How to Keep Hockey Socks Up

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: January 26, 2023 References

Hockey socks are an essential piece of gear that you need to play hockey because they help hold your shin pads in place. They also form a distinguishing part of a hockey team’s uniform. Since hockey socks are baggy enough to fit over your shin pads and thighs, they can easily fall down and bunch up around your shins and ankles, which can interfere with your skating. Securing them in place with hockey sock tape is the most common way to keep your hockey socks up, but you can also wear specially designed gear to hold them up.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Taping Your Hockey Socks

1
Pull your socks up over your shin pads to the middle of your thighs. Put your shin pads on first, then pull your hockey socks up over them. Stretch each sock up all the way to your mid-thigh, so they are tight and not bunched up around your shins.^{[1]
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- You can use this method on its own or in addition to others to keep your hockey socks up securely during practice or a game. If you use this method with others, put the tape on last, after putting on a garter belt or jock shorts with Velcro tabs.
2
Stick hockey sock tape to your socks just below the kneecaps of your pads. Peel up about 3–4 in (7.6–10.2 cm) from the end of a roll of hockey sock tape. Press it firmly onto your hockey sock, horizontally, right under where the kneecap starts on your shin pad underneath the sock.^{[2]
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- Hockey sock tape is highly adhesive, usually clear, tape used for keeping hockey socks and shin pads from moving around during play. You can purchase it online or from a sporting goods store.
- Don't tear the tape yet. Wait until you are finished wrapping it.
Tip: You can find different colors of hockey sock tape to match your socks if you want to use colored tape instead of clear tape.

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3
Wrap the tape tightly around your shins below your kneecaps 2 times. Pull the tape taut and wrap it 2 full times around your socks and shin pads to secure everything tightly in place. Don’t tear the tape yet.^{[3]
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- Make sure the tape is wrapped as tightly as you can get it; otherwise, it won’t hold your socks and pads in place.
4
Pull the tape diagonally down and wrap it 2 more times around your shins. Pull the tape down and across to your lower shins, a little above your ankles, pulling it taut and sticking it to your socks as you unravel it. Wrap it 2 full times around your socks and shin pads, then tear the tape and stick the end down.^{[4]
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- To make it easier to remove the tape when you’re getting undressed, you can fold about ¹⁄₄ in (0.64 cm) of the end of the tape back under itself to create a little tab, so you can peel the tape up quickly when you’re done playing.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Wearing a Hockey Garter Belt

1
Fasten a hockey garter belt around your waist. Wrap the belt tightly around your waist, just above the waistband of your jock shorts. Fasten the strap to secure the belt in place.^{[5]
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- A hockey garter belt is a belt made specifically for holding up hockey socks. You can buy one online or at a sporting goods store.
2
Pull your hockey socks up over your shin pads to your mid-thigh. Put a shin pad on each of your legs. Pull a hockey sock up over the shin pad on each leg to the middle of your thigh.^{[6]
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- It’s a good idea to wrap hockey sock tape around your shins in addition to using a hockey garter belt. Otherwise, your shin pads can still slide around inside your socks, since you’re only securing the tops of the socks with the garter belt. Put the tape on after you put on your garter belt.
3
Clip the 2 front clips from the garter belt to your hockey socks on your thighs. Squeeze the open end of a clip between your fingers to open the closed end. Slide it over the middle of the top edge of your hockey sock on the corresponding side and release it to clip it in place. Repeat this for the other side.^{[7]
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- Hockey garter belts have 2 clips on the front to keep your hockey socks up on your thighs and 2 clips on the back to keep your hockey socks up on your hamstrings. Each sock will be clipped once in the front and once in the back.
4
Secure the 2 back clips from your garter belt to the backs of your socks. Open up 1 of the back clips and slide it over the middle of the back top edge of your hockey sock on that side. Repeat this for the clip and hockey sock on the other side.^{[8]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Using Jock Shorts with Velcro Tabs

1
Put on jock shorts that have Velcro tabs for hockey socks on the thighs. These shorts are tight-fitting underwear or spandex that have a protective cup sewn in place. Put your feet in the shorts and pull them on just like a normal pair of jock shorts, before you put on your shin pads and socks.^{[9]
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- You can get jock shorts with Velcro tabs online or at a sporting goods store.
2
Put on shin pads and hockey socks and pull the socks up to your shorts. Put shin pads on both of your legs. Put on your hockey socks and pull them up over your shin pads to your mid-thigh, where the Velcro tabs on your jock shorts are.^{[10]
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- You might still have to wrap hockey sock tape around the socks where they rest on your shin pads to keep your shin pads from sliding around underneath the socks. Do this after you secure the socks in the Velcro tabs on your jock shorts.
3
Stick your socks under the shorts' Velcro tabs and press the tabs down. Open up the 2 front tabs and slide the top edges of your hockey socks underneath them, then press the tabs back down firmly into place. Repeat this for the 2 flaps on the backside of your shorts.^{[11]
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- Each sock will be secured with 1 Velcro tab in the front and 1 in the back.
- Wash your jock shorts with the Velcro tabs closed and separately from other items to keep the Velcro clean and sticky.

Warnings

Avoid washing jock shorts with Velcro tabs with other items and always keep the tabs closed when you wash them, so the Velcro doesn’t accumulate lint and debris that will make it less sticky.

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