Pulled high, rolled low or butchered at the back: The art of the football sock

Nike gloves. Vapors. Socks pulled above the knee. It’s a look ingrained in millennial culture by Thierry Henry, circa 2003-04, whose on-pitch style personified “va va voom.”

You knew you were in trouble if you were faced with an opponent sporting this triple threat. Until then, football socks were very much rolled once at the knee, but Henry’s stylistic tweak gave license for players at all levels of the game to pull them as high as possible.

Advertisement

Fast forward to today and players continue to use socks as a way of expressing their individuality, whether it’s through the use of sock tape, cutting socks around their calves, incorporating tube socks or, indeed, #LowSocks.

Whether it’s for comfort or style, preventing injury or gaining a psychological edge, football socks — and how they’re worn — have never been more important.

Aston Villa’s academy is one of English football’s more impressive conveyor belts of talent and, under the leadership of academy manager Bryan Jones, has developed a number of high-calibre players who went on to have distinguished careers at the highest level: Gareth Barry, Gabby Agbonlahor and Gary Cahill, to name a few.

Discipline was the cornerstone of this success, with black boots very much the order of the day, but a young Jack Grealish, an under-15 at the time, “suddenly adopted an idea that he would change the rules of the academy”.

“Tony McAndrew and Kevin MacDonald, his coaches at the time, would often come to say, ‘He’s got those short socks on’,” says Jones, who had a 35-year association with the club. “Week after week, we’d tell Jack to wear his socks high as per normal; wear his shinpads as per normal, as academy policy dictates.

“When he moved into first-team circles, suddenly, the shorter socks started to reappear. When he went back to the reserves or under-21s, he would be told by Kevin MacDonald to pull them back up, but then, when he was back with the first team, they’d be down again.

“It’s the same for everyone in the academy, regardless of talent. No special treatment because discipline is important at any level. But Jack is a decent character with a good personality and, overall, a decent boy.”

There’s something romantic about seeing a player operate with their socks near their ankles.

Advertisement

The style exudes flair and is the calling card of a free mover. Think Rui Costa or Francesco Totti: archetypal No 10s who took it upon themselves to make their teams tick with mercurial moments of brilliance, painting pictures with their feet as the paintbrushes. They’re players with a creative rebellious streak. They’re going to affect a football match but they’re going to do it their way.

For what it’s worth, Grealish only adopted his signature style by accident, claiming that during his academy days, he was forced to wear low socks as they shrunk in the wash, but he went on to play well and, as a superstitious character, maintained the look. Thank God for that washing machine, some might say, as it moulded an image that is perfect for the player who has worn the No 10 on his back since 2016 for Villa and then Manchester City. The aesthetic matches the personality and he has the impressive calves to match.

Grealish is the most marketable English player since David Beckham and the phenomenon of low socks has exploded since he rose to prominence in Villa’s first team, so much so that you can now list a top-flight XI, with subs, of players who wear socks around their ankles.

Low socks are an act of self-expression, but they’re not for everyone. A scout for a Premier League club, who asked to remain anonymous to protect his relationships, confessed they wouldn’t look at a player who wore socks down by their ankles, questioning their mentality and team ethic. Psychologist and author of Soccology, Kevin George, an ex-professional footballer himself, says this approach can be problematic.

“When we micromanage a player’s appearance, we also send an implicit message to the player that they do not control their environment and this restricts self-expression,” says George. “Back in the day (and in some academies today) there was an insistence on black boots, with players told they must wait until they turn pro. However, their friends at grassroots level and the pros who they’re told to model, can wear coloured boots. Football is about psychological states and, as a player, if you put on coloured boots, your state changes. When I was about to play and I looked down at my feet, I felt inspired.

GO DEEPER

‘The full package’: How Jack Grealish became the most marketable UK footballer since Beckham

“Some coaches are contradictory in their messaging. They demand that young players be like the pros and when they behave like the pros, they say who do you think you are? Like the pros?! Following up with directions of what colour boots to wear and how to wear the kit. A pro in the football world is an adult, so players are told to be like an adult whilst being told how to dress, positioning them as a child.

Advertisement

“So if there are scouts or coaches discounting a player because of their low socks, it can prove to be problematic for them. If they say no to a player and they go to another club and do well, questions will be asked of them for passing up on talent.”

Former West Ham forward Frank Nouble is another who wears his socks low. For him, the psychological impact is twofold. “It looks nice. You look good, you feel good, you play good. That’s always stuck with me,” he says.

