DRAFT UGANDA STA NDARD  
  DUS 1970-9 
First  Edition  
2022-mm-dd 
 
 
 Reference number  
DUS 1970-9: 202 2 
© UNBS 202 2  
  
Textiles — Garments — Part 9: Athletic  
 
 
 
 DUS 1970-9: 2022 
ii © UNBS 2022 – All righ ts reserv ed 
 Compliance with this standard does not, of itself confer immunity from legal obligations  
A Uganda Standard does not purport to include all necessary provisions of a contract. Users ar e 
responsible for its correct application  
© UNBS 2022  
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilised in any 
form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, w ithout prior written 
permissio n from UNBS.  
Requests for permission to reproduce this document should be addressed to  
The Executive Director  
Uganda National Bureau of Standards  
P.O. Box 6329  
Kampala  
Uganda  
Tel: +256 41 7 333 2 50/1/2 
Fax: +256 41 4 286 123  
E-mail: info@unbs.go.ug  
Web: www.unbs.go.ug  
 
 DUS 1970-9:2022 
© UNBS 202 2 – All rights reserved  iii 
 Contents  Page 
Foreword  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  iv 
Introduction  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .........................  v 
1 Scope  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................  1 
2 Normative references  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  1 
3 Terms and definitions  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  2 
4 Requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  2 
4.1 General requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  2 
4.1.1  Properties of athletic socks  ................................ ................................ ................................ .................  2 
4.1.2  Socks construction  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............................  2 
4.1.3  Freedom from defects  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  3 
4.2 Specific requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  3 
4.2.1 Fibre composition  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ . 3 
4.2.2  Yarn  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .........................  4 
4.2.3  Pairing ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .....................  4 
4.2.4  Colourfastness  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 4 
4.2.5  Restricted colourants ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  5 
4.2.6  Size................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........................  5 
5 Packaging  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  5 
6 Labelling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .................  5 
6.1 Labelling on a pair of socks  ................................ ................................ ................................ .................  5 
6.2 Labelling on bulk package  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................  6 
7 Sampling and criteria for conformity  ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 6 
Annex  A (normative)  Measurement of socks dimensions  ................................ ................................ ............  7 
A.1 Conditioning of socks  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  7 
A.2 Sample sock preparation  ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................  7 
A.3 Measurements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 7 
Bibliography  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........................  8 DUS 1970-9: 2022 
iv © UNBS 2022 – All righ ts reserv ed 
 Foreword  
Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) is a parastatal under the Ministry of Trade , Industry and 
Cooperatives established under Cap 327 , of the Laws of Uganda , as amended .  UNBS is mandated t o co-
ordinate the elaboration of standards and is  
(a) a member of International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) ;  
(b) a contact point for the WHO/FAO Codex Alimentarius Commission on Food Standards ; and  
(c) the National Enquiry Point on TBT  Agreement  of the W orld Trade Organisation (WTO).  
The work of preparing Uganda Standards is carried out through Technical Committees. A Technical 
Committee is established to deliberate on standards in a given field or area and consists of key stakeholders 
including governmen t, academia, consumer groups, private sector and other interested parties.  
Draft Uganda Standards adopted by the Technical Committee are widely circulated to stakeholders and the 
general public for comments. The committee reviews the comments before recom mending the draft standards 
for approval and declaration as Uganda Standards by the National Standards Council.  
The committee responsible for this document is Technical Committee UNBS/TC 315, Textiles and related 
products.  
 
