compression socks are a type of hose designed to provide added support to the foot and leg to increase blood circulation. The compression sock is made from rubber or spandex to create added significant pressure on the legs, ankles and feet when compared to a traditional sock. This tightening or compression effect constricts, to a degree, the surface veins and arteries of the leg, causing circulating blood to move through a narrower channel. The decreased channel width increases the speed of the blood flow to and from the lower extremities and the heart. As with a rapidly flowing river, less blood is then left to pool in the feet. To facilitate the circulation effect, compression socks are tighter at the ankles and gradually reduce the compression moving up the leg.

Compression socks and the less constricting support hose are often prescribed or recommended for people with poor blood circulation due to disease, age or injury. Many Doctors also suggest that passengers on long air flights wear compression socks to reduce the possibility of deep leg thrombosis and leg cramping. Support hose and compression socks may also aid in reducing "tired feet" and leg pain for people with occupations that require a lot of standing.

Answer: Be matched to the pants color

Like it or not, people tend to make assumptions about you based on your appearance. Likewise, your awareness of fashion trends and "rules" and the decision whether or not to conform are fair game in making an impression. When it comes to men, socks and color, the rule according to such experts as "Ask Men" Magazine is that the sock color should match and coordinate with the pants and not the shoes. The two-fold reason is that even if you take your shoes off you want the outfit to appear coordinated. Secondly, a matching shoe and sock tends to make the entirety look like a boot rather than a leg and shoe. Another general rule is that white socks are to be worn only for sports and are not appropriate even with jeans (I have violated this rule a lot).

Alternatively, the venerable men's style icon, "GQ" Magazine, states that the sock color could alternatively be coordinated with the shirt, tie or hat in addition to the pants. "GQ" agrees that the key is to avoid the dreaded "boot effect" by matching the sock to the shoe. Ultimately, the sock color choice should be made deliberately to express your fashion vision. So, feel free to wear your favorite purple "Hello Kitty" socks with your custom tailored Savile Row silk suit any time you want.