stumpygremlin Posted December 9, 2016 Share Posted December 9, 2016 This is a question I'm curious about. Why are NFL socks white on the bottom? I know it's a rule, but why is it there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guest23 Posted December 9, 2016 Share Posted December 9, 2016 25 minutes ago, stumpygremlin said: This is a question I'm curious about. Why are NFL socks white on the bottom? I know it's a rule, but why is it there? Not 100% sure but I believe it was similar to baseball but evolved to a two tone. Players were issued wool socks that had a dye that could not be worn directly on the skin so they wore sanitaries underneath. The socks were bulky so they cut the foot and heel out making making stirrups. I have to think at some point the sock separation evolved to the point of distinct white bottoms became a de facto style. Once color safe cotton socks came out they essentially duplicated an evolutionary aesthetic. Personally I wish some teams would drop the white bottoms and go back to a solid dark sock, especially teams with striped socks like the bears. Anyone can add some additional clarity to this subject. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BBTV Posted December 9, 2016 Share Posted December 9, 2016 I have no idea, but that sounds totally plausible. I don't know if they ever actually wore stirrups (we know that referees did though) but it could be that they just thought that was too much of a baseball look so they just manufactured the socks with the dye only on the top for protection. Then as time went by, it just became the standard aesthetic so it stuck. Or they thought it looked cleaner when a lot of teams were wearing white cleats. "The views expressed here are mine and do not reflect the official opinion of my employer or the organization through which the Internet was accessed." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4_tattoos Posted December 9, 2016 Share Posted December 9, 2016 Kinda off topic, but does anybody know why NFL teams can't/don't wear plain white socks? When a team has white socks they always have stripes. IMO plain white socks would improve the looks of quite a few teams when they wear colored pants. Hotter Than July > Thriller Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldschoolvikings Posted December 9, 2016 Share Posted December 9, 2016 Yeah, I'm pretty sure there was a time when the white portion was a separate sock... Also, white searching for images, I came across this beaut... http://dstewartpaint.blogspot.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dynasty Posted December 9, 2016 Share Posted December 9, 2016 26 minutes ago, oldschoolvikings said: It looks like something you would see in a Mad Max film. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dont care Posted December 9, 2016 Share Posted December 9, 2016 1 hour ago, oldschoolvikings said: Yeah, I'm pretty sure there was a time when the white portion was a separate sock... Also, white searching for images, I came across this beaut... Today they are desperate socks too, and a lot of players just wear tights underneath their white socks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clintau24 Posted December 9, 2016 Share Posted December 9, 2016 1 hour ago, dont care said: Today they are desperate socks too, and a lot of players just wear tights underneath their white socks. Did you mean separate? In which case today's socks are not; they're one piece "I believe in Auburn and love it!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockstar Matt Posted December 9, 2016 Share Posted December 9, 2016 8 minutes ago, Clintau24 said: Did you mean separate? In which case today's socks are not; they're one piece No, they're not. At least, not all of them. Wearing two socks (one color, one white) is still very common in football. As is wearing colored tights with a white sock over it. Cowboys - Lakers - LAFC - USMNT - LA Rams - LA Kings - NUFC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clintau24 Posted December 9, 2016 Share Posted December 9, 2016 Your second picture proves my point, again. Just because players wear a second pair of socks over the color-topped pair doesn't mean they are two-pieces. NFL game socks come issued as two pieces. If a player wants to change that, he can cut it to fit his needs. As long as there is a colored portion above a white portion, they won't be fined. But that doesn't change the fact that the socks are one piece. Wearing another pair on top doesn't change that. "I believe in Auburn and love it!