Sock Talk

It's the age old question for contemporary dancers around the world.

-What are you wearing on your feet?

-Socks.

-What kind of socks?

-Just regular socks- but they must have a 75% cotton content or higher!

I think it's safe to say that Hubbard Street Dance Chicago is among the 'founding fathers' of dancing and performing in socks. Yes-it's true that there are exceptions (Cerrudo's Lickety-Split (ballet shoes), Duato's Jardi Tancat (bare feet), Naharin's Decadance (dance boots), Conte's The 40's (white full sole jazz shoes). --Don't even get me started on the latter and more to come on my thoughts on dance boots and dance sneakers that we so desperately need!!

But the majority of contemporary work over the last 10-15 years (maybe more) has been danced primarily in socks. Former Hubbard Street 2 dancer, Andrea Thompson (now dancing for Luzerner Theatre in Switzerland) wrote about our footwear of choice in the best wording I've seen. You can read for yourself here. 

I agree that H&M had the most affordable and the most reliable socks for dancers. However, I always felt that even with the high cotton content, they were just a little too thin for me. Below are some options and brands that I would recommend the most:

  • NIKE PERFORMANCE CUSHION CREW- can only be found on amazon.com OR if you happen to be in Tokyo, stop by the Atmos store for the black, white, grey 3pk. The NYC location has some VANS sock options there right now as well.
  • THE HUNDREDS- also located in NYC. You can buy in store or online. These are definitely my favorites. All of their socks have an 85% cotton content.
  • The majority of contemporary dancers favor the coveted AMERICAN APPAREL calf-high sock. They come in a range of colors. Thank God these socks came back- I definitely went through a withdrawal when AA went on their hiatus.
  • STANCE and Uniqlo also come highly recommended to me. I haven't worn these brands yet but have heard great reviews. I like that you can filter by fiber on Stance.com.
  • If you ARE into thinner socks, HUE thin cotton socks come recommended as well.
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What are your favorite dance sock brands?

Alicia Delgadillo1 Comment