Most socks blogs are for knitters. This ancient pastime has made a comeback in recent years, especially in the wake of the 2008 economic crisis when everything to do with recycling and cutting costs has become fashionable, rather than something only practiced by the needy.

There are psychological benefits to knitting too. The repetitive physical action has a calming effect on the mind and body: Studies have shown that the brain wave patterns in knitters change as they settle in to the activity. Alpha waves (the ‘awake’ waves) are replaced by a stronger occurrence of Beta Waves (the ‘meditative’ waves). This semi-meditative state boosts the immune system, encourages healthy sleep patterns and improves mood by stimulating the production of endorphins and other feel-good neurotransmitters.

One of the best knitted socks blog is here: http://www.sockdreams.com/weblog/ which is updated regularly and has fun, useful and kinda sweet insights into the secret lives of socks. This is closely followed by dedicated knit blogger Allison, whose tips and tricks can be read here: http://www.simplysockyarn.typepad.com/

For sock lovers who don’t necessarily want to knit, there is a great socks blog owned and operated by the entrepreneurs at San Francisco’s Socks in The City (great name!) http://socksinthecitysf.blogspot.com/ This blog is dedicated to cool photos of chicks wearing socks. Of course, the blog links to the sock boutique where you can buy a pair of your very own, but this is not a blatant sales page – it’s actually fun to read!

A socks blog is surprisingly easy to find, so either grab your knitting needles and ask your grandma for a lesson, or just log on and smile at the way that some folk spend their time. Enjoy.

Socks Blog is a post from: Socks.ie

There are a few things to remember when choosing your footwear, to ensure you really are getting quality:

 Wool is best. There are plenty of people who will tell you differently, but wool has come a long way since your grandmother knitted you socks that didn’t stretch and prickled you every time you waked. Now they are second skins that move with you and cushion you at every step.

 Liner socks make everything good. A liner is made of either silk or cotton and provides an extra layer between your foot and your sock. They absorb moisture and bacteria, doubling or even trebling your sock’s wicking ability.

 Don’t layer too much. Hot feet can cause you some pretty severe health problems, including open sores (especially suffered by diabetics). Even in winter, a sock should cradle and warm your foot, but not smother it.

 You get what you pay for. Although socks don’t have to be ridiculously overpriced, the price will reflect the quality. Quality socks will last up to five times longer than their half-priced counterparts and the increased comfort is worth its weight in gold. The whole point of feet is that they should be so comfortable that you don’t notice them!

 Choose socks that can be washed only on a gentle cycle. This is usually an indicator that they are made with high quality materials and will need a small amount of extra attention. Merino wool is used in the ultra luxurious Smartwool sock, and this can only take a gentle wash. Trust us, your feet will thank you for it.

Quality Socks is a post from: Socks.ie

When chosen carefully, knee high socks can accentuate and flatter any leg shape or size. Think legs should go for bold prints and colors, with horizontal stripes. This draws the eye across the calf, and gives the illusion of a more shapely leg.

Legs with a little more meat in them are best served by dark colors and ribbing. This draws the eye upwards, and gives the impression that the leg is leaner and longer. A 5 pound weight loss and an extra couple of inches of height, for the price of a pair of kneehigh socks. Bargain!

Kneehigh socks are the perfect way to bring an outfit from one season to another. Short skirts being introduced in spring will look great teamed with a cool-weather pair of kneehighs. By the way, being able to cover winter-white skin and your legs estrangement from wax is an extra bonus!

You can thank Prada for bringing the kneehigh sock out from the back of the sock drawer and into fashion consciousness. In 2007, her show featuring school-girl inspired kneehigh socks caused a sensation and manufacturers struggled to keep up with demand.

Her trick of teaming kneehigh socks with high heels (a must if you don’t want to end up looking masculine) or chunky-soled Mary Janes made fashion-conscious women everywhere realize that the kneehigh could be sexy and grownup at the same time.

To mimic Prada’s success with kneehigh socks, it is important to always leave a large gap between the hemline and the sock. While short shorts with kneehighs work beautifully, longer shorts with kneehighs should be left to your high school science teacher (along with the socks teamed with Roman Sandals). Also, feel free to team kneehigh socks with high-top casual boots (breaking the ‘only with high heels’ rule) but only if you are in the age group that can get away with this.

