OT: why do socks have seams?

[Commander Kinsey]

Why do socks have seams, which always end up under your toes to annoy you? Can't we in the 21st century make socks with one piece of material?

[alan_m]

Buy a better brand - my socks appear to have no seams.

[angelica...]

Sure. Make your own socks.

Cindy Hamilton

[Dean Hoffman]

Seams are cheaper than zippers?? The people at Walmart, Target, and Amazon think seamless socks exist.

[Commander Kinsey]

I don't believe you, I can find no evidence of such a product. Post a link or an image.

[Commander Kinsey]

So you admit it's possible?

[Commander Kinsey]

No seam would be better.

Cite.

[nightjar]

The stitch for making seamless socks is called the Kitchener Stitch, after Lord Kitchener. He prompted the invention of a seamless sock, to avoid chafing the feet of soldiers in the wet conditions of the WW1 trenches. They have been around a long time.

[angelica...]

I admit you should do your own Google search. It was trivially easy to find them at amazon.co.uk.

Cindy Hamilton

[Graham Harrison]

This

claims:

Seamless Toe Closure

Seamless Toe Closure for an anti-friction finish your feet will love.

and whilst I don't have that particular pair of theirs I do have others which are very comfortable and I don't get discomfort under my toes or soles from seams.

Mind you, I think it matters how you define a seam. If you look at the linked page and hover over the picture of the toe of the sock there are definitely places where two webs meet and get meshed together.

Falke (German company) use a similar method of construction but don't claim to be seamless and I've had good results from their socks.

Both Falke and Stance have some socks that are claimed to be formed ergonomically (one sock for the left foot and one for the right).

Good luck.

[Commander Kinsey]

Then why are they not available in the UK?

[Commander Kinsey]

I did my own search and only found socks with less harsh seams. Searches aren't always perfect, they're done using computers.

[Commander Kinsey]

Yes, from the image I can see seams. Although they may not be noticeable to your feet, it seems strange to me that it's so difficult to just have no seam at all.

[nightjar]

Or, you could get somebody who knows the Kitchener stitch to knit them for you, just as thousands of women did for the WW1 Tommies.

[Clare Snyder]

They just put seams in cheap socks so cheap miserable scotsmen like Kinzey have something to bitch about.

[alan_m]

I wear

[Ed Pawlowski]

The easy answer for him is to wear panty hose.

[Commander Kinsey]

I'm still surprised they're not all like that. Is it very expensive to make?

[Commander Kinsey]

Or go barefoot like we were designed to.

[Commander Kinsey]

Is this your fetish?