The ancients gave socks an elegant name, “足衣”, which means hanfu for the feet. There were a huge variety of socks in ancient times. Here we’ve just listed some for reference. In ancient times, when productivity was low, common people didn’t have extra money to buy socks before the Song Dynasty. But in modern times, socks come in styles that are warm, good – looking, and even a bit… goofy.

The oldest existing socks are leather socks from around the 9th century BC, unearthed in the Tarim Basin in Xinjiang. After hunting, the ancestors wrapped animal skins around their feet, thus creating warm and practical foot clothing.

For men’s socks, the straps were tied from the back to the front, while for women’s socks, the straps were tied from the front to the back. Besides, as the dynasties changed, the socks of the ancients also began to take on “thousands of different forms”.

I. Brocade Socks

Brocade socks (锦袜) can be regarded as the “Rolls – Royce” in the ancient world of socks. During the Qin and Han dynasties, wealthy families started to make socks from silk, and later, they even used precious brocade. Among them, the Han – Dynasty socks with the inscription “Longevity, well – being, and prosperity for descendants” required 75 jacquard heddles to be woven, making it one of the most technically complex fabrics at that time.

II. Sock – topped Trousers

Sock – topped Trousers (袜头裤) are similar to modern – day thigh – high socks, but they are worn on the outside of other clothing. These were commonly worn by ancient men and were in a high – tube shape. Although they look like over – trousers, they are not actual trousers but a type of sock. They were often worn over boots. Ancient cavalrymen wore white silk – lined sock – topped trousers, which served as knee protectors during marches and battles.

The image below shows the figure of a Kunlun slave in the mural of Cave 25 at Yulin Grottoes. He is wearing sock – topped trousers on his calves.

III. Knee – length Socks / Half – socks

Knee – length socks or half – socks (膝裤\半袜) were bottomless socks, similar to the ancient version of “slouch socks”. After the Song Dynasty, a type of bottomless sock with only a sock tube became popular. It didn’t reach above the knee but extended down to the ankle. Women called them “half – socks”, while men referred to them as “knee – length socks”, “knee socks” or “sock – trousers”.

Ⅳ. Lingbo Socks

The “Lingbo” socks (凌波小袜) were the result of a distorted aesthetic in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Just like the knee – length socks worn by women in the Song Dynasty, after women bound their feet, they often put knee-length socks on their shins, which match well with Qing Dynasty clothing. In fact, the function was to cover the deformed and swollen ankles. In literary works of the Ming and Qing dynasties, there was also a seemingly ambiguous name for them: “dainty ‘Lingbo’ socks”. At that time, the combination of “Lingbo” socks and bedroom shoes was popular. This turned the originally deformed and ugly small feet into “artworks” for men to appreciate, reflecting the aesthetic taste of men in the Ming and Qing dynasties.

Ⅴ. Douluo Socks

Douluo socks (兜罗袜) were a winter hit in the Song Dynasty. People wore them to keep warm in winter. These socks were popular during the Song Dynasty and were double – layered, with kapok filling the inner layer.

Ⅵ. Qianchong Socks

As the name suggests, Qianchong Socks (千重袜) were worn for winter warmth. They were multi – layered socks, sewn and made from multiple layers of silk fabric. The word “千” (thousand) here is not a literal number but just implies a large quantity, the word “重” means multi – layered. The Qianchong Socks recorded in “Qingyi Lu · Clothing Section” (《清异录·衣服门》) by Tao ban (陶般) in the Song Dynasty had as many as a dozen layers.

The warmest outfit for winter should probably be Hanfu lined with plenty of wool floss, paired with multi-layered socks on the feet.

Ⅶ. Felt Socks and Flannel Socks

Felt socks and flannel socks (毡袜、绒袜) were great items for keeping warm in ancient times. These were the socks that the ancients wore in winter. They were woven from felt or flannel, and white flannel socks were a popular style at that time.

Ⅷ. Danshu Socks

Danshu socks (单暑袜, single-layer silk gauze summer footwear) were the cool socks for the summer in the Ming Dynasty. During the Wanli period, they were made of Youdun cloth (尤墩布) and were worn to escape the summer heat. They were light and thin in texture, so people didn’t feel hot when wearing them.

Ⅸ. Toe – separated Socks

Toe – separated socks, also known as “鸦头袜” or “丫头袜”, were special socks for toe – separated shoes. They were socks with the big toe separated from the other four toes and were worn with wooden clogs. This style is still used in Japan today.

Ⅹ. Modern Unusual Socks

Socks originally served the function of “protecting the feet”, but later generations have constantly come up with new ways to use them. The Han people used them to “show off their wealth”, the Song people used them to “protect their knees”, and the Qing people used them for “boudoir charm”. Back in modern times, what do we use them for? We’ve finally found the answer – we use socks to bring about a good laugh.

These two pink rabbits seem to be on very good terms.

The bad crocodile eats everything.

At least succeed in losing weight

After slipping on these socks, both the owner and the cat got way more chummy!