Last week we gave you a quick rundown of five current summer looks to keep you and your wardrobe in style and on trend. But we saved one of those trends so we could give it the attention we feel it deserves. This trend goes hand in hand with the current cropped pant look we saw on all the runways. That’s right, we’re talking shoes without socks.
Contrary to popular belief, socks aren’t “required.” Sure, in the winter, when temps drop, you probably want to keep socks in your daily rotation, but when those temps rise and summer is in full swing, we say ditch the socks. It’s easy to make the ditch the socks proclamation, but as with any trend, there are a few caveats that go along with it.
Location, Location, Location
As with any style, take note of your final destination when you go sockless. A formal affair that requires full-on formal attire such as a tux, is not going to be the most appropriate event to try out your sockless look. An outdoor wedding or a Fourth of July barbecue are definitely acceptable for the sockless look.
That being said, just because you have to wear a suit to work doesn’t mean you can’t go without the socks. Pairing shoes without socks with a fitted suit and properly cuffed pants can lighten any summer suit and adds a nice middle ground between all business and casual. It’s an especially good look for day-to-night-wear.
The Shoes Have It
Well, we certainly hope we’ve all moved past the notion that it’s okay to wear socks with sandals (it’s not. ever.). When it comes to going sockless it’s important to note that just as it’s not okay to wear socks with sandals, there are some shoes you should not try the sockless look with.
We don’t suggest shoes without socks when those shoes are tennis shoes. The key to pulling this look off is to carefully straddling the line between “casual” and “stylish.” Try the sockless look with docksides for those summer barbecues, loafers and Oxfords for the workday, and if you want to forgo the flip-flops, try sockless with some Converse All Stars for your weekend play date.
Combat the Odor
One reason we know the sockless look may seem a little too adventurous are those pesky problems that everyone suffers in the summer—sweaty feet and subsequent foot odor. Wearing shoes without socks can perpetuate both, but there are some surefire ways to combat both so you, too can rock without socks. Check out our guide to avoiding excessive sweating in the summer for some products you can use on your feet to eliminate drenching your fancy new Oxfords on day one.
As for avoiding odors associated with wearing shoes without socks, there are a couple of things you can do:
- First of all, if you sweat in your shoes, you’ll want to avoid wearing that pair on consecutive days. Make sure you give them plenty of time to dry out before wearing them.
- Second, we recommend investing in a few shoe trees made of cedar. The cedar will absorb moisture in your shoes while helping them keep their shape.
- Finally, if you want something a little more heavy duty to help avoid foot odor associated with going sockless, give the PEET Shoe Dryer a try. The shoe dryer both dries out your kicks, but also promises to eliminate odor-causing bacteria.
You can give each of these methods a little help too by sprinkling foot powder in your shoes before wearing. Make sure the foot powder you choose has both talcum and baking soda so you can fight sweat and odor all at once.
And there you have it—there’s no reason you can’t rock the sockless look for most occasions this summer. And of course, as always, we’d love to see your sockless looks, so snap some pictures and send them to us so we can share the love with all of our readers.
(Photos Courtesy: Fashion Beans)
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