# Socks & Shoes: Left-Left, Right-Right, or Left-Right, Left-Right? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 4, 2001, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/socks-shoes-left-left-right-right-or-left-right-left-right/91384 "2001-11-04T02:15:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Another\_Primate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Another\_Primate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Another_Primate)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2001, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/socks-shoes-left-left-right-right-or-left-right-left-right/91384/1 "2001-11-04T02:15:48Z")
Ever since an “All in the Family” episode back in the late sixties, I’ve put on my left sock, then my left shoe, then my right sock… you can probably figure out the rest. This was inspired by an argument between Archie and his son-in-law: Meathead put on both his socks first, while Archie socked-and-shod one foot at a time. Bunker’s point: If a fire broke out, Michael would have to run out in only his socks, but Archie could hop on one foot. It just plain made sense. And here I am doing it 30 years later – every once in a while, I catch myself and chuckle. How about you? Sock-sock? Or sock-shoe? And, which foot do you start with? And, are you right- or left-handed? (Just wondering whether that has any correlation with your answers.) -Another ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2001, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/socks-shoes-left-left-right-right-or-left-right-left-right/91384/2 "2001-11-04T02:24:06Z")
Well, when I wear socks, I go right sock, left sock, then whichever order I grab the shoes in. In case of fire, I’d run outside barefoot, though. ---
**Author:** ![ski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@ski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ski)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2001, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/socks-shoes-left-left-right-right-or-left-right-left-right/91384/3 "2001-11-04T02:25:37Z")
I always start with my right foot, but to be honest I don’t have a preference on socks-first or sock-shoe-sock-shoe. I’ll just decide right then which way to do it. Which is odd because I have many other habits that ARE fairly regimented. ---
**Author:** ![Torgo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@Torgo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Torgo)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2001, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/socks-shoes-left-left-right-right-or-left-right-left-right/91384/4 "2001-11-04T02:26:34Z")
I like to wear a sock on my **penis.** ---
**Author:** ![highjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ed8c4c/32.png) [@highjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/highjack)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2001, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/socks-shoes-left-left-right-right-or-left-right-left-right/91384/5 "2001-11-04T02:26:56Z")
Socksonshoeson, that’s my motto. ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2001, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/socks-shoes-left-left-right-right-or-left-right-left-right/91384/6 "2001-11-04T02:27:18Z")
Oh, I’m right-handed, btw. ---
**Author:** ![Ferggie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e99b99/32.png) [@Ferggie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferggie)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2001, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/socks-shoes-left-left-right-right-or-left-right-left-right/91384/7 "2001-11-04T02:50:52Z")
If the fire’s going to get to you so quickly you don’t have time to put your shoes on, I’d say you had bigger problems. My socks go on when I put the rest of my clothes on. Putting on shoes is the last thing I do before going out the door. But then you might want to take into account the fact I’d live my whole life barefoot if I could get away with it. ---
**Author:** ![Another\_Primate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Another\_Primate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Another_Primate)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2001, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/socks-shoes-left-left-right-right-or-left-right-left-right/91384/8 "2001-11-04T02:55:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ferggie \* > \*\*If the fire’s going to get to you so quickly you don’t have time to put your shoes on, I’d say you had bigger problems. > \*\* You’d say that, and you’d be right. But, maybe I don’t have time to put my shoes on AND grab my photos, and my souvenirs, and my sock monkey, and my Hedda Gets Bedda, and my Flexible Flyer sled collection, and my… hmm, somehow I’m seeing Steve Martin in “The Jerk”. And, I have a gravel driveway. Ouch! -Another ---
**Author:** ![DopeyDave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@DopeyDave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DopeyDave)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2001, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/socks-shoes-left-left-right-right-or-left-right-left-right/91384/9 "2001-11-04T02:56:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Another Primate \* > **…This was inspired by an argument between Archie and his son-in-law: Meathead put on both his socks first, while Archie socked-and-shod one foot at a time. Bunker’s point: If a fire broke out, Michael would have to run out in only his socks, but Archie could hop on one foot.