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Socks are no longer an afterthought when it comes to assembling your daily outfits — and they haven’t been for quite some time. However, most men have a complicated relationship with the footwear accoutrement. In the late 2000s, as pants slimmed down and denim bottoms were tapered (thanks to the resurgence of the skinny jean), a man could no longer conceal mismatched, raggedy socks from the bottom of their dresser drawer. But unlike the market today, men only had a handful of decent sock offerings to select from — Stance launched in late 2009, Happy Socks only the year prior, and Bombas was founded in 2013.
The Great Recession ushered in a more casual approach to spring-summer office wear with relaxed city suits and blazer-and-denim-jean designer outfit ensembles. A look back at the spring 2010 menswear collections — from Missoni and Moschino to John Varvatos and J.Crew — pinpoints the peak of the exposed ankle trend that was dubbed by The New York Times as “the rolled cuff epidemic”. Thankfully, the tricky trend’s decade-long stronghold was a key catalyst to the innovative, quality-constructed no-show socks that stylish men clung to for over a decade to show a flash of ankle.
Today, men’s socks are back on display with the global sock market projected to grow significantly through 2031. For this sock-supporting editor, who’s bare feet took a brutal beating as he worked his socks off in stylish, stiff loafers throughout his twenties, this is welcomed news that I’ve been preparing for, testing out dozens of dress socks, ankle socks, athletic socks, and even fuzzy socks to wear to bed (yes, some of us guys like a little cozy comfort for our cold feet) over the past years.
From my tried-and-true, day-to-day sock essentials to fancy man hosiery for special occasions, below are quality pairs you can purchase with confidence knowing they’ll knock your (old) socks off with supreme comfort that doesn’t sacrifice your style.
Editor’s Choice: Top 3 Tested Socks for Men
One Footwear News Shop editor tested dozens of the best men’s socks on the market (and has the over-stuffed sock drawer to prove it). While many socks are worth spending your money on, the three tested socks for men selected below were standouts in one way or another for the socks’ thickness, feel, durability, and overall style appeal. Many others are worth the investment, but these top three men’s sock styles are standouts that merited a special call out.
Skims Men’s Tube Crew Socks: Alright, I didn’t actually expect to think much of Skims’ menswear collection, especially the socks. I was wrong — very wrong. These white ribbed socks have the ideal mid-weight thickness that I wore with both classic penny loafers and classic Nikes. Unlike a sleek and sensual dress sock, these socks stay up at my calves for an entire day (well over 12 hours of wear), yet didn’t cause any irritation or discomfort. I was convinced the classic white socks would be marked by the wear of my leather office shoes. Not only did they stay white for the full day, but when put through a machine wash, the socks still looked brand new. The brand does not advise that you put them in the dryer, but this editor might have decided to take a chance with drying them in the machine and they held up in feel and appearance. You can’t really beat that, right?
Bombas Men’s Lightweight Merino Wool Blend No-Show Socks: I really can’t think of many (if any) no-show socks that actually stayed on my feet for the day with zero movement. These comfy Bombas socks will be the MVPs of your sock drawer for almost any occasion with a soft feel, snug fit, and just the right amount of comfort from a plush feel. The silicone heel grips are extra reinforcement so you can step in style without worrying about an uncomfortable sock situation in the middle of a big meeting. Knowing that the brand donates a pair of socks to those in need with every purchase makes it even easier to justify this quality purchase.
Cozy Earth The Plush Lounge Socks: One reviewer described these socks as a “microdose of luxury” and we couldn’t have said it better. Just like the brand’s bestselling Bamboo joggers, these comfy socks feel like a spa day for feet in need of some R&R. I wear these lounge socks around my apartment, on dog walks with Crocs Mellow Recovery slides, and with JW Anderson mules for casual brunch hangs. If you’re a big sock fanatic like myself, you know there’s a certain level of comfort on those chill, lazy days that only a good plush sock can deliver, and if you haven’t found that perfect pair, just add these to your e-cart and you can thank us later.
Price upon publish date of this article: $28
The seamless toe feature is one of my favorite parts of the sock that prevents any distraction from discomfort in slim retro sneaker styles (like Adidas Sambas or Onitsuka Tiger Mexico 66s). Personally, I’m not the biggest fan of merino wool, but Bombas’ blend offers a more comfortable feel for the naturally sweat-wicking material. These little guys hold up like they’re brand new after several washes, which is a major pro to consider for the dog days of summer. Best of all, the company’s Giving Partners help to distribute a sock in need with every sock purchase, making it a guilt-free indulgence (and a great gift for dad this Father’s Day).
Price upon publish date of this article: $60.80
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More Top Men’s Socks, Tested & Reviewed
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Editor’s Note: The same Everyday Cushion Crew socks also are available as no-show socks, here. They’re equally worth the investment for activities when you want a little less sock coverage.
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Men’s Sock Trends 2024
A culmination of factors led us to this glorious men’s socks resurgence. Shortly before becoming an editor at Footwear News, I interviewed several style experts about the new sock situation for spring 2021 as a focal point across designer collections — from Sacai‘s loafers-and-white-socks style to Celine‘s skater boy shoes and white socks with frayed-hemmed, cropped jeans to Fendi‘s assortment of logo-branded dress socks paired with slide sandals. Fashion’s stamp of approval of intentional sock showcasing, combined with the rise of pandemic-appropriate socks-and-mules moments, was on every fashionable man’s mind. My quest: to figure out what socks a man absolutely needs in his wardrobe — and many of those learnings still apply.