 DUS 1970-9:2022 
© UNBS 202 2 – All rights reserved  v 
 Introduction  
Socks are an essential component of footwear for the athlete. Previously considered a commodity item, 
athletic socks are now designed to provide sig nificant functional and protect ive benefits for the active person.  
Athletic socks are constructed depending on the sports application; an over -the-calf design is used for skiing, 
baseball, soccer and endurance running. A crew length sock is a standard athl etic sock with universal 
applic ations while a roll top sock ends at the topline of the shoe and is popular in golf. (See Figure 1)  
One of the primary differentiating features of athletic socks, compared to dress/casual hosiery socks is the 
utilization of h igh-tech fibres and yarns that provide better comfort and protection for the feet of the active 
athlete . 
The sum total of moisture potentially collecting in the shoe of the athlete during exercise will quickly exceed 
the absorptive capacity of any sock. Th erefore, in order to keep moist ure content at a minimal level on the 
surface of the foot during exercise, a sock needs to “move” moisture away to the shoe upper, in a process 
known as wicking, for evaporation.  
 DRAFT UGANDA STANDARD  DUS 197 0-9: 202 2 
 
© UNBS 2022 – All rights reserved  1 
 Textiles — Garments  — Part 9: Athletic  socks  
1 Scope  
This Draft U ganda Standard specifies requirements , sampling and test methods  for athletic socks  also known 
as sport s socks . 
2 Normative references  
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all  of their content constitutes 
require ments of this document. For dated ref erences, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, 
the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.  
ISO 14362 -1, Textiles — Methods for  determination of certain aroma tic am ines derived from azo colorants — 
Part 1: Detection of the use of certain azo colorants accessible with and without extracting the fibres  
ISO 14362 -3, Textiles — Methods for determination of certain aromatic amines deri ved from azo colorants — 
Part 3 : Dete ction of the use of certain azo color ants, which may release 4 -aminoazobenzene  
ISO 16373 -1, Textiles — Dyestuffs — Part 1: General principles of testing coloured textiles for dyestuff 
identification  
ISO 16373 -2, Textile s — Dyestuffs — Part 2: General  metho d for the determination of extractabl e dyestuffs 
including allergenic and carcinogenic dyestuffs (method using pyridine -water)  
ISO 16373 -3, Textiles — Dyestuffs — Part 3: Method for determination of certain carcinogenic  dyestuffs 
(method using trieth ylamin e/methanol)  
US ISO 105 -B02, Textiles — Tests for colour fastness — Part B02: Colour fastness to artificial light: Xenon 
arc fading lamp test  
US ISO 105 -C10, Textiles — Tests for colour fastness — Part C10: Colour fastne ss to washing with soap or 
soap  and s oda 
US ISO 105 -E04, Textiles — Tests for colour fastness — Part E04: Colour fastness to perspiration  
US ISO 105 -X12, Textiles — Tests for colour fastness — Part X12: Colour fastness to rubbing  
US ISO 139, Textiles — Standard atmospheres for conditioning and testing  
US ISO 1833 (all parts), Textiles — Binary fibre mixtures  — Quantitative chemical analysis  
ISO 105 -N02, Textiles — Tests for colour fastness — Part N02: Colour fastness to bleaching: Peroxide  
ISO 2062, Textile s — Yarns from packages — Determination of single -end breaking force and elongation at 
break using const ant ra te of extension (CRE) tester  
ISO 2859 -1, Sampling procedures for inspection by attributes — Part 1: Sampling sch emes indexed by 
acceptance quality  limit (AQL) for lot -by-lot inspection  DUS 1970-9: 202 2 
2 © UNBS 2022 – All right s reserve d 
 US ISO 7 211-5, Textiles — Methods for analysis of woven fabrics construction — Part 5: Determination of 
linear density of yarn removed from fabric  
3 Terms and definitions  
No terms and de finitions are listed in this document.  
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:  
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at http://www.iso.org/o bp 
4 Requirements  
4.1 General requirements  
4.1.1  Propert ies of  athletic socks  
Athletic socks should  be made of fibres with the following properties:  
a) good water resistance and moisture -wicking;  
b) light weight ; 
c) breathable;  
d) anti-microbial resistance;  
e) good cus hion and resiliency;  
f) good insulation;  
g) ability  to maintain their  shape when wet; and  
h) odour resistant and ability to dry quickly.  
4.1.2  Socks construction  
4.1.2.1 Socks  shall be constructed through a knitting process. These may be plain, rib, fancy, terry 
knitted structures or their combinations .. 
4.1.2.2 Socks should have an elastic arch lock that keeps the socks from shifting out of place.  
4.1.2.3 The socks shall be designed to be  moulded to the contours of the feet to avoid chaffing and 
blisters. They may be with seam -free toes to red uce the risk of blisters.  (see Figure 1)  DUS  1970-9: 202 2 
© UNBS 2022 – All rights reserved  3 
 
