How to Wear Baseball Socks Properly?

There are types of baseball socks and pants worn by teams. In the last century, most teams and players wore knicker-style pants with stirrups. And in this century, some teams also wear full-length pants with short socks. If you need a complete instruction on wearing all sorts of socks for today’s baseball players, this passage will suit you well.

Types of Baseball Socks

Stirrup Socks

Stirrup socks were intended for baseball games in the first decade of the 20th century. It was designed for protecting the calves and worn with knicker-style pants. The stirrup socks need to be worn with sanitary socks under them.

Sanitary Socks

Sanitary socks were invented in the same period of time as the stirrup socks. The stirrup socks were colored with poisonous dyes when they were first invented, which would cause illness if there were scratches and open wounds. And there was a history of stirrups causing a baseball player become seriously ill with blood poisoning.

To prevent such illness, sanitary socks were invented. They were long white cotton socks that were not dyed, and should be worn under the stirrup socks to avoid the stirrups touching the skin. So they were a little longer than stirrups during the early years.

After the improvement of dyes, the stirrups no longer cause illness to players, but the sanitary socks remain a tradition. In modern days, players can choose either traditional long socks or short socks worn under the stirrups to protect the ankles from grass burn.

Two-in-One Stirrup Socks

The two-in-one socks were invented in the 1970s. It was designed to be easy to put on and mimic the suit of stirrups and sanitary socks. They are a substitute for stirrup socks and sanitary socks.

Long Socks

Long baseball socks (knee-high baseball socks) have the same length as the stirrup socks, but have different structures. They have the same structure as regular socks, and the top hems are just below the knees. Some baseball players wear long socks instead of stirrup socks.

Short Socks

Short socks are just regular socks with a length a little bit above the ankles. They are worn under the long pants or under the stirrups with short pants.

Types of Baseball Pants

These days, players wear both short pants and long pants depending on their teams’ clothing rules.

Short pants (Knicker-style pants) always go with stirrup socks and sanitary socks or long socks. And Long pants always have short socks under them. As for long pants, there are two main types:

1. Clemson pants

Clemson pants are fitted and have narrow cuffs. Some of them have elastics on their cuffs.

2. Baggy pants

Baggy pants have a straight shape and have wide and loose cuffs. It has a throwback style of the early days of baseball suits.

The Functions of Baseball Socks and How to Select a Nice Pair

The Functions of Baseball Socks

The main role of baseball socks is to prevent cuts from grass and dirt while sliding or other motions during a baseball game. And the long socks also help with keeping the short pants in the right place from being stretched out during sliding and running. Baseball socks are a part of the uniform. A baseball team usually wears the same colored and patterned socks, sometimes with their team logos on the socks, to show the team’s cohesion and help the audience to recognize them.

How to Select a Nice Pair of Baseball Socks

A baseball game usually takes more than two and a half hours. Socks of high quality allow the players not to be distracted and perform their best.

1. Comfortable for Wearing

To be comfortable to wear, the socks should be moisture-wicking and have good breathability.

2. Good Elasticity and Durability

The socks, especially the long socks, need to be elastic for pulling high and fixing the top edges to the calves. And to resist the frequent frictions from sliding, the sock should be anti-pilling and durable to prevent holes in the socks. Blend material with nylon and elastic could be an ideal option.

3. Bright Colored and with Clear Graphics

To show the logos clearly to the audience in bigscreens and TVs, the socks should be printed or embroidered with good materials and manufacturing processes. And concerned with the cleaning, the printed graphics should be against peeling, the colors should not bleed the dye, and the embroidered graphics should not shrink.

4. Pads and Cushioning

If the players wear long socks, they can choose socks with pads on high-impact areas

to provide support and prevent blisters and scratches.

How to Wear Different Types of Baseball Socks with Different Pants?

Short Socks with Full-Length Pants

If the player chooses to wear short socks and long pants, it’s quite simple to put them on. Just the same way as they wear their daily socks for casual looks. And it’s recommended to wear protection like shin pads to prevent bruises, scratches, and blisters.

