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.
LOL, Annette, I just turned 50 but I'm so excited to be able to wear athletic shoes and whatever socks I want with everything. I have a lot of foot issues and it's really liberating to feel like not only am I in less pain, I am now fashionable! Until I'm not anymore, of course.
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!
Low ankle socks but I feel like it was tied to a lot of discussion of cankles in my middle school years. I was still wearing high tops and crew socks in 5th grade!
I thought I was losing my mind trying to figure out ankle vs crew, so this is useful info! I like shorter socks, in the ankle range, because I have usually associated crew socks with a top elastic that makes my skin itchy/sweaty and doesn't stay up anyway. I like that some of these don't have the elastic band look/feel.
I also didn't pay much attention to Bombas because of the podcast ubiquity, but also, I think I viewed their buy one/give one as a sort of greenwashing. When I looked it up this morning, though, it does seem like they're donating to places where socks are actually a need rather than just flinging them into an abyss. So a gimmick but a less-pointless gimmick?
None of the styles I tried have an elastic band at the top, but most of the tops are kind of thicker / more elasticated to help them grip, I guess. The Maggie's ones don't have that, though, so you might like those?
I don’t watch podcasts, so am not exposed to their advertising, but I’ve worn Bombas for maybe 5-6 years. My last order included a pair that developed a hole right away, but they replaced them, no questions asked.
Liz, unhoused people in my community definitely do receive Bombas all the time, and they are great socks. I haven't heard their podcast advertising, though - I guess my favorite podcasts aren't where they go (maybe I'm not their demo, or maybe the fact that they sell me a ton of socks means they don't need to advertise to me.)
I wear heel shield Bombas (with the tab) because maybe 20 years ago my daughters told me wearing ankle socks with my athletic shoes was very uncool. I’m a Boomer/Gen X and my daughters are Millennials. So, NOW I find that I’m uncool once again, and I’ve faced the fact that I’ll never be cool, so screw it. I tried the Shiny by Nature socks, but the elastic is too tight. I’m thinking of switching to quarter socks. I live in crops/capris year round here in Georgia, and I can’t imagine wearing crew socks, but then, that’s my generation talking.
My sock wearing is guided by weather and functionality. I love a Smartwool "low ankle" for summer hiking, walking (to work, with the dog, out and about). I often wear these with reeboks and dresses if it's not so hot that I have to wear Chacos and expose my talons to the world. In fall and winter, I wear crew socks most of the time, but if it's REALLY cold and/or I'm wearing wide leg pants, I'll wear over the calf wool ski or hiking socks. I'm "invisible-sock" curious, but afraid of the sock wedgies you mention, so I haven't tried them yet. I have young adult kids (23 and 20), and I'll just say if I ever wore the sock combos they do, I'd have been bullied mercilessly. Progress?
FIrst of all, I love your scorpion tattoo! Are you a scorpio, or is there another story there?
I love the athletic stripe on the bombas but also…in addition to wanting to highlight the slenderest part of my leg (I'll cop to it) I don't like how crew socks hem the wearer into a more casual look. I associate crew socks with SPORTS!
For the longest time I thought super low socks (somewhere between no show and super low) were the only option for me. As a kid, every sock I ever owned that wasn't at that height dug into my ankles to the point of being painful. The first higher sock I discovered that didn't cut off my circulation were Gold Toe Ultra Soft Mid Crew socks (https://www.amazon.com/Gold-Toe-Womens-Ultra-Assorted/dp/B07NDDMWMB/ref=sr_1_53?crid=1JBA87XDS8W75). I bought these back when I exclusively shopped at JCPenneys in my college days, and the first time I wore them around my aunt (who has also been plus size since youth), she gasped because she had apparently been wearing them since the 80s and I never noticed! I found the style I wore a bit thin over time, and I mostly wore them with my blundstones, which no longer fit because of my extremely high orthotics and instep (lol) so I shifted to exclusively wearing the Shiny By Nature socks, but I think you may want to try one of their styles - maybe the quarter extended (https://www.goldtoe.com/womens-hydrotec-quarter-extended/)? I'm tempted myself because they remind me of both the Shiny By Nature AND the Muji sock you recommended, which I picked up last summer in a Portland, OR store and also loved!
