About Donald Charles Richardson Expertise exclusively for men. advice and information on fashion, grooming, fitness,travel, hair care, skin care, image consulting, health spas, modeling.
Experience author: Men of Style (book), writer for men''s magazines, Author, TheGuysGuide.com web magazine
Publications Exercise for Men Only, Men''s Exercise, Men''s Health, The New York Times, The New York Daily News, Playboy, TheGuysGuide.com web magazine
Awards and Honors Nominated for National Magazine Awards, finalist for Fifi Award
Question We have a guy here at work that recently started the habit of not wearing socks with his loafer-type safety shoes, and to top that off, he also frequently flops the shoes off and wiggles his toes at us! No joke! Others in the shop are telling him that it is not right to not wear socks at work, but he thinks it is stylish. Our question is ....
When is it proper to wear shoes without socks?
This guy is an engineer, so he doesn't do a lot of serious work of any kind, and his attire is casual, like jeans and polo shirts. The rest of us are hard workers in jeans and t-shirts, some of us wear work uniforms. (An electrical maintenance shop). Thanks in advance for your
answer.
Answer Dear Frank,
Well well well. Wiggles his toes, huh?
I personally don't like socks in the summer. However, there are times when you have to wear them (incidentally now is way too early unless you're in florida). Socks come off when white pants appear (after Memorial Day).
Now, you can go without socks when you're wearing very casual shoes i.e. loafers or sandals. Naturally you wouldn't wear these shoes with a suit or a blazer so you understand that sockless is only good when you're in a very laid back situation. The original idea was that the very wealthy slipped on very elegant casual shoes after a walk on the beach and headed off to cocktails. The idea has, of course expanded. However, I personally don't think it's a good idea to go to work without socks. And I particularly doubt that there is much style in "safety" shoes, so the idea that he can be stylish in these is preposterous. Regardless, under no circumstances at any time is it permissible or even vaguely acceptable for a guy to wiggle his toes at anyone in a public place. Toe wiggling is a private thing between consenting adults.
Best,
DCR
