How to sport the ‘Sockless’ Look?

This is one of those Urban Purush blogs that you’ll find around here. These are gems I wrote for the Urban Purush website.

Wearing shoes without socks is in. You see it everywhere – movies, celebs, models, and on the streets of some of the most fashion-forward cities. Men today are rocking the sockless look more than ever, and this blog tells you how to do it right.

Gentlemen, as much as you might love the look, please understand that going sockless doesn’t mean you need to be completely bare inside your shoes. The loafers, moccasins, and sneakers usually have an extra layer or softer material on the inside that protects your feet, but if you want to take it a step further and go sockless on your formal and semi-formal shoes – the oxfords, the brogues, the chukkas, and the bluchers or, as in Ryan Gosling’s case, the tassel loafers – there are a few things to consider.

As good as it looks in the pic, my suggestion would be to do it the right way. Here are a couple of points to consider:

1. Formal shoes are not designed to be worn without socks. A company manufacturing formal shoes probably envisions them to be worn in the office, at formal events, and during long board meetings. Generally, formal shoes, unlike their casual counterparts, do not come with extra inner padding because they are built to be sleeker, and the expectation is that you’ll be wearing socks. As a result, going sockless may end up hurting you.
2. Even if you’re one of those who think men don’t cry, are made of steel, and can pull off sockless formal shoes, please consider your smelly feet! That’s right, going sockless will make you sweat like crazy.

So, what is the right way to do this? How do I master the shoes-without-socks look?

The right approach is to use liner socks (also known as invisible socks). Alternatively, there are ankle-length socks, but they tend to ‘peek’ out from your shoes. Liner socks are most appropriate for all types of shoes. Although they may give you a ‘girly’ feeling the first time you try them because they tend to look like ‘belly’-style shoes (note: here, ‘belly’ refers to a style of women’s shoe, not a woman’s midsection – focus!).

Personally, I am not a big fan of going sockless on formal shoes, but here’s a video anyway,

Liner socks for men are available at some stores and online.