Why are five-finger socks not popular now?

When buying socks, do you choose flat socks or five-finger socks?
Although five-finger socks have been hotly debated in China and are more beneficial to foot health, few people actually buy and try them on.
So why are five-finger socks not popular?
Five-finger socks are similar to gloves in design and can cover all five toes. At the beginning of their popularity, they started with health care functions. In the 1970s, five-finger socks became popular in the United States, and in the 1990s they were sought after and spread as "trendy". Moreover, five-finger socks are also very popular in Japan because they are in line with the Japanese people's habit of wearing clogs, allowing the toes to better clamp the clogs, making walking more convenient and comfortable.
In 2011, five-finger socks became well-known, and American female astronaut Sandra Magnus contributed greatly. When performing a mission on the International Space Station that year, in order to add a touch of comfort to the boring space work, Sandra wore a pair of pink and blue striped five-finger socks. This is particularly eye-catching and cute in the dim space station, and it also makes five-finger socks fly across space and become famous all over the world.

Reduce friction
Five-finger socks can separate the toes, so that each toe has its own "little house", which can reduce friction between the toes and help prevent skin damage and the formation of blisters.
Reduce extrusion
When wearing ordinary socks, the toes are easy to squeeze together, and the partition of five-finger socks allows each toe to have its own all-round protection, thereby reducing extrusion, maintaining the natural state of the feet, and promoting blood circulation in the feet.
Reduce infection
Some foot diseases are caused by bacterial/fungal infections between the toes, such as the "Hong Kong foot" that everyone often hears, which is tinea pedis. It refers to a common skin disease caused by fungal infection of the skin of the feet, and the hot and humid environment is conducive to the growth of fungi. After wearing five-finger socks, you can separate the toes and avoid toe contact, which reduces the chance of cross-infection. At the same time, five-finger socks can help the toes absorb sweat and breathe, keep the toes dry, inhibit the growth of fungi, and thus prevent athlete's foot.
The reasons why five-finger socks are not popular include insufficient comfort, not in line with the aesthetics of mass consumption, inconvenient to wear, inconvenient to wash, relatively expensive, need to distinguish between left and right feet, and time-consuming.
Not comfortable
The friction between fabrics is relatively large. Some people have sensitive toes and simply hate friction psychologically.
Pay attention to hygiene
Socks were invented to treat athlete's foot. Now that people's living standards have improved, they also pay attention to hygiene, and the chance of infection is reduced.
Trouble wearing
All five toes need to be put on, which is time-consuming and requires patience. The toes are not equal in length, and some toes in front of the socks will have a large empty space. Relatively speaking, ordinary socks are more adaptable.
Expensive
Because their materials and production processes are relatively complicated. The materials of five-finger socks are generally cotton, wool, spandex, etc. These materials are relatively expensive, and the production process of five-finger socks is also relatively complicated, requiring fine sewing technology, which also increases their cost.