November 11, 2025
Sock market goes wild
iPod Socks
Apple’s tiny iPod sweaters spark shock, jokes, and a rush to eBay
TLDR: Apple’s 2004 iPod Socks—$29 for six knit sleeves, later resold for up to $90—are back in the spotlight as a quirky collectible. Commenters swing between wide‑eyed nostalgia, fashion jokes, and price‑tag cynicism, turning a forgotten accessory into today’s funniest clash of cozy vibes vs. cash value.
Apple once sold tiny sweaters for your music players, and the internet can’t stop laughing. The iPod Socks—six bright cotton sleeves launched in 2004 and cheekily pitched by Steve Jobs as “revolutionary”—cost $29 for the pack, disappeared by 2012, and later flipped for as much as $90. Cue a nostalgia-fueled comment storm.
Discovery drama hit first: “Holy shite. I never knew,” gasped one collector, sprinting to eBay. The fashion police showed up, too. “Who knew Apple had a long history of knitwear releases?” joked another, while a third deadpanned that after iPhone’s “pocket,” Apple should drop laptop T‑shirts next. Then came the money talk: a cynical chorus crowed that the price jump is “the only reason anyone on HN will ever give a damn.” Meanwhile, meta‑commenters reveled in the thread pileup, savoring the sheer absurdity.
For context, early reviewers gave the socks a lukewarm B−—they fit almost any iPod and looked loud, but blocked screens and controls. Years later, The Verge called them a “bizarre” relic, a cousin to Apple’s viral Polishing Cloth. If you need the lore, the Apple Wiki has receipts (iPod Socks). But the crowd verdict today? Cozy, cringey—and collectible.
Key Points
- •Apple introduced iPod Socks in November 2004 as multi-colored cotton knit protective cases for iPods.
- •Steve Jobs unveiled the product at an October 26, 2004 music event, jokingly calling it “revolutionary.”
- •They were sold as a six-pack in various colors for US$29 and discontinued around September 2012.
- •After discontinuation, sets became collectors’ items, with prices up to US$90 by 2014.
- •Reviews noted universal fit and design appeal but criticized hindered device access and high price.