If holes always appear in the same place on your socks, check your feet for rough spots - pumicing them may save your socks. Check your shoes, too.
If your socks won't stay up, you may be drying them on too hot a setting, which damages the elastic fibres.
Where do socks disappear to so mysteriously? We don't know, but here are a few ways to cope. Before washing, put all your socks in a string bag with a zip or tie the pairs together. Or buy socks of the same style and colour in quantity-you may even get a discount. Then you'll never have to worry about pairing them up.
If several people in your household wear socks that look alike, mark the toes with small coloured stitches or initial them with indelible ink.
Athletes are less likely to get blisters if they wear high-quality socks made of high-bulk synthetics like Orlon and polypropylene. They cushion the foot and draw perspiration away from the skin. Or buy socks specially designed for your sport. Aerobic socks are padded at the heel, the ball of the foot and the toes; ski socks along the shin.
