How to Wear Soccer Socks (4 Step Guide) (2023)

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Putting on a pair of soccer socks isn't rocket science.

However, since there are quite a number of different ways professional players don this garment, it's good to document the process for those who are new to the sport.

When you have shin guards in the equation, there can be a bit of confusion because a first-time soccer player might not know if these go under or over the socks.

That's why in this article we're going to go through the process of putting on your soccer socks from start to finish.

Without further ado, let's get started!

Wear football socks like a pro

Many casual players want to look just like the pros when they step onto the grass or artificial turf.

After all, who wouldn't want to emulate the physical appearance of someone like Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo?

So here are the steps you can take to wear your football socks properly.

Step #1 – Fasten the shin guards in place

According to the rules of the game, shin guards are compulsory equipment.

And they further specify:

"They must be made of a suitable material to provide adequate protection and be covered by the socks."

Those -FA Law 4 on Player Equipment

Shin guards are a must at a professional level, as referees and fourth officials usually inspect players' clothing before the start of a game.

In order.

Now that you know that shin guards are a necessary part of a player's equipment, you need to learn how to put them on.

To fix them, you must place the shin guard over the leg in such a way that it does not interfere with your performance.

If your shin pads are placed too low over the leg, they can interfere with certain aspects of your game, especially when it comes to hitting the ball.

On the other hand, if you adjust the shin pad too high on your leg, you risk injuring your lower calf as the shin pad will not be in the correct position to provide the required protection.

As a side note, you should be aware that there are different types of shin guards.

Some have built-in ankle protection, meaning you'll need to slip your foot through the elasticated ankle loop before tying the Velcro straps around your leg to secure the shin guard.

Other types of shin pads are slip-on ones, where you generally just need to make sure the plate of the shin pad rests comfortably around the front of your leg before securing the fit.

To keep these shin guards in place you can use the Velcro straps that come with the guard to securely attach the guard to your leg.

Like this:

Once this is complete, you can move on to the next step.

Step #2 - Place your thumbs on top of the sock

WeilFootball socks are so longand tight at the same time, you need to stretch the sock to fit your feet.

So what you have to do here is take the first sock and place your thumbs in it.

Check out the image below for reference.

Once this is done, you can proceed to the next step.

Step #3 – Gather the sides of the fabric until you reach the footbed of the sock

In order.

Now that your thumbs are inside the sock, just like the picture above shows, you need to roll down the sides of the fabric until you get to the base of the sock.

You need to do this so that you can comfortably tuck your toe into the sock.

Step #4 – Tuck your toes into the sock and pull the socks up

The next part is simply to tuck your toes into the now open sock.

Here is an image demonstrating this part of the process.

Once your toes are comfortably in place, all you have to do is pull the sock up to your knee.

This is done so that your shin pads are fully covered by the soccer socks.

Although it's important to note that the length you roll the sock to is entirely up to you, as some people prefer the socks to extend past the knee area as well.

Let's talk a little bit about it in the next section of the post.

How should football socks be worn?

Professional soccer players wear their socks in different ways.

Watch the video below for more information on how to do this:

Alternatively, you can read through to learn more about the most common styles.

Above the knees

As the name suggests, this is where your football socks are rolled up past the knee area.

When you wear them this way, the ends of your socks should rest against your thighs.

One famous player who loved wearing his football socks like this was Thierry Henry.

It was something he personally loved doing the most, but it could be argued that his over-the-knee style also gave him some performance advantages.

You see, when your socks are above the knee, you don't have to worry about freezing temperatures.

Since most of the surface of the lower and upper leg is covered by the sock fabric, you will feel warm when playing, and the benefit of warm muscles is smoother blood circulation in the body [LINK].

For comfort, you also eliminate the hassle of socks slipping down when running on the field as they are rolled up to the maximum length.

Below the knees

The usual way to wear soccer socks is just below the knees.

Here you simply fold the ends of the sock so that they are just below your knee.

A purported benefit of wearing football socks this way is that you get extra knee flexibility since the knee is not covered by sock fabric.

When players wear their socks below the knee, they typically use sock tape to ensure the fit is secured for the entire duration of the game.

You can check out some sock tape options available on Amazon below:

Low on the calf

Finally we have what is called the Jack Grealish method.

The Manchester City forward has massive calves, which you can see in all its glory because he wears his socks low-cut.

What you get here is a seriously stylish look because you don't have the bulkiness of traditional shin guards to complement the fit.

If you're wearing football socks that low, you can buy small slip-on shin guards that you simply slip into the socks you already wear.

Do you wear socks under soccer socks?

You can definitely wear another pair of socks under your football socks becauseThe extra layer helps prevent blistering.

What you need to know, however, is that the second pair of socks needs to be the right size to accommodate the key football socks that make up most of the fit.

Do football socks go over or under shin guards?

The most important rule to remember is that soccer socks always go over your shin guards.

Have you ever seen a player wear their shin pads over their football socks?

Well, I certainly haven't!

Final Thoughts

This article has documented the step-by-step process of wearing soccer socks correctly.

Hopefully you learned a lot from the procedure outlined in the post.

If you want to educate yourself about football socks then check out some other content on our blog such as:

• Cutting football socks correctly;
• How to keep football socks above your knees;
• Why football socks are difficult to put on;
• The best Nike football socks to wear; And
• The best Adidas football socks for training and competition