# Pathetic fashion question: black sock with sneakers? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 19, 2006, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pathetic-fashion-question-black-sock-with-sneakers/345258 "2006-02-19T23:28:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2006, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pathetic-fashion-question-black-sock-with-sneakers/345258/21 "2006-02-20T19:05:14Z")
> [@Alma](#): > > Am I the only one who hates the no-show socks and anklet thingys? I think it looks funny when people wear shorts with sneakers and you can’t see any sock. Maybe I’ve been brainwashed by what I’m used to, or I could just have no taste, but I hate seeing ankles with sneakers. It just looks…wrong. Maybe it’s because it’s one of the few female modes of dress that have crossed over to males in recent years. The OP could buy some boots to wear, then he could wear any socks–black socks, white socks, mismatched socks, whatever. ---
**Author:** ![black\_rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@black\_rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/black_rabbit)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2006, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pathetic-fashion-question-black-sock-with-sneakers/345258/22 "2006-02-20T20:28:23Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > Do you mean [these](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0002MOXFO/104-8537931-1832764?v=glance)? Ankle socks, then, or white socks. Not black, too geeky for a sporty shoe like that. Yep. But see, now I’m all confused. White socks and black sneakers are geeky, but only if the sneakers aren’t sporty? Are these _less_ sporty than, say, some of the Batmobile monstrosities by Nike or New Balance? Life was so much simpler when I wore nothing but Chucks and Beatle Boots. Sigh… ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2006, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pathetic-fashion-question-black-sock-with-sneakers/345258/23 "2006-02-20T21:04:53Z")
> [@black455](#): > > Yep. > > But see, now I’m all confused. > > White socks and black sneakers are geeky, but only if the sneakers aren’t sporty? Are these _less_ sporty than, say, some of the Batmobile monstrosities by Nike or New Balance? > > Life was so much simpler when I wore nothing but Chucks and Beatle Boots. Sigh… Oh. I meant it the other way around, that if you had all-black “walking shoe”-type sneakers, that were close to casual shoes, that black sox would be OK. But that Adidas shoe seems pretty sporty to me, with the stripes and all, so I would say athletic sox. Just MHO. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2006, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pathetic-fashion-question-black-sock-with-sneakers/345258/24 "2006-02-20T23:54:54Z")
> [@Waverly](#): > > I say no. I’m not an authority, but any socks that _show_ with sneakers should be white. However, you can were no-show socks or anklets that are colored with sneakers. Are sneakers white again? My current pair is black. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2006, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pathetic-fashion-question-black-sock-with-sneakers/345258/25 "2006-02-21T03:57:22Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > As far as I can tell, with long pants, dark socks are perfectly acceptable. With shorts, dark socks look dorky. Yea, this is pretty much what I said though. So you didn’t miss a memo. > [@](#): > > Then again, I discovered last summer that athletic socks have undergone some periodic fashion change and have retreated into the sneaker – I bought a few pair of those but in my opinion they also look irretrievably dorky. They are so much better than the knee or calf length socks with those horizontal stripes, though!! As far as those shoes in the link. I think the issue is not that their “too sporty” but that they have some white stripes on them. I could fathom wearin either black or white socks with those. If the stripes were not white, then your socks should be black, regardless of how sporty those shoes are. You’re wearin pants… they pretty much takes away from all your sportyness right there. Unless your pants are a warm up suit or sweats… Just make sure the black socks you wear are not the thin ass nylon dress socks. Those should only be worn with dress shoes. Super thin dress socks with sneakers is messed up - regardless of color. If you wore those shoes in the link with shorts, then ankle white socks or the thiny “hidden sock” should be worn. Hidden socks is probably best, I’d say. And since it’s hidden, color is a moot point. Why has the sock shrunk inside the shoe? I think it has to do with wearing shorts and just being comfortable in the sun. (Im in Florida…) We wear sandles and flops all the time - year round - and it’s nice to just slip things on your feet when you’re being casual. Sneakers are the same way. It’s nice to just slip them on your feet and looks better, more casual, and less restrictive than wearing socks with your shoes. But if you do that, then your feet smell and your shoes get nasty. The solution - tiny hidden socks… Wearing large socks with shorts is getting close to wearing socks with sandles… it just looks goofy. All IMHO, of course. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2006, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pathetic-fashion-question-black-sock-with-sneakers/345258/26 "2006-02-21T04:13:28Z")
