The History Of Sock Hops

Every Halloween, fifties girl or guy always seems to be a popular costume choice

. Dressed in poodle skirts and leather jackets, on October 31st many people look like they have flashed back to 1950's, heading to a sock hop. We all know what the attire for these dances was, but how many of us know the history behind them?

The first thing one should know about sock hops is the origin of the name. When these dances were first popular in the 1950's, most school dances were held in school gyms. The gym floors were varnished wood which was easily scuffed by shoes, so dancers were required to remove their shoes before dancing, leaving them in just their socks.

Shoes may not have been worn while dancing, but they were still an important part of the outfit. Saddle shoes were the shoe of choice during this time period, and went perfectly with the poodle skirts and blue jeans worn by teenagers attending these dances. Dancers also wore ankle socks to dance in.

This precaution or regulation only made teenagers enjoy these dances more. Most felt that removing their shoes was an act of rebellion. This was just one of the many changes taking place during this decade that sock hops played a major role in.

Another was the introduction of rock and roll music. In the early 1950's, the music was very conservative, stemming from the swing music of the 1940's. However, in the mid-fifties, a man named Elvis came along and changed everything.

This new style of music known as rock and roll was introduced to the shoeless rebels of the decade by a man named Elvis. Most of the older generation didn't approve of him or his music because he was always shaking his hips, which they felt was inappropriate. If Elvis weren't bad enough, his style and music inspired other artists, including Carl Parkins who introduced R&B to the 1950's.

With new kinds of music came new kinds of dances. These dances included the Cha Cha, the Twist, the Stroll, the Hand Jive, and the Bop. During this time, it was common for specific dances that were introduced to go along with a specific popular song.

As we can see, sock hops are about more than great outfits. It was through these dances that rock and roll began being popular, new dances were created, and social norms of the time broken down. We owe a great deal to all those who helped urge these changes along.

by: John Coktostin

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