Throughout the length and breadth of the World Cups, thousands of images come to our memory; a particular goal, the design of a football boot, the thunderous noise of the fans, or simply because our national team won the much coveted prize. This World Cup will be particularly remembered by the French, of course, but it has also left us with some rather peculiar moments - one of which is that some athletes played with holes in their socks.
One of the first players to draw attention to this was Real Madrid's Gareth Bale, back in March 2016. The Welshman was returning to the pitch after a month and a half of injury, and as is logical, he wanted to show the best version of himself again. On this occasion he opted for the most curious of methods. Honestly, at the time we thought it had been a simple tear in the sock - something that is not very common, but still possible.
THE REASON BEHIND THE HOLES
Minutes before the start of the match between Poland and Senegal this past World Cup, cameras captured a detail in the players' socks, something that would become a trend that some athletes around the world have begun to use - Neymar JR among many others. Mainly, this would ‘free’ the soleus, the muscles of the leg, which is crucial for players who have previously been injured, like Bale. However, inflammation can also happen due to stress or harsher training sessions.
An expert physiotherapist explained that there is a predominant factor in this situation: ‘The true benefit of these holes is more psychological than actually preventive to avoid injuries. Modern socks perfectly facilitate blood circulation due to their compressive design, which is also beneficial in preventing cramps, strains and oedema. Opening them at the calf, therefore, would be aimed above all at gaining mental confidence and avoiding anxiety and fear of breaking again’.
Now, as amateurs, should we do? The answer is absolutely personal, but to us it is a loud and clear... NO. As we have mentioned, socks nowadays come with multiple technologies beneficial to today's football players. For example, cotton maximises traction, ankle cushioning exist for strategic shock absorption, anatomical designs on both feet provide a natural fit, dynamic arch bridges help provide support and stability for your feet, and most importantly, special designed fabrics on the back of the leg improve blood circulation. Talk about being beneficial for our legs!
Hopefully this short post has helped you find out why and you can decide for yourselves whether you want to try it or not.
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