Long Socks with Short Pants

Stirrup Socks and Sanitary Socks with Knicker-Style Pants

Method One

Step 1. 

Put on the sanitary sock and the stirrups. Pull them up to your knees or as high as you can.

Step 2. 

Turn the knicker-style pants inside out. And make the zipper side on the top, and make the zipper face away from you.

Step 3. 

Put on the legs of the pants, and pull them to the height of just below your knees.

Step 4. 

Roll the pant cuffs outwards for two times. Pull them like a folding way, make the edge clear to ensure the cuffs from sagging. And each time fold the length about two finger widths.

You can also wrap your calves with tape to ensure the socks and cuffs will not slide down. If you choose to wrap the tape on the outside of the pants or the socks, remember to use the same color as the pants or the socks.

Step 5. 

Adjust the height of both sides, make them even, and just below the knees.

Step 6. 

Take the top of the sanitary socks and stirrup socks and pull them over the rolled-up part of the pants, ensuring the top of the socks covers the whole of the rolled-up part of the pants, so that they won’t become undone or sag during a game.

Method Two

This method is a quick one. It is suitable for occasions that are not convenient to take off the pants, like adjusting the socks before the game (in this case, skip step 1).

Step 1.  

Put on the long socks( or sanitary socks and stirrup socks), pull them as long as possible.

Step 2. 

Put on the legs of the pants, and do not pull them up; just keep them on your ankles.

Step 3. 

Pull the pants up from inside to set the cuffs just below the knees. You can also pull the whole of them up to your comfortable position, especially when the cuff has an elastic, and pull them up to the knees when you put the pants on.

Step 4. 

Fold and roll the cuffs twice. And if the cuffs have elastics, you can roll them just for one time.

Step 5. 

Roll down the top edge of the stirrup socks and the sanitary socks to cover the cuffs.

Step 6. 

Put on the pants and adjust the height of the folded part.

FAQ

1. How to figure out the front side of the stirrup socks and the back of them?

You can check the angle of the stirrup socks before putting them on. The side with the bigger and longer cut-off is the back side, and the side with the shorter part is the front side. The shorter cut-offs make the socks a little further down on the legs.

2. How should I wear stirrup socks with full-length pants?

If you wear pants with cuffs at the ankles, there is no need to wear stirrups. But if you prefer to wear stirrups, or you need to wear long pants as a substitute when your team has rules about clothing, here are the steps to follow:

1. Put on the socks first and pull them up to the knees.
2. Turn the pants inside out, and make sure the zipper is facing away from you.
3. Put on the pant legs, and pull them to the height of just below your knees
4. Roll the pant cuffs outwards five to sixtimes(depending on your height), each time fold the length about two finger widths.
5. Adjust the height of both sides, make them even, and just below the knees.
6. Take the top of the stirrups and pull them over the rolled-up part of the pants, ensuring the top of the stirrups covers the whole of rolled up part of the pants, so they won’t become undone or loose during a game.

3. How to know when to change the socks?

Except for the common signs to buy a new pair of socks( for example: holes or removable stains on the socks), if the socks slide soon after you pull them up to your legs, it’s time to replace them with new socks.

4. Except for remaining the traditional look, is there any benefit of wearing sanitary socks under the stirrup socks compared to the short socks under them?

There are two advantages of wearing sanitary socks compared to short socks.

The sanitary socks are a little longer than the stirrups. The length makes them provide a bigger coverage of protection. The shins will have a lower rate of scratches. And the top edges with elasticity help with fixing the pants and socks from sliding.

5. How should I clean the baseball socks?

If your baseball socks are solid colored, you can wash them with familiar colored garments. If your socks have printings and embroideries, it is better to wash them with cold or warm water, use mild detergents, and dry them in the air.

If you need to wash stirrup socks, put them into a laundry mesh bag before tossing them into a washing machine.

Final Thoughts

With this passage, you can give your customers and team members comprehensive guidance on wearing baseball socks and an introduction to the role and history of baseball socks. Goaluniform is a specialist in manufacturing all types of sportswear. We manufacture many big orders of customized baseball socks every year and provide good after-sales service. Contact us to get your teams and stores impressive baseball socks.