Learn About Patik - Moonchild

What is Patik?

Patiks are traditional handmade socks made by the women of Anatolia since the 7th century B.C. Long valued as essential and practical home apparel for all seasons, these are also a mark of Turkish hospitality. Not only is wearing exterior footwear indoors traditionally frowned upon but hosts pride themselves on keeping their guests comfortable and warm. Patiks are even offered as a gift to newlyweds by family, relatives and neighbors.

Patiks are worn year round, helping regulate body temperature in all seasons. In the winter, mid-rise and knee-high patiks are often worn to keep the feet warm. In the summer, the lightweight ankle patik keeps your feet comfy on cool floors even when it is hot outside.

Patiks are not just a home essential, they also have much broader use. They have become the traveler’s essential companion. They can keep you warm and comfortable at an outdoor concert, camping trip or a long plane ride. You can take patik with you anywhere because patik makes any journey better.

Today, even though Anatolian Patiks are still crafted by hand in some places where necessary, the regions most well known for this handicraft have partially integrated the use of machinery to ensure the sustainability of this traditional practice in the modern marketplace. Local women can now design and produce their own signature Patik footwear with greater facility than ever before.

To the Anatolian, losing a tradition of handicraft means losing a shared language and key part of their culture. At Moonchild, we are committed to assisting the women engaged in this craft, and to helping it to endure–to thrive–in the modern age.

Thank you for lending a hand in preserving this cultural heritage.

History of Patik

A synthesis of the deep, rich cultural interaction between peoples from Central Asia to the Balkans over centuries, this mode of Turkish handicraft has been passed down over generations. It’s uniqueness and depth have earned it a reputation as the most well-renowned handicraft of the women of Anatolia.

There is evidence that the first definitively Turkic Patiks were found in the Turkish Altay Pazirik Region around 5 BCE. Prior to that, the record suggests that Egyptian handmade precursors to the Turkish variant were in use in Mesopotamia as far back as the 2nd millennium B.C.E.’

These artifacts and their like can be surveyed in London’s Victoria and Albert museum, as well as at the Yale University archive in New Haven, Connecticut. Such a connection to antiquity would make this particular craftwork one of recorded history’s most long-lived.

Motifs and Language of Patik

Apart from their cultural and historical significance, the elaborate motifs woven into their fabric are a language of their own; reflecting the stories–and secrets–of the women who knit them. More than just socks, each pair is marked by the unique story of an individual craftswoman from a corner of the Turkish heartland. There is far more to their story than first meets the eye.

Within Turkey, each region has its own style, indicative of local beliefs and geography. Individuals, families and communities weave their own distinctive symbology into the fabric. That said, Patik motifs represent–in particular–the Anatolian women’s aesthetic, emotional sensibilities, wisdom and environment.

The eye, meant to ward off evil intentions, is the most popular motif in the world of Patik. A ram’s horns symbolize power, the Life Tree motif embodies the living universe, while hands on the belly symbolize motherhood and femininity, and so on.