iPod Socks
Steve promised us a "revolutionary new product for your iPod." He gave us socks. Classic under promise, over deliver!
Apple introduced the iPod Socks during a 50-minute iTunes Music Event in October 2004. At the event Apple introduced the iPod Photo, and it was also where Steve Jobs gave a repudiation of watching videos on the iPod only months before releasing the iPod with Video in 2005. Apple also released the U2 iPod, which included a discount code for U2s entire discography through the iTunes Music Store. But the highlight of the event was undoubtedly the 67-seconds when Steve Jobs unveiled Apple's "revolutionary new product for your iPod: Socks."
Laughter bursts across the audience. Was Steve joking? He was joking right? Was some sort of grand switcheroo about to happen and the socks were just a rouse before Jobs unveiled the truly revolutionary new product from Apple? Nope.
Announced in 2004, iPod Socks came as a $29 bundle of six colours (Blue, Green, Grey, Yellow, Pink, & Purple) that fit all models of the iPod & iPod mini (except the shuffle -the shuffle slid into it, but it didn’t fit, if you know what I mean), and advertised as a "stylish, fun, and practical way to protect your iPod." The socks remained in Apple's online store until September 2012, when they were quietly discontinued.
Apple’s iPod Sock packaging & all six colours included in each package.
Here’s the description of the iPod Socks from Apple’s website:
"Dress your iPod up in any one of six vibrant color socks (green, purple, grey, blue, orange, and pink). This set of knit socks provides a stylish, fun, and practical way to protect your iPod. Fits all iPod models except iPod shuffle. So add a dash of color to your iPod with iPod Socks, the year's coziest and most vibrant iPod accessory. It doesn't matter which iPod model you have because iPod Socks fit all of them.
And it doesn't matter what your mood is because each iPod Socks package includes six bright colors so you can pick the one that feels best. Forgive us if we're stating the obvious, but here's how it works: Just slide your iPod into the sock to keep it safe and warm. Slide it out to dock or change playlists. It's as easy as... putting on a pair of socks."
Initial batches of the iPod Socks didn’t include the Apple tag you see pictured, this was added sometime between after introduction in 2004 and was featured by mid-2005.
But despite their charm and appeal, the iPod socks sadly aren’t all that useful for Apple’s current ecosystem of products. Even their smallest current iPhone, the iPhone 12 mini, is too tall to fit inside an iPod Sock (and asking whether the 12 Pro will fit is out of the question). Currently, I’ve continued to use them sparingly as little pouches for the various tchotchkes I carry around or as a sleeve for my portable Sandisk SSD.
I'd rank the iPod Sock among one of the most playful products to come out of Apple, and to their credit, Apple never took itself too seriously with this accessory. Was it the most functional? No. Was it the most protective? No. But it was a fun, playful, and unique accessory for the time. I can't recall an accessory since that's intentionally tried to be as charming in complimenting their hardware as the iPod Socks were.