Lastly, have fun with your kneehigh socks! There are hundreds of makes and styles to choose from, so be bold and enjoy yourself.

Kneehigh Socks is a post from: Socks.ie

Knitting socks has been part of human history every since. Now we tend to think that wool socks are a little itchy and a little old fashioned for modern use, but this is far from the case. Woolen socks have moved with the times. Fine-spun merino wool is used to create Smartwool, an incredibly supple and technical sock designed for skiers, hikers and other outdoor sportspeople. Although they have an equally cutting-edge price tag, these woolen socks are ideal for anyone who ever experienced the misery of blisters and cold wet feet on days that should be invigorating and enjoyable.

Woolen socks have also moved into the boardroom. Made from a blend of synthetic fibers like spandex, and wool, extremely finely spun woolen socks for businesspeople are experiencing a resurgence in popularity.

If it’s timeless and classic, the Italians will have something to do with it. Woolen socks made in Italy have the reputation of being the most comfortable to wear as well as the most stylish. That ‘Made in Italy’ tag on your expensive pair of dress socks does not necessarily mean that they originated in Italy.

The market for Merino wool (considered the finest material for creating woolen socks) is supplied by Australia and New Zealand, whose inhabitants consider their woolen socks to be something of a birthright, especially on those Southern New Zealand snowy cold nights.

Woolen Socks is a post from: Socks.ie

It is one of the unfortunate side effects of the teen years that increased hormone production, sweating and activity can cause chronically smelly feet. It’s pretty embarrassing for most teens, but it will pass.

In the meantime, a teen’s socks need attention.

 Buy them more pairs. In order to combat smelly feet, a teen will need to change their socks a lot. In fact, three or four times a day is about what it will take to keep foot odor at bay. It will also prevent the odor from wicking (or drawing) away from the skin but seeping into the insole of the shoe. See if they can be persuaded to take a few extra pairs to school. Having smelly feet at school is humiliating, and if they really can’t stand the thought of having dirty socks in their bag all day, let them throw them out. Some things are just not worth arguing over!
 Make sure the socks they do have are of a high quality. Some socks (like Technical socks designed for athletes) are incredibly efficient at not just wicking moisture away from the foot, but also at making sure it doesn’t soak into the insole. Investing in a pair of these will mean teens socks are more likely to make it through the teen years unscathed (along with your embarrassed teen).
 Teens socks are simply not going to last forever. One of the best things you can do for yourself is accept the fact that a high sock budget, along with a vastly increased food bill and a house that is at the mercy of hormonal mood swings, is one of the prices you pay for raising a healthy adult.

Teens Socks is a post from: Socks.ie

The tube sock has dominated the skate scene since its inception in the 70s and although hyper-pro athletic socks come and go, the classic Three Stripe tube sock still rules.

The striped Tube Sock started to infiltrate American pop culture in the 1960s. For the first time, sport was moving out of backyards and spare time into something resembling the highly managed and highly funded entertainment industry as we know it today.

Kids, and adults everywhere took to emulating their sporting heroes with a vengeance. When they weren’t practising their moves on the field, they were wearing the apparel. Enter the tube sock.

Skateboarding was taking off at around the same time, as an off-water way for surfers to stay in shape. Like the hula-hoop and the yo-yo, it crashed in the late sixties, until ten years later the urethane skateboard was born and skating was back on the streets. Along with skating socks.

The color of the stripes changed, and the height of the sock might vary, but the basic construction stays the same. A tube of elasticated poly-cotton that clings to the foot and leg, culminating in three stripes that tell the world you are in your skater socks and ready to roll.

Taking a board out into the street and killing hours and days, before dumping your smelly skate socks onto the floor for Mom to wash. It’s a shared memory as American as apple pie.

Skater Socks is a post from: Socks.ie

They look a little like moonboots and they are definitely not for those who want to look glamorous at the end of a long day. But they are absolutely unbeatable for sore, tired calves and feet.

If you are going to pull on a pair of hot socks, you should really go all out. They come in some pretty loud patterns and designs, so get trashy with cow print, or glitter. Hot socks are to be worn with pride, not hidden away or disguised as discreet.

