在世界杯等国际大赛中，许多职业足球员会在比赛期间剪破袜子小腿部位的布料。职业足球袜设计上非常贴身，除了固定护胫之外，还能支撑脚踝、足弓和小腿，并减少脚在球鞋内的滑动以提升稳定性。然而不少球员抱怨袜子过紧，导致小腿出现刺痛和麻木感，因此在比赛中途剪开数个洞来「释放压力」。

从生物力学角度来看，冲刺或变向时小腿最大的肌肉会收缩并增厚以产生推进力，这种形态变化在一场比赛中会发生数千次，当袜子持续施加压迫时，部分球员会感受到明显的压力感。然而运动医学专家指出，目前没有任何研究证实剪破袜子能带来实质的生理益处；相反地，许多关于压缩服饰的研究显示，设计合适的压缩装备反而有助于减轻剧烈运动后的肌肉炎症。

尽管缺乏科学证据，这一做法仍在职业球员间持续蔓延，目前被视为一种基于个人体验的轶事现象。专家认为其效果主要是心理层面的：在高强度竞技中，舒适感能影响运动员的信心，消除对束缚的感知可以让球员觉得跑动更自如，即使客观表现并未改变。比赛规则也不禁止修改袜子，只要护胫仍被妥善覆盖即可。

During major international tournaments such as the World Cup, many professional soccer players cut holes in the calf area of their socks mid-game. Professional soccer socks are designed to be form-fitting, supporting the ankle, arch, and calf while keeping shin guards in place and reducing foot movement inside the cleat. However, numerous players report that the tightness causes tingling and numbness in their calves, prompting them to cut the fabric to relieve the perceived tension.

From a biomechanical standpoint, the calf's largest muscle repeatedly contracts and thickens during sprints and directional changes, and this expansion can create a sensation of pressure under the sock's constant compression. Yet sports medicine specialists emphasize that no studies have demonstrated any physiological benefit from cutting socks. In fact, research on compression garments suggests that properly designed compression can actually help reduce muscle inflammation following intense exercise.

Despite the absence of scientific evidence, the practice continues to spread and is now regarded as an anecdotal phenomenon rooted in personal experience rather than proven benefit. Experts believe its effect is primarily psychological: in high-performance sports, the perception of comfort can influence an athlete's confidence, and removing a feeling of restriction may make a player feel freer to run and change direction, even if objective performance remains unchanged. The rules of the game permit sock modifications as long as shin guards remain properly covered.