![]() Both the terms “sock hop” and “teenager” were pretty new, in decades past the word “teener” was sometimes used. By 1948 the phenomenon had made the pages of LIFE Magazine as another crazy fad those “teen-agers” were into. The tradition spread and soon sock hops were a national trend. Via/ Wiki CommonsĪs time went the high schools started holding their own sock hops. But, an informal dance that was inexpensive was much more doable and required little else than a few coins and a lot of energy. The cost of a formal dress or a suit would have been astronomical for a family who was perhaps relying on the sole income of a mother working in a factory worker or a family still struggling a bit after the Great Depression. Much less formal than a cotillion, these dances were more accessible to working class teens despite having a cover charge. A small charge was handed over in exchange for a night of good old-fashioned dancing, sans socks since these events were held in school gymnasiums. The first dances like these were held as early as 1944 in aid of the Junior Red Cross and war relief efforts. ![]() It seems that an inordinate amount of time in every school was spent protecting those gym floors! Shimer College sock hop, 1948. The hard rubber soles on shoes could easily mark up expensive gynamsium floor. The reason these high school and college dances were called sock hops is that the kids were required to take their shoes off to avoid scuffing the gym floor. 1960s sock hop at Miami-Dade Junior College. But, if the history seems a bit mysterious then read on to find out the history of how sock hops got started. Instead they were a chance to really let your hair down and literally kick off your shoes. Sock hops weren’t like formal school dances today. If you didn’t then we’re sad to say you missed a whole lot of fun. If you attended a few sock hops then you’ll remember how fun they were.
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