Lost Sock Memorial Day, celebrated annually on May 9, honors all the socks that are no longer with us. Where did they go? We are not certain but what we do know is that losing one sock of a perfectly-matched pair is a wide-spread phenomenon. So much so that we have a day on which to honor those socks we have loved and lost.
The origin of Lost Sock Memorial Day is as big a mystery as the whereabouts of the socks the day is meant to memorialize. But socks have been around for centuries and it’s clear Americans love their socks. In 2018, in the US alone, we purchased over $11 billion in socks. Most men wear socks every day — including those particularly fashionable guys who wear socks with sandals.
The sock industry continues to grow in sales and expand in variety. Gone are the days of the one-color, one-style sock. Today, socks serve multiple purposes and are manufactured to perform based on need. Of course, the dressy trouser sock in neutral colors exists for professional or fancy occasions but the markets for fun and functional socks are making a name for themselves. Themed graphic socks are trendier for the modern, less casual work environment.
With each American having an ever-growing sock drawer, the odds of a paired sock losing its mate increases. In a recent survey of 2,000 people, it was determined the average person loses 1.3 socks each month! That’s a lot of socks every year — over 15 per person, per year. So you can see how this universally hits home and causes us all great distress when a sock goes missing.
Today, we stand together to pay tribute to our dearly departed socks. We offer some clever ways to honor our lost socks and help those surviving socks press on.
