Socks and Sandals: The Surprisingly Chic Look You Never Knew You Needed

My niece and I have had a long-lasting fashion "discussion" for many years. I get disapproving stares, eye-rolls, giggles and whispered comments of "Weirdo!".

I admit it, I am NOT a fashionista. Or, rather, I tread my own fashion path, quite happily I might add.

What is my fashion crime, in the eyes of my niece (and my partner too)?

Wearing hiking socks with hiking sandals. Or, more basically... socks and sandals.

Yep, I am one of those folks who thinks nothing of wearing socks with sandals... whether it's with shorts or jeans, doesn't matter.

I've always thought of this as a signature West Coast thing. I happily wore socks with sandals all through my university years and beyond.

Although, on reflection, perhaps it started during my geology years. We'd come back to camp after spending the day clambering around mountain ridges and take off our hiking boots and sweaty socks. After a day of living in hiking boots, the skin on my feet was quite soft. I've learned the hard way that you can't just wear sandals after having your feet sweating away in shoes or boots all day. That is the fast track to a blister or sore spot. Solution? Wear fresh socks with the sandals.

Or maybe it started when my sister and I traveled around Europe. On a day that was set to be sunny and warm, you'd want to leave the hostel with your sandals on your feet. But... the mornings were too cool for naked feet in sandals. Soooo... wear socks and sandals! Of course, I'd never take the socks off because... when you wear socks to start the day... your feet get soft and tender and sweaty and wearing plain old sandals... well... same problem as above.

And whether people admit it or not, socks and sandals are infinitely cooler than shoes and sandals, so yes, socks and sandals are a solution to a hot day.

However this trend started... I am a staunch supporter of socks and sandals... mostly. I'm not so sure about the older guys who wear dress sandals and knee high socks. That's not my fashion trend but... hey... to each their own. If that is comfortable, then rock the socks! Maybe knee high socks are compression stockings? We don't know, so why judge?

I have all sorts of reasons for wearing socks and sandals... from cool mornings, to hiking in sandy areas, to adding an extra layer of cushioning to my feet. Let's face it, if you are going to be hiking in sandals, that's a lot of straps rubbing on bare skin... why not just cushion the skin with some socks?

Of course, if you're just strolling 50 feet from the car to the beach, well... then maybe sandals and naked feet make sense. But walking for any distance? Give me socks with my sandals please.

Maybe it's a fashion faux-pas. But I have yet to encounter the Fashion Police. Nor heard of anyone being hauled away for wearing socks and sandals.

Eh, who cares. I'm not a fashionista and will happily trample multiple fashion faux-pas in a single outing. I'm all about functionality and comfort.

Let my niece and partner giggle and roll their eyes... one day... they will experience the bliss of socks and sandals!

N.B. Both images were created by Google's AI image generator - Gemini. With much prompting from me. It was impossible to get it to unroll the pants of the jeans in the second image. Perhaps rolled up cuffs are now derigeur in the fashion world?

Thrifty Sandal Shopping

I am not a shoe person. Me and Imelda Marcos are on opposite ends of the spectrum. While some people have multiple sandals... that's not me... I have one pair of sandals. I know... I'm weird. I had a pair of Columbia sandals years ago that I loved. They had a leather footbed that was super comfy. But then they died... and I found these Columbia sandals at Value Village 5 years ago!! Cool!! $12 for a pair of sandals. Excellent!

Old Columbia Sandals

Sad Sandals

Except... these sandals are now on their last legs. When we were in Mexico in December, the bottom was flapping off the front of them. Luckily my brother-in-law had a little tube of Crazy Glue, so I was able to patch them up. I mean... I only had the one pair of sandals soooo... a death in the sandal department would have been a disaster!

Except now... as we enter the summer season in earnest... the rest of the bottom is coming off in earnest (except the front where it was glued). I could glue them again but... some of those side bits that hold the straps in place have come loose as well. It's time to bid farewell to this pair and look for something new.

Dying Columbia Sandals

Brand New Sandals

I went on a bit of a meander through Atmosphere, the local sporting goods/camping goods/hiking footwear store. They have sandals galore but... $150 for a pair of sandals?? Seriously??? I meandered right back out of the store. Maybe if I was going to go and hike the Camino or go on another trip to southeast Asia.... But for just trotting around town and going to the beach? Nope... not paying that much for a pair of sandals.

Used Sandals

Soooo... every time I go to Value Village, I poke around the shoe aisles and have a look. I'm on the hunt for a very particular type of sandal... a hiking sandal with nothing between the toes. Not a Teva... fairly sturdy. For weeks, I struck out. I'd see a likely candidate but then it wouldn't feel comfortable, or it was too flimsy or too worn out or... whatever...

And then.... a few weeks ago... I saw them... ***cue the chorus of angels singing***

New Sandals!

There they were!!! I tried them on... they were comfy. They had adjustable straps. They were in good shape. They were... $6.99... SOLD! Start the car!!!

Now... the sandals I normally wear are men's hiking sandals and these are women's sandals.... so they are a bit... daintier than the men's version but... you know what... for $6.99, I can't go wrong. And yes... I took some isopropyl alcohol to the foot bed and gave it a bit of a wipe... 

And no... I have no idea what brand these are... oh well!

Benefits of Used Sandals

I know some people are a bit... ewwwwww... when it comes to second-hand footwear but... seriously... what's not to love.

• it keeps something that still has life, out of the landfill
• you save money ($$$$)
• they are already broken in!
• less demand for new means less pollution in manufacturing new

I like all of those benefits. And maybe I'll buy a new pair of sandals one day... but for right now, these are perfectly fine. And if my feet don't like them... heck, it's only $6.99.

The only real downside is... you gotta wait for the right pair of sandals to come to you at Value Village. You can't just walk into a thrift store and expect to find perfect pair of sandals waiting for you. Although that does sometimes happen. Nope, this requires patience and commitment... which isn't a bad thing.

Frugal Thrifty Spendthrift Cheapskate?

I do wonder sometimes if I'm too much of a cheapskate... spendthrift... skinflint... tightwad...

Although... I have no trouble going to Atmosphere and buying myself a new pair of Merrell hiking boots when the old ones die. I live in my hiking boots so I am not going to skimp on my foot happiness there. Sooo... it's not that I don't spend money. I just want to spend money on the stuff that matters.

And for me... a pair of sandals aren't that big a deal unless... like I said earlier... I'm going to be living in them while traversing southeast Asia. That's when they matter... and that's when I'd splurge on a pair.

But for just schlepping around, here at home... a second-hand, gently-used, thrifted pair of sandals are perfectly fine.

And even better... I can wear these sandals with my hiking socks and rock the West Coast Socks'n'Sandals look!!! A West Coast Fashionista... that's me!