Socks: a technology application that underpins sporting performance Another interdisciplinary field of competition in the world of international sport 襪子，揭開運動背後的科技應用 國際運動場上的另一項跨領域整合競賽

Most people are probably under the impression that the main purpose of socks is just to absorb moisture and wick away sweat. In fact, socks play an important role in helping the body to sustain loads and exert force during sporting activities. During the period 2006 – 2008, Dr. T.Y. Hsiang, a Professor at the Graduate Institute of Exercise and Sport Science at National Taiwan Normal University, took part in the “Road to Beijing” research project sponsored by a leading international sporting goods brand. While his team was working to develop functional sports footwear for each of the events included in the Beijing Olympics, they discovered that socks actually played a key role in sporting performance. In 2006, Professor Hsiang began to collect functional socks from all over the world, eventually collecting around 300 pairs. His analysis of the socks showed that manufacturers in many countries were in fact putting a great deal of thought and effort into the design of socks, which are worn so close to parts of the body which are subjected to very heavy pressure. Some manufacturers put particular effort into designing socks that breathe well; others focus on designing fabric that helps athletes to exert more effort and achieve greater flexibility.
多數人認為襪子最大的功能不過就是吸濕、排汗，殊不知襪子是最貼近人體運動承重、施力的物質。台灣師範大學運動科學所教授相子元2006到2008年期間加入了國際運動品牌主持的Road to Beijing研究計畫，他的研究團隊在參與北京奧運各項運動功能鞋開發的同時，發現「襪子的功能」才是應該被提升的重要關鍵。於是乎2006年起，相教授便開始蒐集全球具機能性的襪子約兩三百雙，研究發現，各國竟超乎想像地花功夫製作這最接近人體壓力點的襪子，有的精心設計透氣材質，有的在布料的織法上加入獨樹一格的施力、彈性設計。

While most researchers have been concentrating on footwear functionality, Dr. Hsiang has been using the principles of sports biomechanics to develop “smart” socks that can serve as the link between shoe and foot. His goal is for a sock to be more than just a sock; it can be a functional piece of sports equipment carefully designed to meet the special needs of a particular sport. Dr. Hsiang believes that functional socks offer Taiwan’s textile industry a path for transforming itself. Currently, Taiwan is stuck at the stage of being able to make “good socks”; the challenge is to make “good functional socks.” The specialist knowledge of experts from many different fields will be needed to help Taiwan upgrade the capabilities of its sock manufacturers.
當多數人注重鞋子的功能時，相子元利用運動生物力學的原理研發出腳與鞋之間的聰明襪子，讓這接觸人體的一層的襪子不只是襪子，而是根據運動屬性與需求所設計具有機能性、功能性的運動調節器。相子元認為，機能襪是台灣紡織業絕佳的產業轉型點，目前台灣只停留在如何做出「好的襪子」的階段，但怎麼做出「好的機能襪」則面臨了專業的局限，因此需要導入更多的跨領域專家的知識讓產業升級。