 
Where:  
a: Over -the-calf 
b: Crew  
c: Mini -crew 
d: Roll top  
Figure 1 — Example of athletic sock designs  
4.1.2.4  Socks shall be grouped in three categorie s, i.e. men, women  and children . 
4.1.3 Freedom from defect s 
Socks and stockings shall be free from manufacturing  defects, such as large mends, irregular l adders, 
dropped stitches, irregular holes, improper splicing, dyeing defects, blueing agents (if white) and filling 
materials .  
4.2 Specific requirements  
4.2.1 Fibre composition  
4.2.1.1 Athletic socks  shall be composed  of hydrophobic fibres. These may be hydrophobic by nature 
such as synthetic fibres or treated t o contain hydrophobic properties. Common fibres used in the manufacture 
of athletic socks are Merino wool , acrylic, polyester and propylene.  DUS 1970-9: 202 2 
4 © UNBS 2022 – All right s reserve d 
 NOTE 1  Cotton fiber s are hydrophilic and absorb three times the moisture as acrylic fibres, which are commonly used  
in athletic hosiery. Once wet, cotton socks retain moisture and have a ten -fold greater drying time comp ared to synthetic 
fibre socks. Howeve r, a blend of cott on and wool can be used.  
NOTE 2  Synthetic fibers are known to keep the feet drier, cushion the f eet better and provide better performance than 
traditional cotton fibers.  
4.2.1.2 The fibre composition o f socks shall be as declared on the l abel,  subject to a  tolerance of ± 3 % 
when tested in accordance with a relevant part(s) of US ISO 1833.  
4.2.2  Yarn   
4.2.2.1 Breaking tenacity and elongation  
The yarn used in knitting, linking and splicing socks shall co mply with the breaking tenacity and e longa tion 
requirem ents in Tabel 1 when tested in accordance with the test methods specified therein.  
Table 1 — Breaking tenacity and elongation requirements of yarns used to knit socks  
Parameter  Type of fibre  Requirement  Test method  
aBreaking  
tenacity, g/tex, 
min. Nylon 35.0 
ISO 2062  Polyester  32.0 
Wool  and wool blends  28.0 
Acrylic  25.0 
bElongation, %, 
min Nylon  30.0 
Polyester  27.0 
Wool and wool blends  20.0 
Acrylic  17.0 
a The minimum tenacity and elongation at br eak of blended yarn used to 
make sock s, shall not be less than the values of the fibre component in 
the blend whose yarn has a lower rating in accordan ce with Table 1 i.e. 
in a nylon/wool or polyester/wool blend, the minimum tenacity and 
elongation at brea k of the yarn shall not be less than that of the woollen 
yarn.  
b The elongation of elastic yarn for the top portion of the socks (if available) shall 
be greater than 450 %.  
 
4.2.2 .2 Linear density  
The linear density of the yarns used to knit socks shall b e as declared on the label, subject t o a tolerance of ± 
10 % when tested in accordance with US ISO 7211 -5.   
4.2.3  Pairing  
Socks shall be matched and p aired according to their type of knitted structure, size and shade. A tolerance of 
± 1.25 cm in the leg l ength and ± 0.5 cm in the foot length  of socks shall, however, be permissible while 
pairing . 
4.2.4 Colourfastness  
Dyed socks shall comply with the colourfastness requirements specified in Table 2.  DUS  1970-9: 202 2 
© UNBS 2022 – All rights reserved  5 
  Table 2 — Colourfastness requirements of socks  
Colourfastness to  Rating,  
min. Test method  
Washing  Colour change  4 ISO 105 -C10 
Staining  4 
Perspiration  Acid 3 ISO 105 -E04 
Alkali  3 
Light  5 US ISO 105 -B02 
Rubbing  Dry 4 US ISO 1 05-X12 
Wet 4 
Peroxide washing  4 ISO 105 -N02 
 
