To insist DS has closed toe sandals this year?

[NoTheyAreNotTeenagers]

He's 9. And will not go sockless. He refuses to go anywhere without socks on unless it's the swimming pool. I have managed to persuade him to wear the short trainer style socks when he is wearing shorts. AIBU to suggest I get him some closed toe sandals this year so it's not so obvious he's wearing socks?

What is the point of sandals when shoes have been invented?

Leave him be. Let him choose what he likes.

Why can't he wear socks and sandals? Better still give him socks and sliders - totes on trend apparently!

This battle isn't worthy of your time.

Socks and sandals is fine, let him get on with it. Be thankful he wears something on his feet. My 10yr old plays out barefoot 😫.

To those saying school uniform was something they insisted on, this was a battle my parents fought and lost with me at primary school.

I hated the colour of the uniform, and I hated the trousers and I hated jumpers. I wore the same thing every day - plain, baggy, dark combats, white polo shirt and a cardigan. But I absolutely refused to wear the uniform. I think my parents concluded they would rather I was at school and learning and presumably the school concluded the same. I was a stubborn child but I still don't really know how I won that battle of wills. It persisted all the way through primary school.

I see it as part of my responsibility as a parent to not leave him open to ridicule.

It's not as simple as "everyone who does X will be ridiculed, everyone who does Y will not." If he is generally liked, it's unlikely that anyone will make fun of his footwear choices (or anyone who does will quickly be told to stop by the majority), and some people who admire him might even decide to adopt the same. Someone who isn't liked will always be teased about something, though it's not always what you might expect.

Also, he might feel strongly enough about this preference that he doesn't mind what people think or say. I was like this about some of my eccentricities as a kid/teenager. It didn't matter how much they laughed, there were certain things I wasn't going to compromise on for anybody. Not everyone is that scared of teasing.