When the Smoke Clears

There’s this trend I’ve seen I can’t understand or quite wrap my mind around: No-Show Socks.

The young ones are even picking on each other about it. You could be ostracized for wearing socks that actually come above the lower margin of the ankle. At least the Army requires that the ankle be covered so there is a little something coming up the side, but anything other than low cut socks gets noticed at PT. I tend not to be picked on, partly because I’m older and that’s one of the signs, a decent amount because I’m bigger and not above bruising someone for being insolent, and partly because I can make their personal records disappear, cut off their internet access, and shut down their X-Box Live connections.

But let’s examine the issue here: you want to be seen as bucking the establishment and not wearing socks with your shoes, BUT you can’t actually do the brave thing and NOT wear socks. Bad smells, hygiene, etc. are all factors. Weak-assed little cusses.

I would also think that this recent upsurge in 80s pop culture would encourage something other than the no show socks. I mean, Jennifer Beals was pretty trendsetting with those crumpled up leg-warmers. Later on, Don Johnson with his white suits and pink shirts was out there, and he wore the slip on shoes… without socks. I know. I did the same thing when I went to a student conference just to be different.

The other problem with this no show sock thing: most people do not have nice looking ankles. In fact, they suck, especially on men. Even men with well developed legs cannot hide the fact that genetically most of them have nothing in the ankle zone. It becomes terribly obvious that their legs look like corn dogs on a half peanut shell. Mid calf socks can be pushed down and hide some of that.

Oh well. This too shall pass. After all, in Japan one of the big trends is in the extremely OVERSIZED overly large socks. One can even get glue spray to keep the top part up the calf. I’m not sure which is worse.

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