Long before the show So Random came up with a rap song about wearing socks and sandals – the trend of wearing socks with sandals was worthy of arrest by the fashion police. Truth is, old men everywhere – have been wearing summertime sandals with starched white socks for as long as there have been old men in the world. But now, the trend has hit the “Gangsta’ scene and has quickly become one of the most laughable fashion trends of this century.
Even the urban dictionary – which is the go-to place to find out about anything you might be too old to understand in this day and age – has a definition for ‘socks and sandals.’ Here is the revised text.
Socks & Sandals: The gangster way for wearing sandals. The only time you will catch a gangster wearing sandals is if its summer time and they are wearing some crispy (white) socks with some Adidas or Jordan or Nike sandals. This is considered GANGSTA.
Of course, for most people socks and sandals is a complete mockery. After all, if it’s warm enough to wear sandals, or flip-flops – then likely it is too hot to wear socks. And if you need socks to keep your feet warm, chances are it’s too cold to be wearing sandals. Still, take a look at Snooki, or Lady Gaga – and it becomes obvious that fashion doesn’t have to make sense.
The question is….Is it EVER okay to wear socks and sandals? Or does doing so, make you a candidate for ending up on one of the People of Wal-Mart YouTube videos?
Expert fashion sites of course say NO, that absolutely socks and sandals is a fashion blunder. However, the trend is something that has taken off with younger, high school aged kids, who like to wear their flip-flops year round with socks. And with the re-introduction of the 1980’s ‘toe socks’ that come in all sorts of fluorescent colors and loud prints – teens are sporting their socks and sandals look everywhere they go. This doesn’t make it okay, but rather acceptable.
As for the old men who wear socks and sandals. Let’s just assume that most of them are diabetic and that they are trying to take care of their feet by wearing comfortable sandals with diabetic socks. Or, they are trying to avoid applying sunscreen to their feet but don’t want to give up the casual feel of their sandals. The thing is, if the socks and sandals debate is being held over an old man – the truth is that his age alone allows him to get away with things that most people would not.
All of that being said, wearing socks and sandals in the workplace is never a good idea. In fact, wearing sandals, flip-flops or any shoes that ‘reveal the entire toe’ in a professional environment has long been an activity that has been looked down upon in the professional business world. (Incidentally, many older business professionals are in complete awe about the fact that so many from this up and coming younger generation will wear flip-flops to job interviews. Years okay, that would be reason enough to NOT hire someone)
Other times when it may be okay to wear socks and sandals are as follows:
- You are going bowling, which means you are going to change shoes anyway. This can make changing shoes easier.
- You have a foot that is swollen or injured and won’t fit properly into any of your other shoes. And it’s cold outside.
- You are going to a bounce house.
- You are competing in a trampoline competition.
- You are dressing up for Halloween.
- According to the Urban Dictionary, when you ‘wanna be Gangsta!’
- You are an 80-year-old man with diabetic feet.
- It’s pajama day at school or work, and you don’t have any slippers.
- You are walking to your mailbox, and didn’t want to ruin your socks by walking in the grass or dirt – so you quickly slip on sandals that are sitting by the door.
- You didn’t have time to cut your toenails. Ever.
- You have some disgusting foot infection that no one in the entire world should ever see.
(Editors Note – Tried to come up with more times when it would be an appropriate thing to wear together – but sadly, couldn’t come up with any more. Sorry)
All in all, fashion today is changing. We live in a world wear showing bra straps, wearing ‘pants on the ground,’ going shirtless, wearing fuzzy boots in the summertime, not wearing pantyhose with work attire, wearing a ring on every finger, intentionally filling your front teeth with gold fillings, and wearing cut-off blue jeans that show your butt cheeks are common occurrences. Perhaps one of the most benign is definitely the wearing of socks and sandals. All we can hope for as a society, that this is one trend that won’t last!
