from Jamie McGee of The Tennessean,

When the U.S. Olympic men’s hockey team goes to Sochi, Russia, to compete in the Winter Games next month, the players will be wearing socks from Tennessee.

And these aren’t just any socks, according to Mark Cleveland, CEO of the Brentwood-based Swiftwick athletic sock company. The knee-high compression socks are cut-resistant, made from a fiber-optic core that protects players’ feet and ankles from sharp blades, he said.

The socks, manufactured in Chattanooga, were created in 2012 and began growing in popularity in February 2013 when players reacted to Ottawa Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson’s injury, in which a hockey blade sliced his Achilles tendon. Players who were going without socks or simply used thin sanitary socks began looking for safer options.

“Overnight, every NHL player went from ‘I don’t want to be bothered’ to ‘What’s the best sock? I need one right now,’ ” Cleveland said.

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