# Is it gross to wear sneakers without socks? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 20, 2020, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-gross-to-wear-sneakers-without-socks/849909 "2020-03-20T17:57:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![scarface54345](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@scarface54345](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scarface54345)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2020, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-gross-to-wear-sneakers-without-socks/849909/1 "2020-03-20T17:57:21Z")
Is it gross to wear sneakers without socks? ---
**Author:** ![jerez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c68b51/32.png) [@jerez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jerez)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2020, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-gross-to-wear-sneakers-without-socks/849909/2 "2020-03-20T18:10:47Z")
On my feet, yes it’s gross. I have to use foot liners. They’re like nylon stockings for your feet. They don’t even reach the ankle. After just a few hours, they get kind of sweaty and gross, but better the liner than the shoe. I’ve got maybe 15 pairs and I use them every day in warm weather. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2020, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-gross-to-wear-sneakers-without-socks/849909/3 "2020-03-20T18:31:51Z")
Nah. I used to do it often, until I discovered golf socks. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2020, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-gross-to-wear-sneakers-without-socks/849909/4 "2020-03-20T18:37:16Z")
Wouldn’t you risk some nasty blisters if you didn’t? Your feet would be pretty gross after destroying them like that, sweat or no sweat. If it’s that hot, stick with comfy sandals. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2020, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-gross-to-wear-sneakers-without-socks/849909/5 "2020-03-20T18:58:42Z")
Wearing sneakers w/o socks isn’t gross. What’s gross is when you finally take your sneakers off. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2020, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-gross-to-wear-sneakers-without-socks/849909/6 "2020-03-20T19:03:16Z")
My feet sweat and get sticky if I don’t wear socks. No thanks. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21825_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2020, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-gross-to-wear-sneakers-without-socks/849909/7 "2020-03-20T19:04:41Z")
Speaking for my feet - they want socks between them and my shoes, regardless of the shoe. I don’t care what other folks do, but I will wear socks. You can’t change my mind! ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2020, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-gross-to-wear-sneakers-without-socks/849909/8 "2020-03-20T19:49:15Z")
Do you wear socks when you wear slippers? ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2020, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-gross-to-wear-sneakers-without-socks/849909/9 "2020-03-20T19:56:28Z")
It depends. Lightweight canvas sneakers that you just walk around in? No problem. Sneakers designed for rigorous activity? Wear socks. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2020, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-gross-to-wear-sneakers-without-socks/849909/10 "2020-03-20T20:46:49Z")
This course of action has resulted in consistently gross outcomes for me. ---
**Author:** ![Trancephalic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trancephalic/32/380_2.png) [@Trancephalic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trancephalic)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2020, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-gross-to-wear-sneakers-without-socks/849909/11 "2020-03-20T21:43:03Z")
I scalped a toe once jogging sans socks. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2020, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-gross-to-wear-sneakers-without-socks/849909/12 "2020-03-20T21:52:46Z")
I never got toe jam from wearing socks. I went through a phase as a teen where I couldn’t be bothered to wear socks (basically I was too lazy to do laundry). After a few bouts of toe jam, I quickly changed that practice. ---
**Author:** ![TheCuse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thecuse/32/2854_2.png) [@TheCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheCuse)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2020, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-gross-to-wear-sneakers-without-socks/849909/13 "2020-03-20T22:08:44Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Do you wear socks when you wear slippers? Yup. Unless it’s late at night and I have to get out of bed to use the bathroom. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2020, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-gross-to-wear-sneakers-without-socks/849909/14 "2020-03-20T23:53:38Z")
My first thought was “If it’s gross, why wouldn’t wearing sandals ‘barefoot’ be frowned on?” If sneakers get sweaty, wear low socks… Anything but shorts with knee-high black socks! (like I wear playing soccer, I just realized…) ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2020, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-gross-to-wear-sneakers-without-socks/849909/15 "2020-03-21T00:39:02Z")
I don’t wear socks around my house. If I have to go out and check the mail or something, I just put my tennis shoes on without socks. (That’s what I call sneakers. Blame a NE Ohio upbringing) ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2020, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-gross-to-wear-sneakers-without-socks/849909/16 "2020-03-21T00:54:52Z")
You can get football stockings in all sorts of colors: green, blue, red,…, not just black! 🙂 There _are_ shoes and canvas boots, like boat shoes, where it is assumed they will get wet and provisions are made for the water to drain away and the foot to breathe. I would not try wearing socks with those, or you might end up walking around in wet socks, unless they were something like waterproof Gore-Tex socks, but at some point you have to step back and consider what it is you are doing, e.g., for hiking you may want hiking boots and wool socks, not plimsolls and naked feet. Anyway, avoid blisters and fungus! ---
**Author:** ![Bayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bayaker/32/3454_2.png) [@Bayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2020, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-gross-to-wear-sneakers-without-socks/849909/17 "2020-03-21T01:04:21Z")
The only applicable vote for me was “Not really” but it should have been “not at all”. Most often I wear tennis shoes(sneakers if you must) when I am fishing, and it would be pretty stupid to wear socks when you know your shoes will get wet. Other than that, I would be wearing shorts; and socks with shorts look dumb in addition to being unnecessary. I suppose those with very odoriferous feet might make use of socks more often. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2020, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-gross-to-wear-sneakers-without-socks/849909/18 "2020-03-21T01:26:58Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > I don’t wear socks around my house. If I have to go out and check the mail or something, I just put my tennis shoes on without socks. (That’s what I call sneakers. Blame a NE Ohio upbringing) Running shoes here. ETA: Or “runners” more colloquially. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2020, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-gross-to-wear-sneakers-without-socks/849909/19 "2020-03-21T02:21:27Z")
What’s gross, is paying so much attention to other people’s personal preferences that don’t concern you. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2020, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-gross-to-wear-sneakers-without-socks/849909/20 "2020-03-21T02:22:46Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > What’s gross, is paying so much attention to other people’s personal preferences that don’t concern you. Perhaps you are mistaking “interested” with “cares about”? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-gross-to-wear-sneakers-without-socks/849909.md?page=2)