From Toe to Cuff: Understanding the Different Parts of a Sock from Sock Experts
From Toe to Cuff: Understanding the Different Parts of a Sock from Sock Experts
To the ordinary person, socks are a simple but necessary part of everyday life; you wake up, get ready for the day, and pull on those socks and shoes before you walk out the door. It wasn’t until we spent countless hours researching the pros and cons of a Fleegle Heel versus a Short Row Heel, compiled extensive lists of the resources we needed to create unique, custom socks, and compared the most advanced and cutting edge knitting machinery that we found that we fostered a passion for knowing what makes a high-quality, custom sock. Personalized socks can be found almost anywhere online, but our knowledge of each individual part of the sock’s anatomy gives us the unique ability to assist you in customizing a sock tailored to your brand’s individual style, purpose, and voice beyond simply choosing a color or pattern. Our socks are knitted on top of the line, Italian Precision built, Lonati GK523H Machines: truly exceptional equipment that allows for compression knitting, multiple needle selections for a variety of materials, and assurance of consistency and quality. Lonati Machines are essential to the silhouette of our products, including the technological advancement that is the stitch to stitch toe box. With Legacy Knitting, you are getting the same high quality results every time, because we are dedicated to manufacturing excellence. That dedication began with one cornerstone: what are the parts of a sock, and what can we do with them?
We’re going to bring you into the knitting loop, from top to bottom.
Cuff/Top Welt:
The cuff or welt of a sock is the topmost part of the sock, and it’s knitted with a ribbed or patterned stitch that allows it to cling to the leg and stay up. Traditional styles like Crew Socks make use of this cuff and allow it to feature patterns woven into the thicker fabric of the sock. Conversely, styles like the re-emerging Slouch Sock have little to no cuff, allowing the fabric to be stylishly folded or draped on the leg and shoe. Our Style, The Discrete, offers several cuff sizes to allow for lengths from Ankle Socks all the way down to No-Shows; a cuff can be just as customizable as any other parts of a sock.
Sock Leg:
As the name would imply, the leg of a sock is the expanse of fabric that runs from the cuff of the sock to the heel. This is the portion of the sock that is most visual in terms of custom socks, and this section is generally seen above the shoe. Dress Socks, Knee High Socks, and Crew Socks all have a sizable expanse of creative canvas that shows on the leg. Legacy uses innovative techniques to take advantage of that canvas. DTG (Direct to Garment Printing) utilizes ink sprayed directly onto the piece to allow the design to be soaked into the sock. DTG can handle vibrant colors, and even complex graphics like photographs to be applied to your products. Sublimation involves printing images on paper specifically created for heat transfer to the socks; The Realist is a Legacy Style made exclusively to handle high resolution images and rich detailing, and still has the same premium fibers and cushioned footbed as our traditional style socks.
Sock Heel (Examples: Fleegle Heel, Peasant Heel, German Short Row, etc.):
There are many styles of heel construction that can be used in sock making and sock manufacturing, such as the Fleegle Heel, Peasant Heel, Flap and Gusset Heel – we could go on, but we’ll dive into those specifics at a later date. No matter the style of the heel, each has the same task: it is the part of the sock that cups and fits snugly around the heel of the foot. The sock heel absorbs shock and can be manufactured with extra cushion to provide longevity and comfort, seen most widely in Athletic Socks or Performance Socks like The Running Man.
Footbed:
From the heel all the way down to the toe, all of the fabric covering the top and bottom of the foot is quite simply called the Footbed. As with the heel in Athletic Socks, the Footbed and varying associated portions can be customized to provide more cushion for both support and durability; The Mammoth, a wool option and the perfect hiking sock, features extra padding for arch support and a mesh knitted section at the top of the foot to increase breathability and air flow. Athletes and enthusiasts rely on these additional practical and comfort based features to ensure peak performance. The foot bed also allows for design components such as images and creative knitting that can set you apart as a superior Performance Sock Brand.
Toe Box:
As the name implies, the toe box of the sock is the gently rounded portion at the end of the sock that covers the toes and closes the end of the garment to finish forming the classic sock shape. Toe boxes can be straight or knitted with a slight slope for a flush fit specifically to the right or left foot. The Traditional Method of closing a sock at the toe involves knitting a sock tube with an open toe, followed by sewing both edges of the fabric together inside. This technique creates what can be a bulky and uncomfortable seam inside of the toe box. At Legacy Knitting, we value comfort and high quality construction, which is why we use nothing but the best: Lonati Knitting Machines. This Seamless Toe construction is an innovation in sock manufacturing that allows for the toe of a sock to be created from the bottom up and is a small detail that makes a huge difference in a customer’s wearing experience. The Lonati Machine uses a strong polyester thread woven with the best yarn in the industry in a stitch by stitch toe enclosing technique that allows our socks to withstand stretching, include breathability in the toe box, and be designed for both comfort and quality. Styles like The Icon boast this same toe box in addition to all over footbed cushion for maximum support.
At Legacy Knitting, we pride ourselves in the ability to speak the language of Sock Anatomy: it’s what gives us the edge and tools we need to create incredibly unique, high quality custom socks for our clients. Knowing how each part of a sock functions and in what way it is customizable gives you the power over even the smallest detail so that you can create a truly personalized product. We know, because at Legacy Knitting we have an ever-growing catalog of world-class knitwear with endless customization capabilities and decades of the industry knowledge needed to individualize your unique product.
Equipped with our level of mastery, innovative manufacturing processes, and highly customized design, you will be ready to move forward and create your next brand-worthy fashion piece.