The best aromatherapy oil to add to hot socks is lavender. Lavender not only smells good, it is a muscle relaxant and encourages circulation. Add a little peppermint (not to be used by pregnant women though, peppermint essential oil can be dangerous to an unborn baby) and your skin will tingle with rejuvenation.

The wheat in hot socks is a natural insulator. Throw your hot socks in the microwave for 2 minutes (or until you can smell something a little strange!) and they will keep you warm for up to four hours. Just about enough time to put your feet up and watch a couple of movies.

The best thing about hot socks that double as wheat bags? You can’t walk around in them much or you damage the contents. That means everyone else needs to fetch your drinks and snacks while you relax in front of the fire or TV.

Hot Socks is a post from: Socks.ie

These go right to the heart of sporting pride, and home socks should not be given or worn lightly. Home socks usually come in knee-high form, a replica of the socks that your sporting hero is wearing onto the field.

Although most home socks are a good quality, especially when bought through licensed outlets, there are some who simply slap on some team colors and don’t bother to check that the sock is going to do the wearer any favors. Choose home socks that same way you would choose any other socks:

 All socks, including home socks, need full cushion sole support. Every time you step you are placing pounds and pounds of pressure on each square inch of your foot. A cushion sole softens this impact and reduces stress on the heels, meaning you are less achey and exhausted at the end of the day.
 Please take notice of the size of home socks. Just like shoes, socks come in different sizes for a reason, and although they may stretch a little, ‘one size fits all’ socks are often uncomfortable and are a common cause of blisters. If you can feel your home socks moving up and down your leg, it’s not the right fit.
 Look for Y-heel pockets and arch supports. In other words, home socks do not look like tube socks! These characteristics allow the sock to cling to the arch of the foot, giving a snug fit, as well as preventing the home socks from bunching up.
 No matter what material the sock is made from, make sure it has a high needle count (high density). Denser socks wick more moisture (draw it away from the skin) and provide more cushioning over a longer life span.

Home Socks is a post from: Socks.ie

Buying cheap socks can be fun (especially when they are either the inexpensive, high-value bargain kind or the slightly kinky schoolgirl kind), but buying cheap socks that are in tatters before you have barely looked at them is a disappointing experience.

There are a few ways you can quickly spot cheap socks (the not-good kind!)

 They are 100% synthetic. Purely synthetic socks are the cheapest of cheap socks, and not in a good way. They trap sweat, bacteria and odors and your foot slides around in them like a drunk ice skater. The label will try to tell you that they have great stretch, and that’s true, but you’ll never wear them again so it’s all moot really. Also, synthetic socks go up like a Roman Candle when exposed to flame. Not good at Christmas.
 The label spells ‘classy’ with a ‘K.’ These are usually the kind of socks that you only give to your worst enemy, when you want to humiliate them in public. Classy dress socks do not need to advertise the fact that they have class. You will know just by touching them.
 They come in ‘one size fits all.’ If one size really does fit all, there would not be different sized shoes. Trying to cram your foot into a ‘one size fits all’ sock that looks like it was made for your daughter’s doll is a crippling experience. Literally. Foot-binding isn’t fashionable any more, so make sure you buy socks in your size range.

Cheap Socks is a post from: Socks.ie

But don’t ignore the little stuff. Blisters and sores are really common among skiers. The boot is unwieldy and will rub. This, coupled with the freezing cold water collecting at your feet means that a good sock can mean the difference between a great day out and a miserable painful experience.

No matter how good the snow is, water is going to collect. This means that the most important factor in choosing ski socks should be how well it wicks away moisture. Wicking is the natural ‘draw’ that a fiber puts on moisture. The inside of your boot may be soaked, but with good wicking your feet will be feeling relatively dry and comfortable.

You also need to either choose the thickness carefully, or buy several pairs of thinner ski socks to layer inside your ski boot. Too thick and the circulation will be cut off, making your day uncomfortable. Too thin and your foot will move around inside the boot, causing friction blisters and sores. Having a couple of spare pairs of ski socks means that you are able to change when they get too wet, and also have the option of padding your foot a little more, to create the perfect fit.

Ski Socks is a post from: Socks.ie