Few things in menswear are as divisive as the socks vs no socks debate, for most guys socks are not a choice, they have places to go and actually put some miles on their shoes, and the right socks make a big difference. But if you follow the world of male fashion influencers or mainstream men's magazines they would have you believe that all men skip around NYC in pants two inches too short and 100% without socks. Roaming around a hot city in the summer without socks can lead to sweaty/smelly feet and even blisters.
Singer-songwriter John Legend, threw down the style gauntlet recently, stepping out in his cropped trousers and boat shoes asserting his bare ankles. "It depends on the cut and fit of your pants, and how cool you are," he said, implying his innate coolness is what allowed him to pull off the no sock look.
On the pro-sock side, retailer J. Crew recently showed classic boat shoes paired with their playfully patterned socks, speaking outrage from the David Coggins who declared "We can't have our feet shackled with grotesque tube socks, corseted and constrained. Go forth with a liberated ankle!"
Brian Davis, owner of Wooden Sleepers, a vintage American menswear brand based in New York says that you can wear socks with a classic boating shoe, but J. Crew's sin was the novelty socks. "First things first - no 'fun socks.' This is not a time for stripes, argyles, or novelties. Grab a crisp pair of white cotton socks and wear with your favorite chino shorts and pair with a worn-in polo, rumpled oxford cloth shirt, or breezy patch madras. For a cooler day, substitute the shorts with a pair of chinos (not too slim, not too baggy) or a lighter wash denim like a broken-in 501, and a vintage military shirt, cotton sweater, or chore coat," he said.
Menswear editor and owner of the sock brand Bombas, Randy Goldberg, weighed in with the virtue of no-show socks. "Once the no-show sock is inside your Sperrys, it will disappear completely, giving you the advantage of stealth comfort. Sockless looks, sock feels. Best of both worlds."
Sperry, the maker of the original non-slip boat shoe, jumped into the debate asking their followers on Twitter to vote on the great sock vs no sock debate. Despite what NYC fashion editors and European Instagram celebrities want you to believe, socks eked out a win over no sock, and when you add in the 28% for no-show socks, socks win in a landslide. But in the end, it is really about what makes you comfortable, so rock some socks or go sockless, but around the office here, no-show socks are a must for our European driving shoes.
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