What Even Is A Crew Sock?
Generational Sock Drama
According to the Internet, Millennials and Gen Z are a fight about socks—ankle socks versus crew socks, to be exact. War has been declared by The New York Times and The NY Post. Bloomberg is calling it “a generational battle for internet supremacy.” Vogue Business named it “the great sock debate.” Despite this seeming like a thing that should definitely not be called a war (are people actually fighting about this? Or are millennials just reckoning with their decline?) I’ve been captivated by this (low stakes) drama. Because it’s not at all clear to me that any of us even know which sock we’re fighting for.
Consider this photo from the NYT’s story: What I see are… ankle socks? Is that photo supposed to be showing crew socks? Or I am supposed to know that’s an ankle-sock-wearing millennial because of the Vejas and visible ankles??
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See also this TikTok, which shows a millennial crying as she puts on crew socks. But her socks sure look like ankle socks to me?
Perhaps the real debate is what even is an ankle sock? Or how high should a crew sock go? Maybe I’m just being dense. But some people call this an ankle sock, while other people call this an ankle sock. After spending a while in Google search results for “sock height charts” it seems like there are “low ankle” and “high ankle” socks, the latter of which is just a touch shorter than a “quarter” or “mid” crew sock. Where is the line?!
And the same seems to go for crew socks. Are they supposed to hit at the fullest part of your calf? Or before the gastrocnemius widens out?
This is all to say that maybe sock heights are nearly as full of shit as clothing sizes. Because just like any other piece of clothing, socks are going to look totally different on different legs. The same pair of crew socks will fit completely differently on someone with shorter, thicker calves versus someone with long, slender lower legs.
But even if we can’t neatly draw the line between ankle vs crew sock, I do think we could unite around super low cut socks. The no shows? The ones that sit below your bony ankle prominences? These socks have to be one of the worst pieces of fashion technology. They slide down and give you weird sock wedgies and kind of defeat the purpose of socks in the first place. They just don’t work and there is nothing chic about that.
So why were millennials even wearing invisible socks to begin with? As usual, one possible answer is fatphobia. We spent the better part of our teens and twenties trying to highlight the slimmest parts of our bodies, because everyone knows you can trick people into thinking you are smaller than you are by showing your ankles. Just like you can trick people into thinking you are younger than you are by… wearing higher socks. Right?
So why were millennials even wearing invisible socks to begin with? As usual, one possible answer is fatphobia. We spent the better part of our teens and twenties trying to highlight the slimmest parts of our bodies, because everyone knows you can trick people into thinking you are smaller than you are by showing your ankles. Just like you can trick people into thinking you are younger than you are by… wearing higher socks. Right?
This drama makes us lose sight of the most important thing about socks which is that they serve a functional purpose. They keep sweat from stinking up your shoes and they prevent blisters and provide warmth. If you have a practical application for wearing no show socks and the technology works for you, keep wearing them. No one is going to be fooled into thinking you are 24 based on your socks.
In addition to this in depth crew vs. ankle sock analysis, I tried on and reviewed eight different crew socks. If you’re enjoying reading about it, please become a paid subscriber.
As a long time wearer of Blundstones and other boots, crew socks have always been in my rotation, because socks have a practical application. I wore Muji socks and Marks & Spencer men’s striped crew socks for years. I tried the colorful Uniqlo socks that everyone loves, but they always left a dent in my shins. And even though I like crew socks, the height and the tightness feels hard to get just right. It needs to stay up without pinching or rolling down (but scrunching is okay?).
Most recently I’ve been exclusively wearing these socks from Shiny By Nature. I love the simplicity of having only one sock, but I’ve been trying to find an alternative. I wanted one that was a little less cushy, a little longer lasting, and hit a little higher on the calf.
Here are some socks that I tried on my journey to find the perfect crew sock (for me).
Shiny By Nature, Super Socks, $8 (but frequently on sale)
First, here are my usual socks. These socks claim to be “specifically designed to be extra comfy on larger calves,” but they don’t really go up my calves, so? Still, I think they are cute?? I wish they were maybe an inch or two taller?
Maggie’s Organics, Classic Crew, $11
The Strategist deemed these the perfect white socks, but I was super skeptical that they’d work for me. When I pulled them out of the package, the leg part just looked SO narrow. But they actually really stretch out and loosen up! The top of the leg didn’t feel tight or even very grippy. These were also the only socks I got that were not some type of cushioned/french terry situation in the foot. They were comfortable! But do I like how they look?
Big Bud Press, Thick Crew Sock, $12
I was really excited to try these because they come in a lot of cute colors, like everything BBP makes, but I ordered them in white *for science* and I do not like the shade of white! It’s very warm and I think I prefer a cool white for my socks. The knit on these was also the most nubbly / textured which made me wonder if they would get lots of snags and pulls. Pulled all the way up, these seem almost TOO high to me!
Falke, Run Rib Short Sock, $26
I was curious if I would be able to tell that these socks were twice as expensive as most of the other ones I ordered, and, well, yes I could. These are some FINE socks with designated left and right feet and sold by smaller shoe size increments (42-43 vs 8-12). Luxuriously soft and smooth, they fit perfectly and just FEEL GREAT. HOWEVER, I thought I was ordering the regular “Run” socks and not the short version and these definitely look like more of an ankle sock to me. I also don’t know that I can afford to be wearing $26 German-made socks, but I am excited to have these as an option. They also come in some truly beautiful colors and you can get them with custom embroidery!!
Bombas, Women's Vintage Stripes Half Calf Socks, $14
I admit to being really biased against Bombas because of their ubiquitous podcast advertising and I also really dislike the way that honeycomb arch support looks when you’re not wearing shoes. It seems gimmicky to me!! But I really liked how these socks look and fit when I am wearing shoes. These were comfortable and felt like they would hold up well.
Target, Band of Thieves Crew Socks, $12.99 for 3pairs
Okay, I love the bright white color of these, but these were also the tightest and definitely felt like they would leave an indentation in my lower leg. A good, basic sock and would probably be perfect if they were a touch looser!
Muji, right angle pile short socks, $4.90
These might be kind of the goldilocks sock for me! They are a bit higher on the leg than my original socks and the sock itself is a thinner, nicer feeling knit. I like the white color. But are they a crew sock? Hard to say! I do wish I lived near a Muji so I could buy them in person because their website is really annoying to use and other socks I want to try are always sold out in my size!
Aritzia, Best Ever Crew Sock, $20 for 3
I was curious to try these because Aritzia seems like one of those cool girl, never-in-my-size brands. They did come really nicely packaged and the height of these ones seems the most perfect to me. But they were pretty tight and the knit and color seemed very similar to the Target pair.
Okay, help me decide! Which socks do you like best? What are you looking for in a sock? Are you wearing crew socks or will you stay Team No Show?
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I am very old, so I would never wear crew socks and athletic-looking shoes with a dress (sorry TikToker). Also, I have no-show socks with a grippy strip on the heel and they don’t slide down. I’ll show myself out now.
I really like the bombas sock but I think I just like the stripes vibe! I am an ankle sock person and I haven’t been able to move past it. As I look at the rest of my family they seem to mostly wear mid crew length socks. Personally I don’t think I like my leg being covered up by socks and even in the winter I only wear long socks when it’s really cold or want an extra layer for boots. I hate no show socks though, they are completely useless for sure!