Socks and sandals

A man wearing socks in sandals.

Sandals worn with white ankle socks.

Wearing socks and sandals is a controversial fashion combination and social phenomenon that is discussed in various countries and cultures. It is sometimes considered a fashion faux pas.^[1][2][3]

History

The earliest evidence of wearing socks and sandals is documented at the archaeological site between Dishforth and Leeming in North Yorkshire, England. The discovery suggests that old Romans wore socks with sandals at least 2,000 years ago.^[4][5]

Reception

The soccer player David Beckham and the singer Justin Bieber have been mocked for wearing socks with sandals by the British tabloid newspaper Daily Mail.^[6]

Saurabh Bhatia, the author of the book Indian Corporate Etiquette, advises readers: "If, for some reason, you are not wearing socks with sandals, ensure your toes are clean and your toe-nails are closely clipped".^[7] Joshua Belter, the author of The Book of Rules: The Right Way to Do Everything, points out that wearing socks with sandals negatively influences the process of cooling the feet.^[8] However, energy design handbooks include light socks and sandals as part of a high-thermal flux tropical attire.^[9][10]

Regional phenomenon

According to Brian Shea of The Evening Sun, wearing socks and sandals is popular among the older generation and Germans.^[11]

The Britons are, according to The China Post, "famed for fashion blunders like wearing socks with sandals".^[12]

Wearing socks and sandals is considered rather unaesthetic in the Czech Republic and Poland; however, some people prefer socks and sandals, and a part of the population prefers both the options (sandals with and without socks).^[13]

Socks and sandals is a regular Pacific Northwest phenomenon.^[14][15][16] Seattle based insurance company PEMCO used the "Sandals & Socks Guy" character as part of a 2007 advertising campaign that portrayed this as a typically Pacific Northwest fashion.^[17][18] The Daily Dot highlighted "sandals and socks" as a term entered into a web search engine more often by Washingtonians than residents of any other state.^[19]

Subculture phenomenon

Wearing socks and sandals is associated by some with geek culture.^[20][21] Socks and sandals were noted as a "high crime of fashion" when introduced as an Xbox Live player avatar accessory in 2009.^[22]

2010s fashion trend

In 2010, the newspaper Daily Telegraph reported that wearing socks and sandals was a hit for spring/summer of that year.^[23] Starting in 2010, and again in 2014, several sources reported that socks and sandals had become a fashion trend in the United States and the United Kingdom, appearing in several runway shows, including those of Miu Miu (2010) and fashion designers Vivienne Tam and Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen (2014), and picked up by celebrities.^{[24][25][26][27][28][29][30]}

Socks and sandals are a smart idea for tricky transition weather, but they are also a painless way to break in new shoes.

People

People noted for wearing socks and sandals include Qi Lu, computer scientist and Microsoft executive.^[31][32][33]

See also

• Tabi
• Toe socks

References

Book sources

• Acton, Johnny; Adams, Tania; Packer, Matt (2006), The Origin of Everyday Things, New York: Sterling, ISBN 978-1-4027-4302-3 
• Belter, Joshua (2012), The Book of Rules: The Right Way to Do Everything, HOW Books, ISBN 9781440310317 
• Bhatia, Saurabh (2008), Indian Corporate Etiquette, p. 29, ISBN 9788190696401 
• Butera, Federico M. (1999), "Principles of thermal comfort", in M. Sala, C. Gallo, A. A. M. Sayigh, Architecture – Comfort and Energy, Elsevier, pp. 39–66, ISBN 0080560601  CS1 maint: Uses editors parameter (link)
• Chickowski, E. (2012), Moon Washington, Moon Handbooks, Avalon Travel Publishing, ISBN 978-1-61238-261-6, retrieved 2015-10-05 
• Haupt, L.L. (2009), Crow Planet: Essential Wisdom from the Urban Wilderness, Little, Brown, ISBN 978-0-316-05339-6, retrieved 2015-10-05 
• Langley, Alex (2012), The Geek Handbook, Krause Publications, p. 30, ISBN 144023292X 
• Parsons, K. (2010), "Thermal comfort in buildings", in Hall, Matthew R, Materials for energy efficiency and thermal comfort in buildings, Elsevier, pp. 127–147, ISBN 1845699270 
• Reay, Dave (2005), Climate Change Begins at Home: Life on the Two-Way Street of Global Warming, Macmillan, p. 46, ISBN 0230579701 

Further reading

• "DO THIS DON'T: Wear Sandals With Socks!". xoJane. 29 May 2013. Retrieved 19 August 2013. 
• Stu Woo and Ray A. Smith (September 15, 2015), "I'll Be Darned, Wearing Socks With Sandals Is Fashionable—From football players to runway models, some don't toe traditional line", The Wall Street Journal  CS1 maint: Uses authors parameter (link)

External links

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