The Guys' Guide to Wearing the Right Socks
The right combos for your feet
By Gabi Meyers | Mar 13 2018
This may seem nit-picky, but wearing the right socks is like, totally important. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been horrifically turned off by a guy JUST BECAUSE OF HIS SOCKS.
The first instance that I can remember happened in 3rd grade. To get to know our classmates, we all took off one shoe and put it in a pile in the middle of the room. We then had to take a shoe, find the owner, talk to them, learn about them, and then present our findings to the class.
We gathered back together in a circle, sitting pretzel-style, since that’s how you do things when you haven’t yet reached double digits. I remember looking around and one boy was wearing white tube socks, and they just didn’t fit right. There was probably an inch of extra sock hanging past where I could see his toes were, and it was just SO BEYOND IRKSOME that I literally thought about it every single time I talked to him, which probably made him think that that surprised/crinkled-nose face I made was my natural facial expression.
And that was in third grade.
SO, to keep you guys (and maybe your friends who aren’t as style savvy) steered clear from the fate of my poor classmate above, I’ve put together a few basic sock and shoe combos below. Never again can you say you didn’t know you shouldn’t wear white tube socks with boat shoes, again. Ever.
Below, 4 pairings for wearing the right socks with the right shoes:
WHITE TUBE SOCKS + SKATE SHOES
Socks: Bombas, $46 for 4 pairs Shoes: Vans, $60
SG Says: This look is like, totally Cali-cool. Let the look stay true to its roots, and keep the rest of your look SoCal-skater-inspired for consistency. Because I’ve seen this shoe-sock combo with mint chino short-shorts and a v-neck sweater tied around the shoulders, and I’m telling you…I could feel the wearer’s internal disconnect.
Pull the socks ALL THE WAY UP and remind me why I had a crush on that quiet, new student from the West Coast who leaned against his locker and was always late to class. Middle school crushes *sigh*
FUN DRESS SOCKS + LACE UPS
Socks: The Tie Bar, $8 (similar) Shoes: Johnston&Murphy, $159
SG Says: Sure, you can wear plain black or brown dress socks with your dress shoes, but why would you?! Especially when you could just as easily add just a hint of visual interest with some fun patterned socks.
The argyle in this pair is a classic pattern that works for the office, but the punchy coral and mint tones will definitely catch my eye when you walk by me, or loiter conspicuously at the water cooler.
UNDER-THE-ANKLE SOCKS + LOW RISE CASUAL SNEAKERS
Socks: Mack Weldon, $28 for 2 pairs Shoes: Tretorn, $70
SG Says: Guys, don’t do the visible ankle sock. Just…don’t. Find one that sits below the line of the of the sneaker, so it gives the illusion that you aren’t wearing any socks at all.
Ankles are cool, show them off! The ankle bone is really cool (it rotates!), so why not let it bask in the light of day? If you’re wearing long pants, feel free to wear fun high socks like these.
NO SHOW SOCKS + BOAT SHOES
Socks: Famous Footwear, $10 for 6 pairs Shoes: Sperry, $79
SG Says: In an ideal world, you wouldn’t wear any socks with a boat shoe. I understand that sweaty-feet-stank is totally preventable with socks, but these shoes show a lot of foot and just don’t really look good with socks. Thankfully someone invented no-show socks, so now you can keep your feet cool and look the same.
Tell me:
What is the worst footwear faux pas you have seen? Ever guilty of your own? Be honest…
Socks with sandals! Also a coworker recently wore a brown and black shoe to work…
wait, the shoes were brown AND black? I…don’t understand.
No, apparently he had two pairs of the same shoe…a brown pair and a black pair, left shoe was one color, right was the other color. He says he got dressed in the dark and didn’t notice.
You gotta love those explanations that raise more questions than they answer…
Haha, well those of us with sleeping spouses often gather clothes or dress in the dark.. I try to pick stuff out the night before but a change in weather after seeing the morning forecast can cause a change of plans.. When I find a pair of shoes that works I often go for multiple colors, because finding out their discontinued when you try to get more later on has driven me crazy in the past..That said, I’ve never mixed up the colors, except when we did it on purpose with Chucks in like 2nd grade.
Haha, well those of us with sleeping spouses often gather clothes or dress in the dark.. I try to pick stuff out the night before but a change in weather after seeing the morning forecast can cause a change of plans.. When I find a pair of shoes that works I often go for multiple colors, because finding out their discontinued when you try to get more later on has driven me crazy in the past..That said, I’ve never mixed up the colors, except when we did it on purpose with Chucks in like 2nd grade.