The consensus among the experts — which ranged from celebrity stylist Jeanne Yang to former Mr. Porter Style Director Ollie Arnold — was that men’s socks are another place for men to play up their personal style in a new normal of casual style sans daily neckties. This still applies as celebrities hit red carpets in 2024 in no-shirt-no-tie attire, opting for necklaces with tank tops and blazers (very Saint Laurent spring 2024). However, there is no one-sock-fits-all solution; you’ll need marled, textured socks for Birkenstock Bostons, an assortment of colorways in dress socks for tonal compliments to your slim dress shoes, and of course, classic white ribbed socks for everything in between.
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“There’s the old adage that you dress from the shoes up, and I think there’s a lot of truth in that still, especially for men,” said Arnold back in 2021. “It’s about bringing more attention to what you wear on your feet — it only makes sense that the next stage [after shoes] is to look at your socks.”
Arnold suggests accessing your wardrobe and footwear assortment before planning out the socks you’ll need for the season. For a safe bet, stick to similar color families, but as Yang pointed out, for the bold and fashionably brave, don’t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone.
“The effortlessness of owning a look with cool socks is sexy,” said Yang, as we discussed grandpa-chic, socks-and-mules style. “There’s more stigma now if you look like you’re trying too hard.”
Part of the sock’s rise in importance can be attributed to the dad sneaker and the dad-style mentality. The “ugly shoe” trend might have began to take off in the mid-2010s, but 2019’s peak dad style with the hype around classic New Balance 990 sneakers — partially due Aimé Leon Dore’s ongoing collaborations that nod to ’90s Americana in a post-sneakerhead world — would encourage men to select socks specifically to compliment not just their fresh pairs of retro classics, but to compliment their overall style aesthetic. Retro stripes, primary colors, and subtle prints or embroidery on tube socks elevate the ‘fit to its highest potential.
Effortlessly cool style doesn’t come naturally to all, but that’s where you only need to look to the stylish men of Hollywood for some pointers. Take Jacob Elordi’s Nike gym socks peeking out from under his Chelsea boots in a short suit to the Valentino spring 2024 show. The look isn’t as revolutionary as you’d think (hello, ’90s Calvin Klein!), but it does take a sizable amount of swagger to step out with confidence in this look.
A safer bet for sock style would be to emulate the iconic coolness of James Dean, who favored a white sock with his G.H. Bass Weejuns. Today, a modern James Dean named Paul Mescal can be seen sporting white ribbed socks with Gucci Horsebit 1953 loafers. Our favorite part of this look? Depending on the loafer, you can actually wear a thicker gym sock with them (keeping in mind the width and heftiness of the men’s loafer should be on par with the thickness of your sock).
The look of the moment is very 1960s-1990s prep — and it doesn’t stop with loafers. John F. Kennedy and Steve McQueen would sport thick ribbed socks with deck shoes, which also was a popular trend in the early ’90s, seen in Polo Ralph Lauren and J.Crew fashions at the time. Looking back at classic sports style, such as 1930s tennis attire, you’ll notice thicker, slouchy socks on display, too. For Pharrell’s debut menswear collection for Louis Vuitton, the style savant took the thick athletic sock look to the next level with extra long, slouched, white ribbed socks featuring pearl-fastening mini cargo pockets.
The spring 2024 designer menswear collections weren’t just about the thick athletic sock. At Dior, cropped, straight-leg trousers showcased ankle-hugging ribbed dress socks that helped to balance the proportion of the brand’s chunky loafers of the season. The same simply stylish socks complimented standout men’s sandals in neon yellow and animal print. Always marching to the beat of the beloved label’s own drum, black dress socks proved to be the ideal accent to highlight Prada‘s high-shine, slip-on patent leather loafers in a range of colors, from unexpected pastel hues to versatile neutrals and even a vibrant red colorway. The Row showed a masterful play of “normcore” with simple white ribbed dress socks that paired perfectly with black cropped trousers and Birkenstock Boston-like Vasko slides.
Simply put: A man can truly never own enough socks.
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Meet the Experts
Ollie Arnold is a brand consultant and the former Style Director of Mr. Porter, a position he held for nearly a decade.
Jeanne Yang is a Los Angeles-based celebrity stylist. She currently works with A-list talent including Christian Bale, Jason Momoa, Keanu Reeves, Jamie Dornan, Taika Waititi, Simu Liu, Kumail Nanjiani, Regé-Jean Page, Anthony Mackie, and more. She has contributed to top publications such as GQ, InStyle, Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, Esquire, and Vogue and continues to consult for major fashion and cosmetic companies on their national advertising campaigns.
Meet the Author
Adam Mansuroglu is the Director of Commerce for Footwear News and WWD, overseeing strategy for shopping content on both brands, along with writing and editing shopping guides, product reviews, and shopping trend stories for all types of footwear, from designer shoes to athletic sneakers for both men and women. Prior to his current role, Mansuroglu was a fashion editor and stylist at Cosmopolitan Magazine, Style Editor at BestProducts.com, and Senior Style & Gear Editor for Men’s Health Magazine, where he edited the annual Men’s Health Sneaker Awards. Mansuroglu has been tapped as a shopping expert for editorial websites such as Wirecutter, and his writing has also appeared in Out Magazine, Esquire and other publications.
