Stopper sock
A stopper sock, also a stop sock, brake sock, ABS sock, racing sock or knobbed sock, is a special version of a sock or stocking with a special sole that is supposed to prevent slipping on smooth floors. This sole is usually covered with non-slip nubs made of silicone or an elastomer ("rubber") and incorporated into the sock sole . Alternatively, there are stop socks with larger rubber areas or a complete sole made of rubber (“full sole”). In addition, sets are available for making your own stopper socks, which either consist of glue-on and iron-on applications or a special liquid mixture that hardens after being applied.
history
The stopper sock in its current form was developed by the aerospace engineer and inventor Manfred Heuer when his daughter started running. To attach the small silicone dots to socks, he used a machine that he had built for flocking T-shirts and launched the stopper socks in 1987 with his company MAHE from Nortorf .
function
Stopper socks are mainly offered for toddlers and older children. They can run and romp with them without slipping on smooth floors. Accordingly, stopper socks are often worn as an alternative to slippers or slippers . There are also slippers with a stopper sole that perform the same function.
There are also ABS socks for young people and adults, which are designed for special leisure activities. They are used, for example, in trampoline halls (jump house) or in special indoor sports where sturdy shoes are not worn.
rating
Wearing stopper socks is medically recommended for growing children when walking barefoot is not possible. Compared to shoes, the socks offer more freedom of movement, which allows the arch of the foot to develop better.
Since stopper socks are mainly used by small children, they have been regularly checked for functionality (slip resistance) and also for the materials used and potentially toxic ingredients by institutions such as Stiftung Warentest and Ökotest since their market launch . Various suppliers regularly found toxic and sometimes carcinogenic substances in the materials. The knobs consist partly of polyvinyl chloride with phthalates classified as particularly questionable as plasticizers . There were also organotin compounds , which are classified as carcinogenic.
supporting documents
- ↑ Inventor's Day: Made in SH: Famous Inventions from Schleswig-Holstein shz.de, November 7, 2014; accessed on December 18, 2019.
- ↑ 14 stopper socks in the test oekotest.de, January 11, 2013; accessed on December 5, 2019.
- ↑ Stopper socks in the test: Dangerous rubber Süddeutsche Zeitung, May 17, 2010; accessed on December 24, 2019.
- ↑ Stopper socks in the test: health hazard from ingredients Focus online, March 30, 2009; accessed on December 4, 2019.