Written by: Niya Zdravkova
We first collaborated with Niya in February of 2026 for our "All About Love" project. Soon after, she submitted this article on traditional slipper socks. Niya is from Bulgaria and has a professional textile design diploma from high school. She is currently studying communication and performing arts in Italy.
It was spring 2019. My dad’s birthday was coming up, and even though I was only a middle school student, I was determined to make him a gift that would bring him joy..
As a true Balkan father, he is practical; while he would appreciate a card because I made it, he is generally not overly sentimental. He owns every tool you could imagine—screwdrivers, wrenches, pliers, knives—and he rarely mentions anything he wants. Naturally, creating a gift for this man was a difficult task. He has a reserved way of showing his happiness and contentment, so how do you even know if he likes what you got him?
My frustration grew as I realized I had nothing planned. After looking for things I could buy with my weekly savings, I concluded that I could get him a nice pair of cotton socks— plain and simple. What is more practical than socks? Still, I felt conflicted. It seemed too ordinary, too unthoughtful, too simple… Yet, no matter how I felt, I had no other options given my limited time and budget.
Black, cotton, mid-length—packed in simple beige wrapping paper. My dad is on his way to work and right before he is out the door, I hand him the gift. He stood there, a little surprised.
“Happy birthday, Dad!” I said.
As his fingers unwrapped the paper, I saw his eyes glimmering with suppressed tears, followed by a soft smile.
“Do you like them?” I asked timidly.
“I love them,” he said, hugging me. “Socks are my favorite gift—they always remind me of my grandma. She always gifted me knitted slipper socks” he confessed.
I never would have assumed they would bring him this much joy.
I was reminded of this story because I just bought new slipper socks a few days ago, which made me want to dive deeper into this tradition. As a Bulgarian studying abroad, I’ve realized it is a signature Balkan trait.
In Italy, most floors are tile. Due to the warm climate, this makes sense, for me it was a culture shock. Having cold feet is a big "no-no" in my culture. In most Balkan countries, there is a tradition of wooden flooring, and even though the floors weren't cold, you should never walk barefoot. That is a standard household rule. Historically, this was connected to superstitions about developing illnesses, but it remains embedded in our culture to this day. Making sure your feet are warm is a priority, no matter the season.
Over the course of time socks weren't only practical, back in the day they were also a crucial part of the traditional dresswear (in Bulgarian called nosiya, nošnja in Serbian or noša in Slovenian). The dress-wear in the Balkan countries was very symbolic - it showed status, which region of the country you belong to and also depended on motifs such as flowers, snowflakes, plants or traditional geometrical compositions, which all held meaning. Every colour and every part of the outfit also had its purpose.
In Bulgarian traditional wear, white symbolizes purity, innocence and divine light; red is the colour of blood and symbolizes life, energy and protection from evil, meanwhile green is eternal life, nature and connection to the Tree of Life.
The Tree of Life was a common embroidered symbol, representing the connection between the earthly (material) and heavenly (spiritual) worlds, symbolizing the continuity of the lineage.
Meanwhile in Albania, jewelry plays a vital role in traditional outfits, especially during important life events such as weddings. The Albanian eagle is a common motif in these accessories, particularly in Albanian eagle necklaces and pendants.
Every part of clothing in the Balkan traditions is meaningful, chosen carefully and purposefully, which brings us back to socks.
In Bosnian culture there is a precise, delicate crochet technique called hekljanje. It is a style of handwork that has been handed down from generation to generation since the 19th century. As with other types of crochet, heklanje is made by looping yarn or string together with the aid of small hooks. It has been used to produce lace like pieces with mainly floral motifs but also to make traditional bosnian slipper socks - pape.
Since I am Bulgarian, I have a lot of knowledge on our traditions including slipper sock Bulgarian sock culture. After a bit of research I learned that it wasn't exclusive to Bulgaria. That socks carried more or less the same purpose for the rest of the Balkans as well.
There were festive socks and everyday socks. For women, the usual everyday sock color is black, while for younger men, it is white – explains Mr. Stoyanov, a secretary of a cultural heritage center in South Bulgaria – In my village of Peshtera, for example, socks for young men were white, for adults – gray or black, while for young women they were in brighter colors, and for adults – darker.
Mr. Stoyanov assisted the National Bulgarian Radio in writing an article on socks. He made a campaign throughout the country and received photos from families that held onto their special socks from generations ago.
“From the rich collection of photos that was sent to me, it is clear that floral motifs predominate – mainly roses and geometric figures." says Stoyan Stoyanov. "The floral ones are in the socks from the Rhodope Mountains, Targovishte, Razgrad, Gotse Delchevo. The geometric ones – mainly from Pleven, Pernish, Pazardzhik. There are other samples that made an impression on me – socks with beads, with huge, intertwined motifs of geometric figures, with embroidered butterflies, animals and plants.”
Regardless of which Balkan nation you examine, you will discover a profound richness of culture and deep symbolism. Socks carry something quiet, yet important in our culture.
The reason my dad got emotional when he received his gift wasn't because of how important they were in our traditions, no. It reminded him of the care of his grandmother, one sweet gesture she used to make annually, perhaps even a habit. Simple and small, yet full of love - the act of gifting him socks meant one thing “I love you, please stay warm and don’t get sick”.
Works cited:
Deni. “HEKLANJE.” DOMA Trading, Deni https://www.domatrading.com/wp-
content/uploads/2019/08/logo-DOMA-trading-161x87.png, 4 Nov. 2021,
www.domatrading.com/crafts/heklanje/.
Albanianflag. “10 Traditional Albanian Outfit: A Rich Tapestry of Culture and History.”
Albanian Flag, 27 Sept. 2024, albanianflag.com/traditional-albanian-outfit/.
“Традиционните Български Чорапи Разкриват Своите Тайни.” Bnr.Bg, Bulgarian National Radio, old-news.bnr.bg/radiobulgaria/post/101617635/tradicionnite-balgarski-chorapi-razkrivat-svoite-taini. Accessed 8 Mar. 2022.