This article is all about different types of socks and sock lengths, including when to wear each type and recommended brands.

Crew socks. Over the calf. No show socks. Ankle length socks. Cotton, wool, synthetic, silk. Light cushion, heavy cushion, no cushion…

There are many, many different types of socks to choose from. How do you know which socks to buy? How can be sure that you’re wearing the right socks with different types of shoes and pants?

What’s the best sock length for you?

These are the kind of questions that make me to lose sleep at night, and then write the most comprehensive, in-depth article on the Internet about sock types.

If you also have questions about socks, you’re in the right place.

This guide will teach you how to choose the perfect socks for any situation. Whether you’re a jet setting business bro or a broke college student with a budding interest in the goth ninja aesthetic (#streetwear), I’ve got you covered.

But we can’t talk about types of socks without talking about sock length. In fact, these two concepts are almost synonymous…

Table of Contents

Even though there’s more to socks than their height length, it is very important, so it’s what we’ll focus on right now.

There’s no standard naming convention for sock lengths, so you’ll see different terms used to describe the same thing.

During my research, I couldn’t help but think that people are overcomplicating this. So let’s keep it simple.

Here are all the different sock lengths in order from shortest to tallest:

#1: Cloth Insoles

These aren’t technically “socks” per-say, but they do create a barrier between your foot and your shoe, so I’m including them here.

When I say “cloth insoles” I’m not talking about comfort insoles like those squishy blue Dr. Scholl’s inserts you get at Walgreens.