Why do autistic people hate socks?
Leann FirestoneIf you asked me what one of my least favorite feelings in the world is…. (I would say microfiber towels) but after that it would be…when the seam of my socks touch my toes. It ruins my day, it topples all the other thoughts, making it hard to function. People often think I’m exaggerating when I say things like this, but my brain is different. I am autistic and have neurological differences. My sensory systems are on high alert, I perceive things so strongly! So something that a “typical” brain can ignore,can keep me from getting to work on time.
As a neurodivergent adult I actually have a lot of clothing sensitivities. I hate coats,I rarely wear long sleeve shirts. My pants have to hit my ankles at the perfect length or I will be adjusting them all day. I plan to write more blogs about my other clothing adaptations but for now we will start with SOCKS because in the sensory world, they are an Evil Villain!
Obviously in the summer I can just wear sandals and skip the shoe liners, but living in Pennsylvania means I must wear socks for a portion of the year. So I had to find some adaptations. Here are my best tips for adults or a caregiver trying to help their kiddo!
1- Flip your socks inside out! I understand it’s not the most aesthetically pleasing look but it is the most simple cost effective solution to work with what you have. Even the socks that I do enjoy have to be flipped inside out to be fully comfortable. This keeps the seams off of my sensitive feet!
2- Cut the extra strings inside. This is a must, especially any strings around the toes !! I do this with all of my socks, just be careful to not cut any seams!
3-Skip the socks completely and go with fur lined shoes. My feet get too warm in shoes like this, but other people including my kiddo this option. I have heard great things about these Hey Dude shoes, and of course the classic Uggs.
4- Contact an Occupational Therapist. I highly recommend looking into occupational therapy as well, especially if you are reading this article as a parent who wants to help your child . Sensitivity to the feet can be related to a delayed plantar reflex in childhood. An O.T. can help you to understand more and give you skills to help provide some relief. If you are local to South Central PA you can find more resources on the additional resources tab at the top of this site!
5- Purchase sensory friendly socks. Honestly, the only thing that feels completely tolerable is no sock at all, but these options help me stay sane. To save you or your autistic child from the trial and error period I have reviewed some options below. It is important to remember that each person will have a preference of material and height that they prefer their socks. I will do my best to describe the socks I have linked!
Smartwool is one of my favorite brands.They were one of the first companies to create a merino wool blend sock so they have many styles and patterns to choose from. They are a higher price point but I have had most of mine for over 5 years with no holes or damage. They have different types of fabric and some of the socks are meant to keep your foot very warm like this style. (magenta and orange stripe sock in photo). I prefer to wear this thinner cable knit style (like the gray sock in center of photo) under my boots. I have a few of these socks and can officially say they are my favorite tall sock! They are wicking material that is lightweight, they have a very thin seam on the top of the toe that I can hardly feel. (If you flip these inside out, you don’t notice a difference because of the cable knit and then there is no toe seam! ) The texture of these does not bother me but I could see it bothering some people as it is not solid like other knit options. The smart wool socks are sized from toddler to large adults.
Darn Tough also offers very similar options to smart wool but I find they are more of a soft feel for someone who is bothered by the textured socks. (Blue striped sock in photo) They also put the seam on the top of the sock and offer many size options!
Bombas are a nice brand with a philanthropic background (they donate a pair for each pair you buy)! Most of their socks are all black, which is the only downfall as there aren’t as many fun options! All of their socks have a Bee emblem logo (black sock in the group photo) They have a seam on the top of the socks and it is very thin. They are a good wicking material and stay in place, they offer different sizing for their socks from child to adult. I am not a fan of their ankle socks as I think it is too low, but it may work for some who like the no show look.
For lower height athletic socks I prefer them to sit at my ankle so they dont fall down inside my show. These Reebok socks (shown in photo) are perfect, they stay put and have good moisture wicking. They have minimal inside seams but I still flip them inside out. . Smartwool has a great ankle option too, but the price point is higher.
Smart knit socks are marketed as truly seamless socks to be suitable for people with diabetes or sensory sensitivities. They are made of a very comfortable cotton like fabric and they do not have a toe seam. The downfall of these socks is there is no elastic band around the top of them so they do not stay in place. They fall down and move around alot. They are sized to fit children through adults and can be a good option if you don’t want elastic around your calf. In the picture I am wearing a kids XXL Grey sock and the white is a medium adult sock. I am unable to wear this brand at all because I need something that stays in place at my ankle but these are a good option to try as well! I tried them for this blog to give my honest review.
To summarize, all socks are evil, so if we must wear them…we can at least adapt to our sensory needs ! Thank you for taking the time to learn more about Neurodivergent minds, I hope you have found some of this information helpful! If you have the same sensitivities and have found something that works for you please contact me so I can add it to this list!
I am not a podiatrist, medical professional, or an occupational therapist. I am an autistic adult with sensory processing disorder who hates socks…I am also an amazon affiliate, if you purchase any of the items above through the links provided, I will receive a small commission at no cost to you. If you would like to learn more about me click here !
– Leann Firestone