I seem to be hearing an increasing number of people complaining about the practice, or as they would see it ‘crime’ of wearing socks and sandals. There are even hilarious pages on the Web about how much of a crime it is to wear sandal with sock. This rant is directed at this crowd of fashion fascists.
Well, since I’m happy to be the target of the fashion fascists, I’ll make it easy for their tiny, celebrity-obsessed, under-occupied minds to understand why some of us are prepared to be rebels and wear what the feck we like.
I’ll make one concession at the outset though. Even I would agree that high white socks don’t look that good with sandals. But low, dark or black socks are fine, since they pretty much become ‘at one with the sandal’.
When it’s hot, one of the areas of our body which can heat up quite quickly is the feet. So, when it’s a hot day and we want to relax, some of us opt to wear sandals rather than shoes or trainers. Sandals provide an ideal form of footwear in these circumstances.
“Fine!”, I hear you cry… “Just don’t put the socks on!”… Patience, my friend… patience…
Now, if I’m just popping out for a few minutes, I will quite often opt for just sandals without socks. In this instance, it’s nice to have the air circulating completely freely around my feet. In fact, most of the time, I do wear sandals without socks.
However, if I plan to venture out for a longer period or do a lot of walking, socks are a definite sensible option to wear with sandals. Just to prove my point to one of my daughters recently (who castigated me for wearing sandals with socks), I tried a long walk with just sandals and no socks. The result – a pleasant layer of sweat directly under my feet, which soaked into the top of my sandals, in turn attracting dirt and dust on the walk between the soles of my feet and the sandals and making both filthy. Now, I don’t suffer with smelly feet, but I suspect if I did, I would have already had a severe honk-on by the end of the walk and would have been exceedingly unwelcome in any enclosed spaces.
That was just the start of it though. The tops of my feet got sunburnt and became exceedingly itchy, remaining so for several days. And then, just to add to the joy, the constant rubbing between the sandal and my foot caused a couple of very nice blisters.
If I had worn socks, I would have suffered none of these problems.
So, I have four very practical reasons for wearing sandals with socks, and those who can’t cope will just have to deal with it, in the same way I have to deal with things I don’t like.
However, since fashion is quite demonstrably subjective, here are some things which I consider crimes against fashion…
How about tan tights or tights in general (come on, ladies – stockings, gravy lines, or nothing), beehive haircuts, shoulder pads, neck ties, and of course, wearing a tent and concealing your face… in black… in summer. Of course, the ultimate laugh for me is ‘street’ look, compulsory ‘yoof’-wear – popular, or rather common since I was a kid… and still popular when it’s just so thirty years ago. Hilarious!
Sandals and socks are very common around the world and, of course, ancient Romans commonly wore socks with their sandals.
If it’s all the same, I’ll not play your standard sheeple game and think for myself. Trust me – I can cope with not fitting in to your very bland view of what I should wear, think, and listen to. Now, feel free to go back to watching TOWIE, Big Brother, or reading your celebrity magazines. I’ve got more important things to do – like not looking at other people’s feet and making a fuss about what they’re wearing. Live and let live, you tedious feckers!