It is well known in the hosiery industry that circular knit socks constructed from nylon or other of the man-made fibers are long-wearing and resilient but lack the comfort characteristics and absorbency of socks made from cotton or wool. Related prior art teaches the use of combinations of man-made and natural products in sock and stocking construction to obtain the advantages of both types of fibers. There are examples of socks which have a portion of the lower foot constructed of combined yarns to obtain the warmth, absorbency and hand of cotton or wool and the durability of man-made or synthetic fibers such as nylon, while the upper foot and leg are constructed entirely of nylon or other synthetics for durability and resiliency or elasticity. These features are also found in ladies' stockings of finer denier yarns.
In the area of men's socks, however, the prior art which teach the use of combined yarns as described above often disclosed a finished article which is generally bulky and somewhat heavier than may be desired for dress wear. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 3,307,379 to Woolley et al discloses a sock constructed primarily of nylon with a second, inner wall of a softer yarn; thereby creating a double-walled, relatively heavy sock. U.S. Pat. No. 2,800,782 to Bridges discloses the use of terry loops in a reinforced portion of the foot for comfort and warmth; again creating considerable bulk. Additionally, there are other U.S. patents disclosing a sole or lower foot portion having a double-layer of fabric for cushioning, and although there are other examples of cushion and/or reinforcement stitch structures in the foot portion which are somewhat similar to the present invention, none satisfactorily achieve the cushioning and other comfort characteristics of cotton or wool without a significant increase in bulk.
The increased bulk of socks in the prior art is not a serious disadvantage in casual wear or athletic socks. However, in dress wear such increased bulk can be extremely uncomfortable as some dress shoes are cut more closely and do not have the wearing ease and stretch of casual or athletic shoes.
Because of the difference in casual, athletic, and dress shoes, most dress socks are constructed from finer denier yarns in a closely knit stitch which decreases bulk as much as possible. Consequently, comfort features such as cushioning, absorbency and warmth are sacrificed to achieve close fit.