Socks: Common Problems

Though socks now come in every size, shape, pattern and color, there are a few major sock problems that everyone who owns a pair must deal with at some point or another.

Socks Losing Their Mates:

This is probably the most widely reported complaint about socks. There is, in fact, an entire movement of people at work in the world who aim to discuss and study the mystery of where all the missing socks go. For examples, you can visit the Bureau of Missing Socks' for more information on this (www.funbureau.com).

The mystery of missing socks occurs for most people while they are doing laundry. There are, however, a couple of things to do to help avoid missing sock problems.

Always make sure to thoroughly check both the inside of the washer and the inside of the dryer each time you do a load. Socks tend to easily stick to the insides of these machines (particularly when static electricity is at work in the dryer) and can easily be missed when transferring your laundry loads.

If you want to absolutely ensure your stocks stay together, you can safety pin pairs together before they go in the wash.

Another quasi-solution is to only buy one type of sock. If all of your socks are exactly the same, it will make it much easier to pair them up. In fact, you don't even need to pair them up and can simply dump them all into a drawer. If all socks are identical, you can easily just open the drawer and pull out any two, comforted by the knowledge that they will always match!

Holes in socks:

After repeated use and washing, socks may develop holes, particularly in the heels.

If you find that you are repeatedly getting holes in your socks, you are likely not wearing the right type for the particular activity you are doing. If you participate in a sport that puts greater pressure on your feet or causes your feet to rub within your shoes, you should purchase special socks that are tailor made for that activity and shoe.

Low quality socks might also hole up more than socks made with more sturdy fibers, so investing in some new pairs is always a good idea.

As soon as you notice a hole in your socks, throw them out. Socks are designed to protect your feet and if any part of your foot is being exposed to or rubbing up against your shoes more than normal, problems can arise.

One size fits all socks:

Socks don't have size categories as segmented as shoes or clothing. You will often find that packages say "one size fits all" or "fits sizes 6-11," however there is a good deal of difference in size between a foot that wears a size 6 shoe and a foot that wears a size 11 shoe. Make sure to hold on to your receipts whenever buying a new type of sock and if the fit is not good, return them! Also, if you should find a type or brand that works very well with your foot, stick with it.

Socks keep falling down:

Often socks have elastic at the top to help in keeping it up on your leg. After repeated washings and wear, this elastic may stretch out and socks may fall down and slouch around your ankles. This can become especially troublesome for anyone who truly needs their socks to stay up, such as soccer players or other athletes. Avoid shoddy elastic by buying good, high quality socks. As with holes, as soon as you notice the elastic is stretched, throw those socks out!