One thing that is definitely not in mainstream fashion today for most men is wearing what is called an over the calf sock. In some circles, this may even be considered a more old fashioned style of sock, better suited to the 19th century Victorian era.
In truth, over the calf socks have both aesthetic and health benefits that people often don’t realize. This is especially true for people medical conditions related to circulatory issues. But before getting into that, let’s look at the sock itself.
The over the calf sock is sometimes also known as the “knee sock,” because, unlike regular socks that usually rise just past the ankle, over the calf socks, as the name implies, cover the entire calf and go all the way up to the knee in some cases.
Aesthetically, this makes over the calf socks an ideal fashion choice for outfits involving pants and suits, as it means that wearer doesn’t have any concerns about stretching or movement breaking up the look of an outfit by showing off skin. From a reliability standpoint, this type of sock is also much better to wear as the height of the sock ensures that it has sufficient surface and traction to hold itself up, and not drop around the ankles the way regular socks may.
But it’s medically where over the calf socks really shine. When used as compression wear, over the calf socks provided a much needed circulatory boost that can help with a variety of different issues, most notable for diabetics problems where the foot needs extra support and circulation help in order to stay healthy and avoid complications like foot ulcers that the diabetics are more vulnerable to.
The over the calf sock may not be the most common choice for people to wear, but it definitely has it uses even in the 21st century, from both an aesthetic and health point of view.