We got an email the other day from a reader who wanted to know what kind of socks he should wear with shorts. The simple answer to this question is: no socks. Unless you’re in the British colonial military, a businessman in Bermuda, or a student at Princeton in the 60s, there’s really no excuse to wear socks with shorts. It also happens to be notably hip at the moment to wear even dress shoes sans-socks in casual summer situations.
So when you want bare ankles, what do you do to protect your shoes from your feet? Wear no-show socks, sometimes called loafer socks.
No-show socks wrap around your toes and heel, riding low enough that they’re invisible once you put on your shoes. This helps absorb the sweat from your feet and avoid uncomfortable abrasions without the heinous appearance of socks-and-shorts.
Where to get no-show socks?
Banana Republic sells them in black at $14.50 for two pair. I’ve worn loafer socks by Comfilon, whose socks are a blend of spandex and nylon – they’re thinner, like say double-thick pantyhose. You can buy the Gold Toe version 3 for $18 from Amazon. I haven’t used them, but the socks from Mocc Sock & Co. look nice (they’re pictured above), and are available at eight bucks a pair, three for twenty or five for thirty. I also like the look of the socks from SocksFox in the UK. The cheapest I’ve found is at Journeys, where they’re five for ten bucks. I’ve also heard you can buy them cheap from Payless, though I haven’t confirmed it – my guess is that they would likely be unisex, and perhaps less suitable for those of us with big feet.