Patent ID: 8856968

Claim:
A sock system comprising: a sock, the sock having a foot section, wherein: the foot section has a shape corresponding to a human foot and comprises: a rearfoot portion corresponding to human calcaneous and talus bones and to tibial and fibular malleoli; a forefoot portion corresponding to human metatarsal and phalanx bones; and a midfoot portion between the rearfoot portion and the forefoot portion and corresponding to human cuboid, navicular and cuneiform bones; the sock has a medial stabilizer region on a medial side of the sock corresponding to a medial side of the foot and a lateral stabilizer region on a lateral side of the sock corresponding to a lateral side of the foot; the medial stabilizer region and the lateral stabilizer region are separate and distinct from one another; the medial stabilizer region covers a forward medial region of the rearfoot portion and a rearward medial region of the midfoot portion; the lateral stabilizer region covers a forward lateral region of the rearfoot portion; the medial stabilizer region: starts at a position on the rearfoot portion corresponding to a position on the foot posterior to the tibial malleolus; extends inferiorly of and anteriorly relative to an area on the rearfoot portion corresponding to the tibial malleolus; and ends at a position on the midfoot portion corresponding to a position on the foot anterior to the tibial malleolus; the medial stabilizer region includes a medial malleolal concavity at its upper edge to accommodate the tibial malleolus; the lateral stabilizer region: starts at a position on the rearfoot portion corresponding to a position on the foot posterior to the fibular malleolus; extends inferiorly of and anteriorly relative to an area on the rearfoot portion corresponding to the fibular malleolus; and ends at a position corresponding to a position on the foot anterior to the fibular malleolus; the lateral stabilizer region includes a lateral malleolal concavity at its upper edge to accommodate the fibular malleolus; wherein each of the medial stabilizer region and the lateral stabilizer region consists of a pocket for receiving, respectively, a stabilizer pad; the sock system further comprising: a plurality of stabilizer pads shaped to fit the pockets; wherein the plurality of stabilizer pads includes stabilizer pads having different thicknesses; wherein each pocket includes a respective aperture through which one of the plurality of stabilizer pads is insertable into, and removable from, the respective pocket; and the pockets and their respective apertures and also the plurality of stabilizer pads are adapted so that appropriate perimeter sizes of the pockets and of the plurality of stabilizer pads are selected for a size of the human foot with which the plurality of stabilizer pads are used.