Leg warmer

Leg warmers worn as fashion pieces.

Leg warmers are coverings for the lower legs, similar to socks but thicker and generally footless. They were originally used as dancewear by ballet and other classic dancers in order to keep the leg muscles warm and to prevent cramping or other muscle injuries.

Traditionally knitted from pure wool, modern variants are more typically made of cotton, synthetic fibers, or both. Some are made of other materials, such as chenille. Other types are made of wool, camel hair and Old English Sheep Dog hair.

Leg warmers can vary in length, though not in width, due to the material's stretchiness. They are commonly worn to just below the knee, though many dancers prefer it to extend to cover the lower parts of the thigh. Some cover the entire foot; these warmers usually have a pad that grips the floor so the dancer does not slip - however this has been known to cause career-ending injury . Some leg warmers are particularly short and made of thinner material; these are also known as 'ankle warmers'.

Originally worn by dancers to keep their muscles from cramping after stretching, in the early 1980s leg warmers became a fad and wearing them was fashionable among teenage girls. Their popularity was partly due to the influence of the films Fame and Flashdance and the concurrent aerobics craze. They were worn with leggings, jeans, and tights or as part of aerobic wear.