The Iowa Search: I've Basically Given Up

Well, I can deny it no longer.
I guess, after all the time and money I spent, it was kind of a fruitless search.
For countless years, combing over countless pictures, I have been nitpicking, scouring, and simply trying to determine only one thing when it comes to the mascot of the University of Iowa.
Now, don't get me wrong - Herky the Hawk is a sweet mascot in the Big Ten (compared to some of the others *COUGH NORTHWESTERN COUGH*), and I love the fact that he has two different forms for football and basketball (hooray for non-consistency!), but when it came to the football version, I was intrigued by only ONE THING that made him stand out from the other bird mascots out there.
The white socks.
Now, before I go any further (I know, I tend to digress a lot when it comes to any subject), I must say that I have respect for socks when it comes to team uniforms. You could say I'm a bit of a collector. I have plenty of hockey ones to match team jerseys, football, baseball, etc. to go with my favorite teams.
But the Iowa search...it always seemed to elude me.
I couldn't pinpoint EXACTLY what they were. What brand? How high do they go?
This search probably started around 4 years ago, when Herky brought his Hawkeyes to Ross-Ade for the first time. From the moment I saw him, I immediately was intrigued. It's also how I basically started my love/hate relationship when it comes to Iowa football.
But I immediately began scouring the Internet for answers.
All I was getting was a mix of photos, with different looking ones.
So I looked at several and bought several...and nothing seemed even close.
Yet recently (like over the past couple weeks), I finally had my epiphany.
According to recent Flickr photos, it looks to me like Herky is basically wearing the same style of sock that NFL players wear (and I know, because I have Miami Dolphins ones that are similar), but it's just the solid white without the team colors intertwined. Stretchy at the top, cotton at the bottom.
But I've scoured and searched and there's nothing Reebok has that's like that.
So I've basically concluded that Iowa special ordered a bunch of them just for them and only them.
Which universities and their athletic departments have discretion to do. I have nothing wrong with that.
But I've also discovered that not EVERY Herky over time wears the same ones. On the contrary.
Herkies have come and gone, and even though the COSTUME itself really hasn't changed, I guess the person inside (or the athletic department, who knows) has the say on the bottom half of the outlook.
OH....
That was when I realized.
ANYTHING that I get could be a Herky sock.
It doesn't have to be EXACTLY like it, because shoot, it may change every year. Like I said, I've seen so many images and there have been different styles over the years.
So...yeah.
In a way, I feel like I've wasted a lot over the years, trying to pinpoint something that is constantly changing.
But at least now I can say that I've admitted it.
I give up.
You win, Iowa. You win, Herky. Look however you want, I'm just a fan, and I'll cheer and look however I want too.
Besides...when I'm watching Iowa football, I usually rock my black-and-white football socks that match the players for luck.
But who knows? Maybe one day I'll switch it up like Herky.
We'll see.