THINSKINS - Technical Football Socks

Price point: $12.50 (Australia) for the 'large' size

Context: I got mine from Bailetti Sports. Any decent sized sports shop is a fair bet. There may also be some kind of specialty sock shop that stocks them.

Before: I am now old enough to realize that paying thirty dollars for a pair of socks because they have three stripes or a stylized tick on them is consumer suicide. My sports brand fetishism does not extend to socks.

First impressions: These socks make some pretty bold claims, which, coupled with the picture to the right and the inclusion of the word 'technical' lead me to believe that this is the kind of sock an aerospace engineer would design in his/her downtime.

The packaging helpfully informs me that these socks contain spandex (for added comfort). This marks the first time that those words have been used on a non sex related product. So far so good.

During: Putting on a pair of new socks usually falls within the scope of what I like to call 'domestic ecstasy' (opening mail, unboxing electronics, reading near the fireplace in winter etc.) and these socks are no exception. None of the starchiness usually expected with football socks.

After: I like to think these are the socks that Muji would design. If discerning graphic designers every formed a professional football team, these are the socks they would wear.

Total Score: 8/10

Last words: Resist the temptation to wear these socks in a non sports related setting.

If you liked this you may also like: sport, overly technical everyday items, the marriage of science and design

Index: Hart Sports