What Are Programming Socks? The Meme Explained

Have you ever stumbled across a meme about someone putting on a pair of thigh-high socks as they get ready to start a hack-a-thon? Or perhaps you've seen a pair of pink-striped long socks listed as programming socks on Amazon. Here's all you need to know about what trans rights and your local computer programmer have in common.

How Did 'Programming Socks' Become A Meme?

Sometime after the year 2016, a series of screenshots from Amazon began to circulate on 4chan's [s4s] board. The images showed an Amazon product page featuring a pair of long, striped, pink-and-white socks, with the product description calling the item "Pink striped programming socks."

The image was innocuous on its own until people realized that it referenced the actual real-world phenomenon of programmers wearing knee-high socks, many of whom happened to be trans or non-binary.

The matter wasn't helped by Amazon search results eventually delivering thigh-high striped socks as the result for the query "programming socks." The meme became a self-fulfilling prophecy.

How Are 'Programming Socks' Used In Memes?

Pastel-colored striped socks, being non-binary or trans, and being a computer programmer are themes that often converge in programming sock memes. Popular early variants of the meme also used edited manga panels to comment on how many trans and non-binary people are programmers and hackers.

For the full history of programming socks, be sure to check out our entry on the meme here for even more information.