Socks: A Staple in the Sport of Basketball

                  An AAU basketball player myself, the importance of basketball socks these days is astounding. Just scrolling through Nike's Sock Collection is overwhelming. There are colors upon colors, patterns upon patterns, and styles upon styles. What just began as simple long black socks have expanded into a new creative territory, giving athletes the opportunity to create their own statement on the court.

Various Nike Elite Socks

I would consider myself a simple and generic player when it comes to fashion world in sports. I would be classified in the group of people who wear neutral colored shoes with solid colored socks; there’s nothing flashy about my style. But, then there are those who have neon shoes that they can match ten different pairs of socks with. I think this evolution of being able to express who you are as a player through what fashion statements you make on the court is important in today’s society.

Ask any basketball player in the world today, and they will say that the socks you wear matter. Imagine any design you can possibly think of and they probably have it on some type of basketball sock.  Not only is the design aspect important when trying to decide which socks suit you best, but also take into account the comfort level of the socks. If you were to put on an everyday ankle sock and then put on Nike’s Elite Basketball Socks, there is an obvious difference, as the Nike socks have better support and cushion. The comfort and cushion provided by socks make a big difference, because after long weekends at AAU tournaments when your feet feel as if they are going to fall off, having the cushion on the bottom makes the pressure on your feet lighter, allowing you to last longer in the game.

Long gone are the days with the generic black calf high socks. Today in the 2^nd decade of the 21^st century, socks matter both in appearance and comfort level. Today’s basketball socks tell others who you are as a player, making a statement about yourself through fashion.

 

Images Courtesy of www.weartesters.com