You gotta love those explanations that raise more questions than they answer…
You know, every pair of “no-show” socks I have ever bought, a slight amount of the sock still peeks out of the top of the shoe…. and my feet are pretty big. The last time I bought socks, I even bought the smallest women’s socks I could find and they still peek slightly. I don’t feel like this looks too bad, though.
Maybe I’ll try these from UO, but it is kind of an expensive habit buying socks all the time, only for them to not work. Has anyone had any success with “altering” their socks ? I have thought about it, but I think they probably wouldn’t last long.
What style of shoe are you wearing no shows with?
I understand that something low-cut is going to be hard to not show any sock, but even the running shoes I wear to the gym have a slight amount poking out… but it happens with Adidas sambas, low-top chuck taylors, etc.
I’ve had good luck with the Polo socks staying below the shoe line with tennis and boat shoes: http://www.ralphlauren.com/product/index.jsp?productId=16399366&fbn=Division%7CMen&fbc=1&f=PAD%2FDivision%2FMen&f=Taxonomy%2FPOLO%2F1760781&kw=socks&parentPage=search
Puma has some pretty good ones for women, that I am not ashamed to admit I bought after seeing them in store.
NDC boat shoes… ALL DAY
White socks with dress shoes. I think the worst of this goes all the way back to prom days (surprise, surprise, bad fashion at prom???) when I saw a few guys wearing white tube socks with their tuxes. Like you brought up, there has to be consistency. If you are wearing formal clothes, wear them top to bottom, and all the layers in between! I think a lot of people forget that your socks don’t stay hidden the same way your underwear does, especially with the modern ‘no-break’ pants that most stylish fellas are wearing these days.
As far as no-show socks go, Effortless Gent posted (http://effortlessgent.com/no-show-socks/ ) about these which I’m planning to pick up a few packs of for summer:
http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/pact-seed-no-show-socks-3-pack/3399228
Thicker cotton, Barron says there are grips on the heel so that they don’t slide up, and if they do slide up they’re colorful. $12 for three pairs is cheaper per pair than the UO ones too!
I like those, but it still feels wrong wearing socks with boat shoes/sperry’s.
I agree. I live in ATL and I see teenagers wearing tube socks with sperrys and it makes me want to punch someone…
There are some people around the office that think black Crocs can pass as dress shoes when worn with dress pants….
I….I have no words…
**shudders**
I don’t want to live in a world where this is true.
Every time I see a guy wearing white tube socks with and dress shoes, I feel like organizing an intervention. My older brother STILL does it.
I think I own one pair of white tube socks, and they never get worn outside the house. I have ankle socks, but they’re for the gym because they show too much. If I feel like going sock-less, I generally just go sock-less.
Nice to know I’ve been doing something right. I’ve been doing the skate shoes + tube socks for 15 years now (since I was a skate kid growing up in Cali coincidentally) and it didn’t seem well received when I moved to Texas. And I think all my work socks qualify as “fun” since I have around 20+ pairs of argyle, striped, polka dot, and even fair isle in my rotation.
I had SUCH a crush on a guy in college who wore thick tube socks pulled up all the way with skate shoes. He was a total Cali kid…who just happened to be from the middle of Pennsylvania. Funny how that works out 🙂
My college years could’ve used more Megans and Gabis to appreciate my sock + shoe game.
we’re out there!
I had SUCH a crush on a guy in college who wore thick tube socks pulled up all the way with skate shoes. He was a total Cali kid…who just happened to be from the middle of Pennsylvania. Funny how that works out 🙂
Nice to know I’ve been doing something right. I’ve been doing the skate shoes + tube socks for 15 years now (since I was a skate kid growing up in Cali coincidentally) and it didn’t seem well received when I moved to Texas. And I think all my work socks qualify as “fun” since I have around 20+ pairs of argyle, striped, polka dot, and even fair isle in my rotation.
I’ve probably invested way too much money in:
1) Original Penguin socks… no matter how colorful they are.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009E3WNL8/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
or 2) these super comfortable thicker socks for my desert boots.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008R87T7O/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I’ve probably invested way too much money in:
1) Original Penguin socks… no matter how colorful they are.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009E3WNL8/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
or 2) these super comfortable thicker socks for my desert boots.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008R87T7O/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
i love, love, LOVE those original penguin socks! Hope to see them in some #SUYS pics 😉
One question: If wearing low-cut (they sit just below my ankle) socks with standard casual shoes and shorts, what colour should the socks be?
