Sock Anatomy 101

Hey DTV Fam!

Have you ever wondered if there was a proper name for a particular part of your sock? Great news, sock nerds, there is, and it’s time we shared our notes! I’m Liz, I work on the Product Team here at Darn Tough, and today I’ll walk you through the anatomy of a sock.

We’ll discuss 12 common components of Darn Tough socks, along with pictures. We’re using our 1466 Hiker Micro Crew as a reference sock, so snag that out of the drawer if you have one handy and want to follow along at home. If you don’t have that sock, don’t worry, our socks feature many of the same components across styles, and we’ll discuss some of our other socks as we go.

The Cuff & Leg

Let's start at the beginning, the very top of the sock.

Cuff, Tipping, & Welt

First up is the Cuff. Cuffs help your sock stay in place on your leg. The cuff of our socks is the thicker portion that encircles the very top of the sock.

The cuff can include designs like our logo or, as on the 1466, a cosmetic technique called Tipping. Tipping is where an alternate color is knit along the top edge of the cuff. Where the cuff folds over and attaches to the sock on the inside is called the Welt, which provides a smooth finish.

Leg

Below the welt is the Leg — this is where you’ll find designs, ribbing, and more, (so much more). The leg portions of our socks can vary in height from our super tall Over-the-Calf socks to our Invisible no show socks (no leg portion at all on those, and a very teeny cuff).

Next up — the heel portion of your sock.

From Boot to Foot

This is where things get knitty gritty (pun intended), so buckle up!

Boot

Where the leg ends, the Boot begins. This is the first of several high-wear zones on your sock that we add extra reinforcement. Each zone serves the same purpose: protect your feet and add durability in high wear and tear areas.

The boot part of your socks helps protect the back of your heel and part of your Achilles tendon. If our socks feature cushioning underfoot, this is typically where it starts (more info on sock cushioning here). 

Heel & Heel Gore

From the boot, we transition to the Heel. The heel is the little pocket where the heel of your foot actually sits. It is often offset with a contrasting color in a lot of our sock styles.

This is where the sock begins to turn thanks to a feature called the Heel Gore — that’s the change in stitching you can see in the heel itself; it is that diagonal line of stitching you can see right in the middle.

The Foot

After the Heel, the next section of a sock is the Foot, which extends from the heel to the toe.

Within the foot, the first section is the aptly-named First Foot, which is the second of our four reinforced areas. Like the boot, this is an area of your sock that tends to get a lot of wear, so we reinforce it for extra durability.

From Foot to Toe

Performance Zone

Continuing down the sock, next up is the Performance area around the arch of the foot, bridging the gap between the heel and toe sections of the sock. Many of our socks feature tech here to help vent sweat, provide arch support, and (you guessed it) improve performance.

You can see features like these clearly in our ski socks, running, hunting, and work styles. Look for sections of different stitching along the top of the foot on your Darn Tough socks at home.

Second Foot

The Second Foot is essentially a sibling to the first foot, just further along on the sock. Depending on the sock you own, you might see a slight color change marking this area, but whether it’s visible or not, know we added in durability for this high-wear zone.

The Toe

Last but not least, we come to the toe section of the sock. If you’ve read this far, pat yourself on the back! You are nearly finished with Sock Anatomy 101. I took this course when I was onboarded and it’s course that everybody at Darn Tough takes at some point! Once you’ve completed it, you’re officially part of the fam.

The Toe portion is where your toes go and where our famous True Seamless Toe lives. Lastly is the Ring Toe, which serves the same purpose and has a similar construction to the boot, first foot, and second foot we discussed before, just slightly smaller as you can see!

Sock Anatomy Terms

And that’s all she wrote! Below is the entire 1466 labeled with the terms we’ve gone over and a handy written guide below it. Congratulations, you are now an honorary sock expert!

• Cuff — The thicker portion that encircles the very top of the sock. It can include designs, font and more! This is a general term that encompasses this area of the sock.
• Tip — This is the very top of the cuff of the sock.
• Tipping — A technique where an alternate color is knit along the top edge of the cuff and folded over inside the sock.
• Welt — Where the cuff folds over and attaches to the sock on the inside.
• Leg — On taller socks, the area above the heel. This portion of the sock can vary in height and features many of our designs.
• Boot — This part of your socks features increased durability and helps guard the back of your heel and part of your Achilles tendon.
• Heel — The little pocket where the heel of your foot sits.
• Heel Gore — The seam at which your sock begins to turn toward your foot.
• First Foot — One of several reinforced quadrants that help guard against wear and tear! The First Foot sits on the bottom of the sock immediately following the Heel.
• Performance — The area around the arch of the foot, bridging the gap between the heel and toe section of the sock.
• Second Foot — Another of the reinforced quadrants that helps guard against wear and tear. This is where the ball of your foot rests.
• Toe — The reinforced pocket at the front of the sock where your toes go!
• Ring Toe — The final reinforced quadrant that helps guard against wear and tear.

Thank you sincerely for learning more about our socks! Check out our archive of blog posts for more deep cuts of sock knowledge and if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out!

About the Author

Liz Flinn moved from Texas to Vermont for a seasonal Customer Service position at Darn Tough in 2021 and currently works as the Product Line Coordinator. They like hiking, music, video games, and spending time with their friends and community members. Their favorite socks are the Heady Stripe in Teal and the Prism.