I really wanted to love Bombas, but my aunt gave me a limited edition colorway and I swear to god I've never worn a tighter sock in my life. I'm not sure if it was the style of crew or what, but they left indents in my ankles for hours after I took them off!
Anyway, you obviously know where my preference lies fit-wise, but I really love the look of the Muji sock the best. Though I do like the look of the striped Bombas on you with that shoe! It's giving 1970s summer camp counselor in a good way.
YES, the stripes were a real surprise and delight! I need to brainstorm some good outfits for them. Thank you for the Gold Toe rec! They look great to me and a friend just got some gold toe brand with a stripe at the top at TJ Maxx, and I was admiring them, so I may need to go back and see if they still have them!
Gen X'er here to say I dig a crew sock! And no, I'm not trying to look younger. I live on a farm and am constantly in and out of muck boots and Blundstones and so they just work. I really love the striped socks from Le Bon Shoppe but they do tend to leave a mark on leg if I wear them all day. I don't totally mind that but it's a thing. I used to wear a lot of crew'ish socks from Hansel from Basel but the quality is pretty crap on those and they're $$. For super splurge, Antipast. That's like one pair for a celebratory occasion. They hit at the right part of the leg for me- mostly crew length- and they are just gorgeous. Dress up socks for non farm outings!
Crew socks really do offer some necessary function under boots & blundstones! I used to wear some Hansel from Basel socks on fancy occasions, but haven't bought any in a while.
Ok so I have to admit that the whole generational debate about socks is definitely a thing that I simply do not care about (I mean for myself on a sartorial level - I shan't change my sock behavior, reading about it is fascinating though). Knowing which fashion things to check out of has been a major gift of getting older for me.
I think I commented on a previous post here or somewhere with my deep love for Muji socks. I'm lucky to live in a city with one of their brick and mortars and I probably go in once a year and stock up on socks. Last year they had a bunch with cute stripes like the bombas you modeled that my wife LOVES. They often have such great colors and patterns and I've found that they hold up really well. FWIW, I think their low ankle/no show socks are pretty great - I don't tend to have issues with them slipping down into my shoe at all. Relatedly, I am also a big fan of ankle socks and other than the Muji ones, I really like the bombas runner ankle socks and also feetures brand ankle socks - both don't slip down into my shoes, probably due to some sorcery reserved for athletic wear(?). I really dislike the sensory feeling of having socks touching my ankles when I exercise so this is why I tried both of these brands, but I wear them sometimes with just regular outfits and I dig them.
I will say that I also really like bombas wool socks in the winters. I tend to run cold, especially in my feet, and it makes a huge difference to me in the winters for my feet to be warm "enough". I have a few pairs I've been wearing for 4+ years and they are in great shape.
Target socks - I've gotten sucked in so many times because of cute hansel from basel-esque patterns, but I also find them uncomfortably tight but they also slip down my calf and bunch up which I also strongly dislike. The form holes faster than the muji socks so I think I just need to stop even looking at the sock area when I'm in a store.
I'm glad you're breaking all this down for us, because I've been confused by all this shit for awhile now! I wore knee socks forever, and got them from Sock Dreams because of all the cute prints, stripes, etc. My left knee replacement surgery kinda ruined things on that side (things haven't worked out great--worse pain than before, weird nerve damage radiating downward, etc.), so I switched to crew socks. I always thought crew socks were the kind that stopped just short of the midpoint of your calf? For reference, I'm almost 66yrs old, and probably have no clue as to what's what--I wear what feels good on me, period. I started buying the same Shiny by Nature socks as you, Corinne, because you recommended them! I really like the fit and colors (although they don't come in quite as many now), and they do frequently go on sale. Those, to me, are ankle socks though.