** Boy, does this ring a bell! As all Dopers probably know, AITF was stolen from a British sit-com _Till Death Us Do Part_ (and, I think, was slightly better). In the Brit version, the roles were reversed, and the son-in-law got the punchline, possibly because the actor had more ‘edge’ than Rob Reiner (Meathead), and could trump his elder with appropriate glee. Anyway, I often think of the scene when I dress. I still put on socks, then shoes, but wonder about the practicality. Of course, such wondering already has disqualified me from being practical, so I try to at least free myself from habit somehow, and _vary_ the order. Sometimes right sock first, sometimes left. Ditto for shoes, and not necessarily in the same order as the socks. Life is full of challenges. (There is a serious side to this. I dabble in partner dance, where many actions are asymmetrical, which can really cause an imbalance in muscle tone, and hamper coordination. Therefore, I try to reverse many habits, such as which sleeve of a shirt I put on or take off first. Try it – I found it incredibly difficult at first.) ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2001, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/socks-shoes-left-left-right-right-or-left-right-left-right/91384/10 "2001-11-04T05:15:21Z")
Put on left sock, then right sock, then pants, then whichever shoe I manage to find first. ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2001, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/socks-shoes-left-left-right-right-or-left-right-left-right/91384/11 "2001-11-04T05:47:43Z")
I do it just like Archie. Sock, sock, shoe, shoe. By the way, _All in the Family_ was on in the 1970’s, not the late 1960’s. ---
**Author:** ![poohpah\_chalupa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/91b2a8/32.png) [@poohpah\_chalupa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/poohpah_chalupa)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2001, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/socks-shoes-left-left-right-right-or-left-right-left-right/91384/12 "2001-11-04T13:44:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by highjack \* > \*\*Socksonshoeson, that’s my motto. \*\* Thank you, sensei. Me? I like to put on my left sock, followed by my right shoe…no, that’s not it… sock/sock, shoe/shoe. ---
**Author:** ![Cougarfang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c67d28/32.png) [@Cougarfang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cougarfang)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2001, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/socks-shoes-left-left-right-right-or-left-right-left-right/91384/13 "2001-11-04T14:49:25Z")
shoes? what shoes? oh, i know! it’s those smelly things you humans love putting on your paws - ah, feet - right? nope, don’t wear 'em. no shoe store _ever_ makes 'em kitty size… [sub]as if i’d wear 'em anyway…[/sub] 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Wicked\_Blue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/2acd7d/32.png) [@Wicked\_Blue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wicked_Blue)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2001, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/socks-shoes-left-left-right-right-or-left-right-left-right/91384/14 "2001-11-04T14:58:58Z")
I do socks first, then pants, then shoes. I don’t think I have a preference between left first or right first. My husband, on the ther hand, does sock, shoe, sock, shoe, _then_ pants. I think he’s nuts. Rose ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2001, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/socks-shoes-left-left-right-right-or-left-right-left-right/91384/15 "2001-11-04T18:00:31Z")
On odd numbered days, I do sock-shoe, sock-shoe. On even numbered days I go sock, sock, shoe shoe. I have done this ever since that _All in the Family_ just so I could answer this way. When I am in Japan, it messes the schedule up since I can’t go sock-shoe, sock-shoe on odd numbered days. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2001, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/socks-shoes-left-left-right-right-or-left-right-left-right/91384/16 "2001-11-04T18:11:59Z")
Both socks, then both shoes. I think I do right before left, but, frankly, at 5:30AM, I’m lucky not to have mismatched clothing on, much less remember in what order I donned everything. And at this moment, I’m barefoot, so it doesn’t matter, does it?? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2001, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/socks-shoes-left-left-right-right-or-left-right-left-right/91384/17 "2001-11-04T18:36:59Z")
While those of you who _sock-shoe, sock-shoe_ are hopping around in circles and falling over, I’ll be dashing out of the house in my socks to my car, where I keep my workboots. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Arden\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b487fb/32.png) [@Arden\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arden_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2001, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/socks-shoes-left-left-right-right-or-left-right-left-right/91384/18 "2001-11-04T18:40:07Z")
Left sock, right sock. Right shoe, left shoe. If a fire breaks out, I’m going barefooted. I’m not wasting time on keeping my feet clean 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2001, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/socks-shoes-left-left-right-right-or-left-right-left-right/91384/19 "2001-11-04T19:41:59Z")
sock-sock-shoe-shoe I don’t keep my shoes in my bedroom, so i put on all my clothes, then get the shoes. Besides, my shoes are by the front door, so I can just grab them on the way out! ---
**Author:** ![Another\_Primate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Another\_Primate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Another_Primate)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2001, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/socks-shoes-left-left-right-right-or-left-right-left-right/91384/20 "2001-11-04T21:20:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Wicked Blue \* > \*\*My husband, on the ther hand, does sock, shoe, sock, shoe, _then_ pants. > I think he’s nuts. > > Rose \*\* Wow, now that’s strange. He must have small feet or baggy pants? There’s a Far Side comic of a fellow in his bedroom, with a sign on the wall saying “pants first, then shoes”. -Another [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/socks-shoes-left-left-right-right-or-left-right-left-right/91384.md?page=2)