4.2.5  Restricted colourants  
Socks shall be free from listed  restricte d colourants when tested in accordance with ISO 14362 -1, ISO 14362 -
3, ISO 16373 -2 and ISO 16373 -3. 
Colourants on textiles shall be identified and classified in accordance with ISO 16373 -1. 
4.2.6  Size 
The dimensions of the socks  (foot length and leg length)  shall be as declared on the labe l, subject to a 
tolerance of ± 2 % wh en tes ted in accordance with Annex A.  
5 Packaging  
Each pair of socks shall be packaged in such a way so as to avoid soiling and damage during t ransportation, 
handling and storage.  
A batch  of pairs of socks or several batches shall be placed in a suitable pa ckaging material that shall be 
secured properly.  
6 Labelling  
6.1 Labelling on a pair of socks  
Each pair of socks shall be labelled with the following information:  
a) manufacturer’s  name/tr ade mark and physical address;  
b) product name such as “Athletic socks” , “sport socks”;  
c) fibre composition;  
d) linear density of the yarn;   
e) dimensions in mm ;  
f) care instructions; and   DUS 1970-9: 202 2 
6 © UNBS 2022 – All right s reserve d 
 g) country of origin.  
6.2 Labellin g on bulk package  
Each package containi ng a batch of socks or several batche s shall h ave the following inform ation which shall 
be legibly and indelibly indicated on the bulk package :  
a) manufacturer’s name/tra de mark and physical address;  
b) number of pair s in each batch;  
c) total number of bat ches in t he package;  
d) fibre composition; and  
e) country of origin  
7 Sampling and criteria for conformity  
Sampling shall be done in accordance with ISO 2859 -1 DUS  1970-9: 202 2 
© UNBS 2022 – All rights reserved  7 
 Annex  A 
(normative ) 
 
Measurement of socks dimensions  
A.1 Condit ioning of socks  
Before foot length an d/or leg length dimensions a re taken, the socks shall be conditioned in accordance with 
US ISO 139.  
A.2 Sample sock preparation  
With the aid of a metre rule, t ake the conditi oned sample sock to be measured. Lay it flat on a smooth table. 
Remove by hand all  creases and wrinkles withou t stretching the sock . 
A.3 Measurements  
Take the dimensions of both the foot length and l eg length as defined in Figure A.1 , both measurements to be 
taken correct to the nearest 5 mm.  
 
 
 DUS 1970-9: 202 2 
8 © UNBS 2022 – All right s reserve d 
 Bibliography  
 Douglas H. Richie, Athlet ic Socks, May 2017. A Chapter in book: Athlet ic Footwear and Orthoses in 
Sports Me dicine (p p. 91 – 105) 
 DUS  1970-9: 202 2 
© UNBS 2022 – All rights reserved  9 
 Certification marking  
Products that conform to Uganda standards may be marked with Uganda National Bureau of Standards 
(UNBS) Certification Mark shown  in the figure below.  
The use of the UNBS Ce rtification Mark is governed by the S tandards Act, and the Regula tions made 
thereunder. This mark can be used only by those licensed under the certification mark scheme operated by 
the Uganda National Bureau of Standards and in conjunction with the relevan t Uganda Standard. The 
presence of th is mark o n a product or in r elation to a product is an assurance that the goods comply with the 
requirements of that standard under a system of supervision, control and testi ng in accordance with the 
certification mark scheme of the Uganda National Bureau of Standa rds. UNBS marked pr oducts are 
continually checked by UNBS for conformity to that standard.  
Further particulars of the terms and conditions of licensing may be obtai ned from the Director, Uganda 
National Bureau  of Standards.  
 
 DUS 1970-9: 202 2   
 
ICS 61.020 
Price based o n nn pages  
© UNBS 2022– All rights reserved