I love the Maggie's Organic and the Big Bud Press for the look of the socks on you, but I really like the brighter white of the Target ones--not if they're tight though!!! :(
Did you wear knee socks under pants?? I think if you like the shiny by nature ones and you want to switch, you would probably also like Muji, they are fairly similar.
Ankle socks here, too, also because I just don’t like the feeling of close fabric on my legs. But those stripey Bombas crews are so cute! And agreed, no-shows are ridiculous unless I’m not ever moving my feet all day.
Shockingly on-time article here for me, as I have been attempting this same journey (but much more slowly). I keep trying cute crew socks on my size twelve, thick ankled feet only to find they are 2-3 inches shorter than me than they are on the model!
Oh man, so much love and solidarity for my fellow size 12 thick-ankled people!! And if it's any help, the photos are of my ankles and size 12 feet so might be comparable for you? Have you found any that work well?
I also really like the bombas, but am a sucker for stripes!! I wear low ankle socks with my running shoes - I like that they didn't slip down my leg (I've had sensory concerns with socks since I was a kid), and I just have 5 pairs of smartwool that I bought on sale. I do like crew socks in the winter, but usually wear wool socks then. I admit to feeling a little self conscious about wearing higher socks when I wear sneakers with shorts (I'm an older millennial!), but you are inspiring me .
I guess I have been fully Gen Z - pilled because I do think it looks cool now! But I don't really mind how ankle socks look either, so who knows!! I like the stripes, too, though... definitely going to look into more striped socks.
Major 🫡 for this. I love a crew sock and my favorite are from girlfriend collective, though it appears they no longer exist which is a HUGE BUMMER. They have the perfect amount of compression and support in the arch and wow I’m so sad that I can’t get more of them.
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 MEAN, if they're working for you, all the more power to you!
LOL, Annette, I just turned 50 but I'm so excited to be able to wear athletic shoes and whatever socks I want with everything. I have a lot of foot issues and it's really liberating to feel like not only am I in less pain, I am now fashionable! Until I'm not anymore, of course.
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!
I like the stripes, too! Are you a high ankle or low ankle sock person?
Low ankle socks but I feel like it was tied to a lot of discussion of cankles in my middle school years. I was still wearing high tops and crew socks in 5th grade!
I thought I was losing my mind trying to figure out ankle vs crew, so this is useful info! I like shorter socks, in the ankle range, because I have usually associated crew socks with a top elastic that makes my skin itchy/sweaty and doesn't stay up anyway. I like that some of these don't have the elastic band look/feel.
I also didn't pay much attention to Bombas because of the podcast ubiquity, but also, I think I viewed their buy one/give one as a sort of greenwashing. When I looked it up this morning, though, it does seem like they're donating to places where socks are actually a need rather than just flinging them into an abyss. So a gimmick but a less-pointless gimmick?
None of the styles I tried have an elastic band at the top, but most of the tops are kind of thicker / more elasticated to help them grip, I guess. The Maggie's ones don't have that, though, so you might like those?
I don’t watch podcasts, so am not exposed to their advertising, but I’ve worn Bombas for maybe 5-6 years. My last order included a pair that developed a hole right away, but they replaced them, no questions asked.
Liz, unhoused people in my community definitely do receive Bombas all the time, and they are great socks. I haven't heard their podcast advertising, though - I guess my favorite podcasts aren't where they go (maybe I'm not their demo, or maybe the fact that they sell me a ton of socks means they don't need to advertise to me.)
I wear heel shield Bombas (with the tab) because maybe 20 years ago my daughters told me wearing ankle socks with my athletic shoes was very uncool. I’m a Boomer/Gen X and my daughters are Millennials. So, NOW I find that I’m uncool once again, and I’ve faced the fact that I’ll never be cool, so screw it. I tried the Shiny by Nature socks, but the elastic is too tight. I’m thinking of switching to quarter socks. I live in crops/capris year round here in Georgia, and I can’t imagine wearing crew socks, but then, that’s my generation talking.
