# Black sock syndrome **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 16, 2002, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-sock-syndrome/119200 "2002-07-16T06:19:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mhill007](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/34f0e0/32.png) [@mhill007](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhill007)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-sock-syndrome/119200/1 "2002-07-16T06:19:50Z")
Does anyone know how to get rid of the “black sock syndrome” caused by wearing new Doc Martins or Gripfasts… I hate getting all my new white socks all blackened… Any ideas other than wearing black socks…? thanks ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-sock-syndrome/119200/2 "2002-07-16T10:07:01Z")
Gray socks? I would give up wearing white, anyway…at least until the newness of the shoes has worn off. ---
**Author:** ![ski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@ski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ski)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-sock-syndrome/119200/3 "2002-07-16T13:19:00Z")
The color is coming off onto your socks, and you don’t like the effect on white socks, right? Seems like the ONLY option is to wear non-white socks, or not wear the shoes. That or, I suppose, spray-paint the inside of the shoes with a nice coat of clear!! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-sock-syndrome/119200/4 "2002-07-16T22:05:04Z")
I’ve found that after a month or so, the dye wears off. Since black socks are out of the question, I’ll suggest no socks.