Here’s what we know about the Colin Kaepernick sock controversy

Everyone is talking about Colin Kaepernick’s socks. Here’s what we know.

Everyone is talking about Colin Kaepernick’s socks.

The 49ers quarterback, who has already made waves during the 2016 preseason by sitting during the national anthem to protest racial inequality in America, has also been photographed during training camp wearing socks depicting police officers as pigs. 

Kaepernick wore the socks to practice on Aug. 10, but photos of them only began circulating widely on Sept. 1. (Some conservative sites also had stories about the socks earlier this week.)

Colin Kaepernick is now wearing socks depicting the police as pigs. pic.twitter.com/C1D809YSR2

— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) September 1, 2016

Are the pig socks part of Kaepernick’s protest? Are they part of a larger national trend in which people are trying way harder to wear cool socks? Here’s what we know, and here’s what Kaepernick has to say about it.

First off, Kaepernick has been wearing socks of this fashion for at least two years. Peep this story from June 2014 about Kaepernick wearing socks emblazoned with dollar bills. Kaepernick said he got a box of socks from his friend, and the story mentions the money socks come from the website 40sandshorties.com.

National anthem's history makes for an unwieldy weapon to use against Kaepernick

When the Extra Mustard I-Team tried to find Kaepernick’s pig socks today, we quickly came across 40sandshorties ourselves. 

Is Kaepernick a loyal shopper at 40sandshorties? Is it possible the pig socks arrived in the box his friend gave him in 2014?

And lest you definitely think Kaepernick only wore the pig socks as part of his protest, wearing novelty socks to practice is actually kind of his thing: 

AP Photo

AP Photo

AP Photo

So what do we know? Well, let’s go straight to the horse’s mouth:

#https://instagram.com/p/BJ0vPsQAGZQ/

It sounds like the socks predate Kaepernick’s recent protest, and it’s possible he’s worn them many times before without anyone noticing.

No matter what, the takes will be hot. 

Dan Gartland and Bill Carey contributed reporting from New York.