Traditional Armenian footwear and patterned socks

The upper photograph shows the feet of people in national costume, wearing colourful striped socks and leather shoes fastened with laces. Below is a knitted sock with multicoloured patterns.

Since ancient times footwear was an essential part of traditional Armenian dress, and men’s and women’s footwear was largely the same. Patterned knitted socks, gulpa and tat, held an important place; together with men’s leggings they are known as far back as the Urartian period. They were knitted from wool, and also from silk and cotton thread, depending on the economy of each region. They were plain or multicoloured, and every region had its favourite pattern and colour.

Socks also had a ritual meaning: they were part of a girl’s dowry and among the main gifts exchanged at weddings and christenings. They were common throughout Armenia and in many areas survived until the 1960s.