My sock wearing is guided by weather and functionality. I love a Smartwool "low ankle" for summer hiking, walking (to work, with the dog, out and about). I often wear these with reeboks and dresses if it's not so hot that I have to wear Chacos and expose my talons to the world. In fall and winter, I wear crew socks most of the time, but if it's REALLY cold and/or I'm wearing wide leg pants, I'll wear over the calf wool ski or hiking socks. I'm "invisible-sock" curious, but afraid of the sock wedgies you mention, so I haven't tried them yet. I have young adult kids (23 and 20), and I'll just say if I ever wore the sock combos they do, I'd have been bullied mercilessly. Progress?
Ditto on the Smartwool!
FIrst of all, I love your scorpion tattoo! Are you a scorpio, or is there another story there?
I love the athletic stripe on the bombas but also…in addition to wanting to highlight the slenderest part of my leg (I'll cop to it) I don't like how crew socks hem the wearer into a more casual look. I associate crew socks with SPORTS!
I am not a scorpio, I am a capricorn! But I do have a planet in scorpio and my sister is a scorpio! Are you a scorpio??
Love your point about crew socks being more casual--but what about men's dress socks! Do those count?
(And nooooooo, I'm Aries sun/moon and Cancer rising.)
I mean, I would never wear men's dress socks either but if you're going formal, yes, DO IT!
For the longest time I thought super low socks (somewhere between no show and super low) were the only option for me. As a kid, every sock I ever owned that wasn't at that height dug into my ankles to the point of being painful. The first higher sock I discovered that didn't cut off my circulation were Gold Toe Ultra Soft Mid Crew socks (https://www.amazon.com/Gold-Toe-Womens-Ultra-Assorted/dp/B07NDDMWMB/ref=sr_1_53?crid=1JBA87XDS8W75). I bought these back when I exclusively shopped at JCPenneys in my college days, and the first time I wore them around my aunt (who has also been plus size since youth), she gasped because she had apparently been wearing them since the 80s and I never noticed! I found the style I wore a bit thin over time, and I mostly wore them with my blundstones, which no longer fit because of my extremely high orthotics and instep (lol) so I shifted to exclusively wearing the Shiny By Nature socks, but I think you may want to try one of their styles - maybe the quarter extended (https://www.goldtoe.com/womens-hydrotec-quarter-extended/)? I'm tempted myself because they remind me of both the Shiny By Nature AND the Muji sock you recommended, which I picked up last summer in a Portland, OR store and also loved!
I really wanted to love Bombas, but my aunt gave me a limited edition colorway and I swear to god I've never worn a tighter sock in my life. I'm not sure if it was the style of crew or what, but they left indents in my ankles for hours after I took them off!
Anyway, you obviously know where my preference lies fit-wise, but I really love the look of the Muji sock the best. Though I do like the look of the striped Bombas on you with that shoe! It's giving 1970s summer camp counselor in a good way.
YES, the stripes were a real surprise and delight! I need to brainstorm some good outfits for them. Thank you for the Gold Toe rec! They look great to me and a friend just got some gold toe brand with a stripe at the top at TJ Maxx, and I was admiring them, so I may need to go back and see if they still have them!
Gen X'er here to say I dig a crew sock! And no, I'm not trying to look younger. I live on a farm and am constantly in and out of muck boots and Blundstones and so they just work. I really love the striped socks from Le Bon Shoppe but they do tend to leave a mark on leg if I wear them all day. I don't totally mind that but it's a thing. I used to wear a lot of crew'ish socks from Hansel from Basel but the quality is pretty crap on those and they're $$. For super splurge, Antipast. That's like one pair for a celebratory occasion. They hit at the right part of the leg for me- mostly crew length- and they are just gorgeous. Dress up socks for non farm outings!
Crew socks really do offer some necessary function under boots & blundstones! I used to wear some Hansel from Basel socks on fancy occasions, but haven't bought any in a while.
Ok so I have to admit that the whole generational debate about socks is definitely a thing that I simply do not care about (I mean for myself on a sartorial level - I shan't change my sock behavior, reading about it is fascinating though). Knowing which fashion things to check out of has been a major gift of getting older for me.