I have a lot of plain black low-cut socks, and a lingering few pairs of white low-cut ones that (infuriatingly) have a black logo on the cuff. I dislike wearing the white ones to do anything but work out, because the black logo breaks the generally ignore-able sock.
But wearing the black socks looks kinda funny unless the shoe itself is black, so the sock sort of blends into the shoe.
What should I do? My warm-weather shoe options are currently sitting at one pair of burgundy lightweight sneakers (the H&M version of better-looking Keds) and a black suede pair of Vans OTW Ludlos.
I usually wear “real” mid-calf socks with fun designs under my chinos, but it’s gonna get too hot for long pants, and I dislike wearing long sock when it gets hot.
I’d say you could go with the plain black ones with the burgundy sneaks and the black vans. Have you tried turning the white socks inside out? If you can still see the logo, I’d say buy a couple cheap packs of plain white socks like these ones from target: http://www.target.com/p/hanes-premium-men-s-6pk-liner-socks-white/-/A-14073569#?lnk=sc_qi_detailbutton
Thanks!
If I did get logo-less white socks, would it be better to wear them with the burgundy and then wear black ones with the Vans?
I think yes!
From your other post how bout a navy tee over a black one.
As for this post, I wear a lot of gray patterned socks. They’re on the lighter side with splash of color.
I try my best to wear no show socks with my vans authentic or anything else that is very low.
I try my best to wear no show socks with my vans authentic or anything else that is very low.
Rightly said. I am a fan of nice socks.
To be perfectly frank, I have a socks fetish. I just love good socks. WHich means the latter never get thrown out. (currently thinking of that ‘clean your closet’ post on Style Girlfriend)
My latest craziness has been getting a collection of Hugo Boss socks. They felt so nice that I kept buying them until good sense was poured back into my head.
Black wingtips, no socks. OBViously.
I shouldn’t admit this, but…
I go to the gym straight after work. One day last summer as I sat in the locker room, I realized I forgot my socks and tennis shoes. After a few swear words and quickly debating either going home in rush hr traffic and coming back, or just working with what I had, I chose the latter. So, sleeveless-t (ohhhhhyeaaah), b-ball shorts, black dress socks, and…my black dress shoes was the combo. Remember the old Rockport commercial where that guy ran a marathon in his dress shoes? That’s what I was thinking.
Most of the women at my gym are married anyway. But at one point, there was a group of about 3 women working out right next to me. I had no idea what they were talking about, but there was an awful lot of giggling going on. And, admittedly, I didn’t feel too cool running on the treadmill either.
hahahah, can totally picture this. I’ve worked out a few times in a regular bra when I’ve forgotten a sports bra, which was annoying, but at least no one could see it. I feel for you, but am duly impressed by your commitment to fitness!
For a casual or business setting I either wear argyle/striped/polka dotted fun socks or no socks at all. If I’m wearing shorts, I don’t wear socks. I’ve tried the no-show deal, but I can’t stand the way they feel… If it’s above 70 degrees, no socks for me!
Me, I think Gold bond powder is the solution. Apply to foot, shake off excess, rub in with hand. If the shoes are nice, just be careful not to get any on the exterior (especially suede).
I mostly use GB with tight-fitting climbing shoes; even though I sweat a ton in the gym, my feet remain cool and dry. No socks required.
Oh, that’s so interesting! Are climbing shoes meant to be worn without socks?
Short answer: yes.
Long answer: Usually. To get extra purchase on the rock (or if indoors, plastic), most climbers size down severely: e.g. I wear a size 13 dress shoe, and my climbing shoes are size 11. The idea is to have a single powerful point of contact. Any extra fabric prevents you from getting a tighter fit. Of course if you are renting, borrowing, demo-ing, etc., socks are a must.
Of course, Gold Bond also works with your feet in loafers. I’d recommend everyone who loves the sock-less look to give it a try.
I read in GQ a while back that if its too hot to wear pants, its too hot to wear socks. I agree with that, if you are going to wear shorts (with the exception of the gym) do not wear socks. I wear boat shoes and loafers without socks all the time. At first you will have sweaty feet, but your feet adjust and begin to sweat far less after some time. If the sweat gets to you there are a lot of options as far as sprays and powders to prevent sweat and smell. I am also against white socks for anything including the gym. For some reason white socks just look like little kid socks. I always go for black gym socks.
so what about mid top shoes like trail runners or merrills? Also, are visible socks ever acceptable with mid top sneakers? What about black vs. white vs grey socks?
What to wear with knee high socks?