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hugevolsfan Posted December 9, 2016 Share Posted December 9, 2016 I personally like the bottom white sock standard in the NFL if you just look at the Chargers player the guy that should be fined that has all Navy blue socks looks terrible compared to rest IMHO! My Fictional Football League Version 3 My Fictional Football Leagues WebsiteMy Church Website Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawk36 Posted December 9, 2016 Share Posted December 9, 2016 29 minutes ago, hugevolsfan said: I personally like the bottom white sock standard in the NFL if you just look at the Chargers player the guy that should be fined that has all Navy blue socks looks terrible compared to rest IMHO! That guys does have white bootie socks on I think. As an aside, I think it's interesting that many newer soccer cleats actually include a sock-like high top that look very similar. Design Hovie Studios Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichO Posted December 9, 2016 Share Posted December 9, 2016 15 hours ago, oldschoolvikings said: Yeah, I'm pretty sure there was a time when the white portion was a separate sock... Looking really closely at Fran's left ankle it looks like there's a faint line under the white sock that makes me think the colored one is a stirrup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guest23 Posted December 9, 2016 Share Posted December 9, 2016 1 hour ago, Clintau24 said: Your second picture proves my point, again. Just because players wear a second pair of socks over the color-topped pair doesn't mean they are two-pieces. NFL game socks come issued as two pieces. If a player wants to change that, he can cut it to fit his needs. As long as there is a colored portion above a white portion, they won't be fined. But that doesn't change the fact that the socks are one piece. Wearing another pair on top doesn't change that. Standard socks are 1 piece but many players have modified their socks into leggings which means the white portion is separate from the color. I'm assuming this is done because players like wearing extra thin whites that are not available as a one piece. As mentioned above you also have players wearing colored tights in lieu of 1 piece socks. The tights thing has been going on since the early 90's with Thurman Thomas being a documented example. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leopard88 Posted December 9, 2016 Share Posted December 9, 2016 15 hours ago, BringBackTheVet said: I have no idea, but that sounds totally plausible. I don't know if they ever actually wore stirrups (we know that referees did though) but it could be that they just thought that was too much of a baseball look so they just manufactured the socks with the dye only on the top for protection. Then as time went by, it just became the standard aesthetic so it stuck. Or they thought it looked cleaner when a lot of teams were wearing white cleats. To answer that question . . . Also, when I played rec football circa 1977 (yeah, I'm that old), we were issued stirrups. Most Liked Content of the Day -- February 15, 2017, August 21, 2017, August 22, 2017 ///// Proud Winner of the CCSLC Post of the Day Award -- April 8, 2008 Originator of the Upside Down Sarcasm Smilie -- November 1, 2005 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ltjets21 Posted December 9, 2016 Share Posted December 9, 2016 IMO It looks good with white cleats and bad with black cleats... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guest23 Posted December 9, 2016 Share Posted December 9, 2016 6 minutes ago, RichO said: Looking really closely at Fran's left ankle it looks like there's a faint line under the white sock that makes me think the colored one is a stirrup. Also keep in mind those are cotton or poly socks which may have allowed players to wear white on the outside. I'm also assuming 2 pair (EDIT: maybe 3 pair?) of socks was common back then to prevent blisters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldschoolvikings Posted December 9, 2016 Share Posted December 9, 2016 http://dstewartpaint.blogspot.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BBTV Posted December 9, 2016 Share Posted December 9, 2016 In my eyes that settles it. they probably got sick of the stirrups so just made socks that were white on the bottom for safety. Not needed today obviously, but just stuck. "The views expressed here are mine and do not reflect the official opinion of my employer or the organization through which the Internet was accessed." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leopard88 Posted December 9, 2016 Share Posted December 9, 2016 I think we've established the stirrup part. That still leaves the question of why white socks over the stirrups became the norm instead of wearing the stirrups alone as in baseball. Wearing two pairs of socks to prevent blisters makes sense. I don't think I've ever played soccer without wearing two pairs of socks for that reason. As for the height of the socks (i.e, crew length instead of knee high), it may be because long elastic cotton socks were rare when the accepted aesthetic developed (which is purely speculation on my part). After all, that was still an era when men work garters with socks. Most Liked Content of the Day -- February 15, 2017, August 21, 2017, August 22, 2017 ///// Proud Winner of the CCSLC Post of the Day Award -- April 8, 2008 Originator of the Upside Down Sarcasm Smilie -- November 1, 2005 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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