I think I commented on a previous post here or somewhere with my deep love for Muji socks. I'm lucky to live in a city with one of their brick and mortars and I probably go in once a year and stock up on socks. Last year they had a bunch with cute stripes like the bombas you modeled that my wife LOVES. They often have such great colors and patterns and I've found that they hold up really well. FWIW, I think their low ankle/no show socks are pretty great - I don't tend to have issues with them slipping down into my shoe at all. Relatedly, I am also a big fan of ankle socks and other than the Muji ones, I really like the bombas runner ankle socks and also feetures brand ankle socks - both don't slip down into my shoes, probably due to some sorcery reserved for athletic wear(?). I really dislike the sensory feeling of having socks touching my ankles when I exercise so this is why I tried both of these brands, but I wear them sometimes with just regular outfits and I dig them.
I will say that I also really like bombas wool socks in the winters. I tend to run cold, especially in my feet, and it makes a huge difference to me in the winters for my feet to be warm "enough". I have a few pairs I've been wearing for 4+ years and they are in great shape.
Target socks - I've gotten sucked in so many times because of cute hansel from basel-esque patterns, but I also find them uncomfortably tight but they also slip down my calf and bunch up which I also strongly dislike. The form holes faster than the muji socks so I think I just need to stop even looking at the sock area when I'm in a store.
I'm glad you're breaking all this down for us, because I've been confused by all this shit for awhile now! I wore knee socks forever, and got them from Sock Dreams because of all the cute prints, stripes, etc. My left knee replacement surgery kinda ruined things on that side (things haven't worked out great--worse pain than before, weird nerve damage radiating downward, etc.), so I switched to crew socks. I always thought crew socks were the kind that stopped just short of the midpoint of your calf? For reference, I'm almost 66yrs old, and probably have no clue as to what's what--I wear what feels good on me, period. I started buying the same Shiny by Nature socks as you, Corinne, because you recommended them! I really like the fit and colors (although they don't come in quite as many now), and they do frequently go on sale. Those, to me, are ankle socks though.
I love the Maggie's Organic and the Big Bud Press for the look of the socks on you, but I really like the brighter white of the Target ones--not if they're tight though!!! :(
Did you wear knee socks under pants?? I think if you like the shiny by nature ones and you want to switch, you would probably also like Muji, they are fairly similar.
Yes, I did. I will have to try the Muji! Thank you so much!!! xoxo
Ankle socks here, too, also because I just don’t like the feeling of close fabric on my legs. But those stripey Bombas crews are so cute! And agreed, no-shows are ridiculous unless I’m not ever moving my feet all day.
I dislike wearing socks in general so the shorter the better (unless the footwear dictates a longer sock)
Shockingly on-time article here for me, as I have been attempting this same journey (but much more slowly). I keep trying cute crew socks on my size twelve, thick ankled feet only to find they are 2-3 inches shorter than me than they are on the model!
Oh man, so much love and solidarity for my fellow size 12 thick-ankled people!! And if it's any help, the photos are of my ankles and size 12 feet so might be comparable for you? Have you found any that work well?
I really like the look of the Muji sock. I must admit I love a good sock and croc situation, and these may be the perfect sock for that...
I also really like the bombas, but am a sucker for stripes!! I wear low ankle socks with my running shoes - I like that they didn't slip down my leg (I've had sensory concerns with socks since I was a kid), and I just have 5 pairs of smartwool that I bought on sale. I do like crew socks in the winter, but usually wear wool socks then. I admit to feeling a little self conscious about wearing higher socks when I wear sneakers with shorts (I'm an older millennial!), but you are inspiring me .
I guess I have been fully Gen Z - pilled because I do think it looks cool now! But I don't really mind how ankle socks look either, so who knows!! I like the stripes, too, though... definitely going to look into more striped socks.
Major 🫡 for this. I love a crew sock and my favorite are from girlfriend collective, though it appears they no longer exist which is a HUGE BUMMER. They have the perfect amount of compression and support in the arch and wow I’m so sad that I can’t get more of them.