Nouble was adjusting to life in China in 2015 when he first adopted the look. The socks provided to him by Tianjin Songjiang were too tight, so he lowered them in order to free up his calves.

“It’s always about being as comfy as possible on the pitch,” Nouble adds. “For example, a lot of players wear studs where the pitch is very wet and slippery, but for me, it could be snowing and I’ll still wear moulds.

“Small things may seem like nothing to people on the outside, but when you do this for a living, it’s important you look after yourself so you can perform. People come and watch you for 90 minutes and will make a judgment based on what they have seen. To this day, I get the odd Grealish shout or even Steve Claridge, but I’ve always done so, so people can always get the best version of Frank Nouble.”

Steve Claridge laughs when The Athletic tell him he is synonymous with low socks among millennial circles (notwithstanding the flair players who came before him).

He wasn’t of the silky ilk of the aforementioned attacking midfielders, but instead a nimble, poacher of a No 9. Some even labelled him “scruffy”, but that didn’t transcend to his technique, as his play-off final winner for Leicester in 1996 attests to.

“I wore socks low as it made my foot feel bigger in my boots and as a result, it was more comfortable,” says Claridge. “When you pulled the socks up, it made them thinner and my foot would tend to move in the boot.

Advertisement

“It was all psychological. I’m not sure I’d have been able to play with my socks pulled up and my foot moving all the time.”

Claridge adopted low socks when he was 15 and maintained them throughout his career. He’d often keep his full shinpad on for the pre-match inspection before removing the three hard sections so they would fall down his leg. It was brave, some might say, to play with an exposed leg in his era, in which defenders could smash you “as a freebie”.

“I don’t know how I didn’t get injured, to be honest,” he says.

A pre-match detour to Wickes or Woolworths will resonate with plenty of amateur footballers.

Those trips weren’t to pick up DIY equipment or an energy drink but “sock tape” instead — which, back in the day, meant electrical tape masquerading as the real thing. Little compares to that inner feeling of pride when someone asks: “Have you got any tape?” and you oblige, then watch with quiet anxiety as they wrap and wrap and wrap it around their legs until the circulation cuts off.

Sunday League footballers are only emulating their idols, of course, who made their sock tape (often white) so prominent that, in 2012, the International Football Association Board (IFAB) adopted law 4.2, which enforced that all tape must be the same colour as the sock.

Around that time, players found a new way to customise their kits. Some, like Cristiano Ronaldo and Samir Nasri, wore white socks over the ankle of their regular socks. Nowadays, training socks and “grip” socks might be visible underneath the regular kit sock. Like the sock tape of yesteryear, these are often white, contrasting at times from the colour of their strip. IFAB confirmed to The Athletic, however, that they see no issue with this.

To accommodate this style, players began to cut socks themselves so they became footless. The aesthetic of this method could be a bit ragged, so over the past few years, manufacturers have begun to produce tube socks and sock sleeves, which cover the lower leg but leave the foot free for the other socks to be worn.

“We have seen a significant increase in demand for tube socks in recent years, both in professional clubs and grassroots football,” says Hummel CEO Allan Vad Nielsen. “The main reason for the popularity of tube socks is the improved grip, control, and feel they provide in the boot. The sock’s seamless design ensures there are no distractions or discomfort during play, allowing players to focus solely on their performance.”

Advertisement

Some players say wearing white sports socks works for them because that’s what they train in all week and they’re considered just the right thickness. Others value the style aspect.

And then we have grip socks, which have burst onto the scene. These have black silicone spots or chevrons underneath, which stick to a football boot’s insole and prevent slipping, providing stability. Research into the viability of grip socks is limited, but Trevor Prior, a consultant podiatric surgeon, can see the benefits.

“Let’s say the foot moves inside the boot when you’re running or taking a kick, you’re going to increase the friction, which causes blisters,” he explains. “If you can reduce the friction, you reduce the risk of blistering and there are two or three ways you could do that: having good-fitting boots, wearing two pairs of socks or, in theory, using grip socks.”

When Gabriel Martinelli ran in behind Liverpool’s defence to score during Arsenal’s trip to Anfield on April 9, he not only showed Trent Alexander-Arnold a clean pair of heels — but also the big holes in the back of his socks.

This trend is a polarising one. The perception of added comfort caused by footballers cutting large holes in their socks is in direct contradiction to the age-old mantra of “look smart, play smart”.

