A bloke asks... Are socks and sandals EVER acceptable?

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The warmer weather is coming. Sandals are generally said to be okay, nothing wrong with that, though it's just as well Paul McCartney chose to kick his off before walking across the zebra crossing for the Abbey Road LP photo - sandals don't look that cool, even if they did in the hippy era.

But socks and sandals - could they ever be cool?

Reason I ask, bare feet and sandals can just get cold, not least going into an air-conditioned area. Secondly, and this is a delicate point but a person's feet don't get any better looking as they get older, and I'm no exception. It varies. But I don't want to inflict that on anyone else, then again walking around with feet encased in sweaty socks and shoes doesn't work wonders on them either.

Brown sandals, white sports socks - is that an acceptable combo? I'm not suggesting it for about the office, more leisure, shopping or about the house.

Not sure about sandals, but socks and sliders or socks and crocks currently ARE fashionable.

It's what my teen and all his mates live in and have done for the last year !

That being said, I don't care much about fashion - I've been living in socks and sliders, even socks over my leggings/tracky pants for years, it's what's comfortable and I can't get too hung up about what anyone else thinks 🤷🏻‍♀️

Im not sure Ive ever seen that look as stylish, maybe someone could pull it off though!
(even though I often see younger blokes wearing socks with sliders round here....it just looks like they have gone out in their slippers TBH).

I would wear sandals with socks, and crocs with socks too. Much to the disgust of my 21 year old DD. 🤣

I'm generally known for choosing comfort over style anyway. I don't wear socks with them in summer.

1,600 × 2,400
If you are stylish enough / not self conscious, you can rock anything.
I think men with Birkenstock generally look fine with socks but then I have only seen young stylish and / or fit men in it (see example of David Beckham in Birkenstock).

This 😂

My step son loved a sandal and sock combo - much to the embaressment of the other teens. One year we all rocked the look with these!(I coudnt do the real thing alas...
https://www.tiesplanet.com/gifts-c20/sandals-mens-novelty-socks-5-11-p13948/s14155?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=sandals-men-apos-s-novelty-socks-5-11-980948&utm_campaign=product%2Blisting%2Bads&cid=GBP&glCurrency=GBP&glCountry=GB&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw2PSvBhDjARIsAKc2cgOGDfw_5btkOQ-Thm1ihFRsyNPmWoQEoqCFxx68PMxAPgR2NhRis9MaAlIeEALw_wcB

I'm delighted to hear crocs and socks are OK - I'm going on a boating holiday and that's ideal footwear.

If my DH were to everrr get white cotton socks on with sandals and be heading out of the house with us, I'd be reaching for a weapon. But he knows that already

To the bins/ garden/ car yes, knock yourself out. Any further and we would have a very clear problem.

Ask me again in 10 years time and I might have another answer though.

Have you tried sliders and socks? It's actually divine.

Brown sandals and socks under 60/70 - you do you but no one else will. I jest, the worst you'll get is someone thinking "another one with sandals and socks there. Hmm".

On recent travels have noticed socks & Birks are v cool in Sydney, LA

https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/birkenstocks-with-socks

Socks and sliders or crocs are a thing around here.

Only if you’re the last human left on Earth. With no mirrors.

I think there is a strict divide at play.

19, pretty darn gorgeous looking lad in his recovery slides and sportswear = fine

58, looking like most 58 year old blokes, wearing Jesus creepers and fawn coloured ribbed hiking socks, possibly a pair of chinos, a crumpled shirt and red ribbed cardigan or tatty green tween jacket with leather patches on the elbows = when exactly did you morph into your Lower 6th Tutor who used to smoke Bensons in his office and made suspiciously clinking noises when searching for the test papers underneath his desk?

58 and not leaving the house or answering the door to anybody = who cares what you're wearing, it could just as easily be high heeled pink boa feathered mules for all anybody else knows?

No, although my grandad continues to wear them. I can't really talk though as a number of years ago I prioritised comfort over style and I walk around in a jersey cotton dress, leggings and trainers.

As they say, if you wait long enough everything eventually comes into fashion

Those look perfectly acceptable - indeed more than acceptable.

Not according to net-a-porter and matches fashions not to mention Vogue

It's been in style for a good few years now

David Beckham is such a stylish man isn't he? He carries that off well.

I don't mind if it's Birkenstocks and he didn't leave the house

otherwise Birkenstocks only. Leather so they let skin breathe

I can’t find him stylish, the fake hair and painted on eyebrows make me shudder

No!

I tend to commit the other footwear fashion sin, because it's comfy for me: wearing trainers without socks. And I don't do invisible socks.

Some good answers here! What about those kind of ankle length slip on thin things, not quite socks, not sure what the name is, would they mitigate anything?

The approval for colourful stripes socks as seen above, well, it's probably okay for women but not sure it works for blokes. It's just one of those things, like how a woman with stereotypically dainty feet can walk around the office on a sunny day barefoot and it's okay, but a bloke - no matter how decent his feet look - could never do the same in the office with his trousers flapping around his ankles, these are the rules!

As for garish lime green or orange socks, they put me in mind of the prank played on Malvolio in Twelth Night when he thinks that's how he should denote to Olivia that he is attracted to her, when he's being set up by Toby Belch and Andrew Agucheek!

Otherwise the socks and sliders are probably the way forward but not sure sliders offer much support.