Socks worn during the Opening Ceremonies at the 1980 Winter Olympic Games
date: label: date made
content: 1980
name: label: maker
content: Levi Strauss & Co.
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: Pair of red, white and blue wool socks worn as a part of the Olympic athlete's opening parade uniform at the 1980 Olympic Games in Lake Placid, New York. This was the first Olympics where the U.S. athletes were asked for their input on what they would like to wear during the opening parade, award ceremonies and as warmup uniforms. Levi's was approached and worked with the athletes to develop a wardrobe of over 40 items which were donated to each athlete to be worn during the games.
label: Description (Brief)
content: The 1980 Winter Olympics, also known as the Games of the XIII Olympiad were held in Lake Placid, New York with 37 countries, 840 men and 232 women athletes participating. These Games are famous for the “Miracle on Ice” hockey team which consisted of American college hockey players competing against the more experienced and professional Russian team amongst the backdrop of the cold war. The Americans beat the Russians to move into the medal round beating Finland for the Gold but it was the game where they beat Russia which is most remembered and where announcer Al Michaels asked all American if they believed in miracles. US Speed skater Eric Heiden dominated the speed skating event winning gold in all five events, the only athlete in the Winter games to do so. The Soviet Union won the medal count with 22 with the United States coming in third with 12 medals.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
topic: label: web subject
content: Sports
label: name of sport
content: Olympics
label: level of sport
content: Amateur
label: related event
content: Olympic Winter Games: Lake Placid, 1980
setName: label: See more items in
content: Culture and the Arts: Sport and Leisure
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Levi Strauss & Co., through Roy C. Johns, Jr.
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1981.0131.04
label: catalog number
content: 1981.0131.04
label: accession number
content: 1981.0131
objectType: label: Object Name
content: socks
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: wool (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: white (overall color)
label: Physical Description
content: red (overall color)
label: Physical Description
content: blue (overall color)
label: Measurements
content: average spatial: 3 in x 19 in; x 7.62 cm x 48.26 cm