Patent ID: 8495765

Claim:
A sock comprising high compressive force areas knit with a material having high expandability and a relatively lower compressive force areas knit without the material having high expandability, the high compressive force areas comprising: a first compression area being extensive over a sole portion of a sock in a wale direction and having a front end positioned at a front end of an arch portion of the sock located behind a toe area of the sock and a rear end positioned at a rear end of the arch portion which includes a boundary between the arch portion and a heel portion of the sock, the first compression area being adapted to exert longitudinal compressive force in the wale direction over the sole portion between the front and rear ends of the arch portion; a second compression area provided in a course direction circumferentially through the front end of the first compression area and a front end of an instep portion of the sock and adapted to exert transverse compressive force in the course direction over the sole portion at the front end of the arch portion; a third compression area provided in a course direction circumferentially through a base of an instep portion and an ankle portion of the sock; and a fourth compression area provided in a course direction circumferentially through the rear end of the first compression area and a rear end of the instep portion and adapted to exert transverse compressive force in the course direction over the sole portion at the rear end of the arch portion, wherein when the sock is worn, the second and fourth compression areas cooperate to position the first compression area relative to a foot in the sock, and the relatively lower compressive areas comprising a specific lower compressive region extensive in the instep portion of the sock between the second and fourth compression areas, the lower compressive region being designed to exert a longitudinal compressive force smaller than the longitudinal compressive force exerted by the first compression area to thereby cooperate with the first compression area and provide a difference in compressive force between the lower compressive region and the first compression area, when the sock is worn, to push up and support a longitudinal plantar arch of the foot.