Toe socks are sock

Sock

A sock is an item of clothing worn on the feet. The foot is among the heaviest producers of sweat in the body, as it is able to produce over of perspiration per day. Socks help to absorb this sweat and draw it to areas where air can evaporate the perspiration. In cold environments, socks decrease...

s that have been knitted so that each toe is individually encased the same way as fingers within a glove

Glove

A glove is a garment covering the hand. Gloves have separate sheaths or openings for each finger and the thumb; if there is an opening but no covering sheath for each finger they are called "fingerless gloves". Fingerless gloves with one large opening rather than individual openings for each...

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All sock lengths are available as toe socks, from no-show style to anklet and ankle socks through to knee-high and over-knee socks. They are also available with rubberised undersides, which are a healthy alternative to barefootedness for yoga. Toe socks are designed and available for both men and women, although traditionally are targeted toward women.

History

Toe socks came into popularity in the United States in the 1970s and made a comeback in the 1990s as a novelty item worn by adolescents. These later socks are usually thigh-high, striped, and sometimes worn with flip-flops to make a fashion statement

Fashion

Fashion, a general term for a currently popular style or practice, especially in clothing, foot wear, or accessories. Fashion references to anything that is the current trend in look and dress up of a person...

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By 2004, they were available in plain colours and being adopted as normal footwear. By the 2010s, they have evolved to include compression socks and other specialty performance models for professional sports

Professional sports

Professional sports, as opposed to amateur sports, are sports in which athletes receive payment for their performance. Professional athleticism has come to the fore through a combination of developments. Mass media and increased leisure have brought larger audiences, so that sports organizations...

 and various uses which require high durability.

Secret socks

The term toe socks is also used to describe secret socks, or glove socks a form of sock which covers only the front of the foot, designed to be worn with mules

Mule (footwear)

Mule, a French word, is a style of shoe that is backless and often closed-toed. Mules can be any heel height - from flat to high. The style is predominantly worn by women....

 or slingback

Slingback

A slingback is a type of woman's shoe that is backless and is characterized by a strap that crosses behind the heel or ankle. A slingback is distinguishable from an ankle-strap shoe in that the latter has a strap that crosses around the front of the ankle as well as the back.Slingbacks come in a...

 shoes.

See also

• Tabi
  Tabi
  are traditional Japanese socks. Ankle-high and with a separation between the big toe and other toes, they are worn by both men and women with zori, geta, and other traditional thonged footwear. Tabi are also essential with traditional clothing—kimono and other wafuku as well as being worn by...
  
   - a Japanese sock with two slots, one for the smaller toes and the other to separate the big toe, worn with kimono
  Kimono
  The is a Japanese traditional garment worn by men, women and children. The word "kimono", which literally means a "thing to wear" , has come to denote these full-length robes...
  
  s and other traditional clothing
• Vibram FiveFingers - a five-toed shoe