Well, not really: socks keep feet and ankles warm, prevent shoes from chafing and they organize the toes.
But – so many people are now knitting socks from fantastic fibre (alpaca, bamboo, cashmere, dacron etc.), in exquisite patterns and incredible colours and then the socks are mostly hidden by footwear and pant legs.
That is the waste – the loss of the feeling of satisfaction that comes about with the showing and sharing of something handmade; the potential for communication because handmade items are people magnets; the beauty of expression for beauty alone.
Some suggestions: wear sandals when at all possible; roll up your pant legs; and/or……
Socks can be filled with bags of rice or sand and used as door stops.
Hang them in a window or a doorway.
Join them together toe to cuff and wear them as a scarf or cowl.
Turn a pair into a hat.
What have other people done to show their socks, I wonder?