The modern football sock is made from polyester, which is good at keeping shape and doesn’t retain as much water, but it can be tight and restrictive.

“This is often because some brands knit their socks very tightly to improve the visibility and clarity of their logos, which can result in a snug fit that some players find uncomfortable,” says Hummel’s Nielsen. “But more advanced materials like polypropylene provide better consistency and durability.

“New technologies have enabled better cushioning zones in the ankles and compression zones that provide better blood transportation, reducing the risk of injuries and enhancing performance. Additionally, mesh inserts are now used in football socks to improve heat control and ventilation, keeping the feet dry and cool.”

Advertisement

It’s easy to see why some players believe reducing the pressure on the calf muscle helps performance, increasing blood flow to the area and reducing the risk of cramp and injury. But is there any medical basis to this?

Dr Raj Brar, from 3CB Performance, is a doctor of physical therapy and says there’s no real medical evidence to support cutting holes in your socks as a preventative measure.

“One way of medically reducing pressure on the calves is the opposite of cutting holes in them, through using higher pressure compression socks in between games as a recovery measure,” Brar tells Tifo Football. “That will increase circulation and reduce swelling to varying degrees based on the level of pressure (tightness) of the sock. Besides, footballers get more than enough activity through their calves to not worry about circulation and swelling pooling up.”

So again, maybe hole-cutting points to players looking to gain a psychological edge through customisation.

While players get their mindset right though, spare a thought for the kit men and women who attend to their every need. The game has moved on from hanging up 11 regular pairs of socks with a matchday kit, as Wrexham kit man Iwan Pugh-Jones knows all too well.

“The players only wear ankle socks during the week,” he says. “They often have grips on, with each player preferring a different sort. In matches, they put socks with the feet cut off over the top.

“I’d say we only have one player who wears what you’d regard as traditional socks and that’s Ben Tozer. The only one at the club. Mulls (Paul Mullin) has socks that he pulls right up to his knees after putting his shin pads in. Really stretches them. It’s just vanity!

“Players can be really particular when they arrive as new signings. Elliot Lee gave me loads of these ankle socks with grips on the bottom, making sure his feet don’t slide about. Others are happy with just normal ankle socks. You look at photos and you can see the join, where the top of the ankle sock is underneath. Andy Cannon is the only one here who cuts his socks up around the back of the calf area as he feels more comfortable like that.”

Further down the football pyramid, as players attempt to emulate those higher up, sock preferences can bring logistical issues for clubs not blessed with Hollywood investment. At Northwood, in the Isthmian League South Central Division (step four of the non-League pyramid), socks have proven to be a contentious and expensive topic.

Advertisement

“It’s been a few years since the cutting of socks first raised its head and yes, the chairman (Ian Barry), who also washes the kit, went mad when it happened over and over again,” says club secretary Alan Evans.

“We made players pay for them. Then they started buying their own (once they knew the make and exact colours of the socks). Then we started buying sock sleeves (footless socks), which started to be a thing a few years ago but it was not ideal as either it meant we were mismatched by supplier (wearing an Adidas kit with Nike sock sleeves) or by colour.

“However, a couple of years ago we signed up with suppliers Hope & Glory who provide bespoke kits, including sock sleeves, which has been great — a minimum order of 20. The only issue now is we still have to order ordinary socks, too, as three of our current squad haven’t succumbed to this ‘fashion’!

“We still have to order 20 pairs of them as well, in case there are more than three that want to wear them, and we’re never going to order 20 pairs of sock sleeves for each of the colours our goalkeeper wears, so he has to settle for ordinary socks… which, of course, still get cut.”

Feet are tools of the trade, but while boots are often examined in detail, socks, and their impact, often get taken for granted. However, the physical and psychological impact of wearing your socks just right may provide marginal gains in a game where the fine margins are ever so important.

Football is often accused of prohibiting individuality, with systems and routines trumping personal identity. It’s a team sport after all. But with increased scrutiny over haircuts, jewellery and other accessories, socks are the final way of showcasing individuality. It’s about comfort, substance, style and guile.

Wearing socks in a certain way may not bring “va va voom” to the table, but a little je ne sais quoi? Who could say no to that?

(Top photos: Getty Images; design: Sam Richardson)

ncG1vNJzZmismJqutbTLnquim16YvK57k25tcHFmZ3xzfJFsZmluX2Z9cLLOqKubmZyherS7wqSqZqufmLCmvoyhoKCgXaG8uHs%3D