Sweet Jesus :rolleyes: Look… White athletic socks with sneakers, dark dress socks with shoes. You do NOT wear sneakers with ANY kind of pants that are do not have an Adidas or Nike logo on them (IOW athletic pants). You may wear sneakers with jeans and a sweatshirt of some kind or an untucked shirt if you are going for some kind of sloppy look. Failing to follow any of these rules will have you looking like a mental patient. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2006, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pathetic-fashion-question-black-sock-with-sneakers/345258/27 "2006-02-21T13:34:37Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > Sweet Jesus :rolleyes: > > Look… White athletic socks with sneakers, dark dress socks with shoes. I agree with you, but where do black walking shoes fall? They are a shoe, but also rubber-soled and a quasi-sneaker. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2006, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pathetic-fashion-question-black-sock-with-sneakers/345258/28 "2006-02-21T13:36:58Z")
Oh, and the ubiqitous [snow shoe type thing](http://www.llbean.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?storeId=1&langId=-1&catalogId=1&categoryId=33394&qs=5090273%2DPrfmcsBizrate_32661430)? Shoe or sneaker? ---
**Author:** ![black\_rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@black\_rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/black_rabbit)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2006, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pathetic-fashion-question-black-sock-with-sneakers/345258/29 "2006-02-21T13:38:00Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > You may wear sneakers with jeans and … an untucked shirt if you are going for some kind of sloppy look. Bingo. You pretty much nailed my uniform. I love working in IT. > [@](#): > > Failing to follow any of these rules will have you looking like a mental patient. Oh, I generally don’t need any help for that. Between the beady, shifty eyes, the random twitching, and the newspaper clippings of Nancy Reagan and Lee Majors that cover every available surface of my cubicle, they already think I’m a little bit “off.” Okay, I made that last part up. There are no Lee Majors clippings. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2006, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pathetic-fashion-question-black-sock-with-sneakers/345258/30 "2006-02-21T14:07:52Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > Oh, and the ubiqitous [snow shoe type thing](http://www.llbean.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?storeId=1&langId=-1&catalogId=1&categoryId=33394&qs=5090273%2DPrfmcsBizrate_32661430)? Shoe or sneaker? You would wear something like [this](http://www.llbean.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?page=llbean-boot-socks&categoryId=38194&parentCategory=9699&cat4=9697&storeId=1&catalogId=1&langId=-1&feat=ssdpa9697). ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2006, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pathetic-fashion-question-black-sock-with-sneakers/345258/31 "2006-02-21T14:11:05Z")
If you’re a dad, you can wear black socks and white canvas sneakers. I wear them with Bermuda shorts while I cut the grass. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2006, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pathetic-fashion-question-black-sock-with-sneakers/345258/32 "2006-02-21T17:46:22Z")
God dammit, I’m wearing black socks with sneaker right this moment. I was trying to dress up a little bit. ---
**Author:** ![Waverly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/57b2e6/32.png) [@Waverly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waverly)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2006, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pathetic-fashion-question-black-sock-with-sneakers/345258/33 "2006-02-21T17:58:59Z")
Well now, here’s the closest thing I can found to an authority. The first link would say ‘What kind of socks for these sneakers?… that kind of assumes that the sneakers are a good idea in the first place.’ The second article says ‘If you decided on the sneakers anyway, you are aren’t they type to sweat the socks’. That’s a pun dammit! [http://men.style.com/gq/fashion/styleguy/accessories/73](http://men.style.com/gq/fashion/styleguy/accessories/73) [http://men.style.com/gq/fashion/styleguy/shoes/523](http://men.style.com/gq/fashion/styleguy/shoes/523) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pathetic-fashion-question-black-sock-with-sneakers/345258.md?page=1)