How were socks invented?
Socks are a favourite foot accessory for many of you. After all, they are the funkiest covering for your feet that come in all styles, colours and patterns. While some of them are knee-high or over-the-calf (yes, we are talking about stockings!) others come in tube or ankle length. There are even the no-show varieties. However, socks hardly ever get much attention, as they get hidden inside shoes that manage to steal all the limelight. But does that mean they should go completely unnoticed? Absolutely not. In any case, who can deny that it’s a pair of socks that comes to our rescue when our feet get chilly on winter nights? In fact, socks also help prevent your shoes from causing blisters. Okay, but who first came up with the idea of socks? Let’s find out.
Nalbinding and the birth of socks
Not many know, socks have been part of human history since ancient times. In fact, the earliest known surviving pair of socks is believed to have been created by the ancient Egyptians through the process of nalbinding. For those unaware, nalbinding refers to a fabric creation technique that predates knitting and crochet and involved passing the full length of a working thread through each loop using a long needle. The result is separate lengths of the thread pieced together. In fact, the term ‘nalbinding’ is derived from the Danish word ‘nalebinding’, literally meaning “needle-binding.” The presumed first pair of socks traced back to the 1st century were excavated in the 19th century from the Egyptian site Oxyrhynchus, on the banks of River Nile. The pair had split toes, perhaps to accommodate wearing sandals. If you ever visit London, you can go view them at the famous art museum called Victoria and Albert Museum.
There is also evidence suggesting that ancient Greeks used matted animal fur in place of socks which were called ‘piloi,’ while the ancient Romans preferred to wrap leather or any other thick fabric around their feet. They often sewed fitted socks called ‘udones.’ By the 5th century, the holy community also started wearing socks called ‘puttees’ (adapted from Hindi term ‘patti’ meaning ‘bandage’) especially in Asia. However, one thing is for sure, socks in those days were a symbol of prosperity and were only worn by noblemen and the royals who could afford handcrafted silk or cotton ones, or the pairs made out of refined wool. The poor could only manage to afford footwraps made out of cheap quality materials.
Origin of the knitting room
As you might be aware, modern-day socks are machine-made. But it wasn’t always so earlier. In fact, until 1589, socks were primarily hand-knitted. However, when an English reverend named William Lee invented the knitting room, sock-making became a piece of cake. It not only made sock production a lot easier, it also became cost-effective, time-saving (almost six times faster) and could be now manufactured in bulk. The machines in this fully-automated room could now make socks in various styles and designs.
Sock-making took another step forward, in the late 19th century, when both circular knitting frames and nylon were introduced. This made mass-production of socks a reality, not to forget their easy affordability.