Loafers and the “Invisible” Sock Dilemma

May is probably my favourite month in terms of weather. There may be the occasional day or two when it rains buckets, but generally the skies are clear, the days warm and the nights comfortably cool. It’s also the perfect time to bring those suede loafers out of winter hibernation.

I don’t like wearing socks with loafers. Actually, to be clearer, I don’t like wearing long socks with loafers. It always looks a bit odd to me, though I can’t really explain why. Mind you, I’ve tried going entirely sockless with loafers and didn’t like that either: my feet got sticky quite quickly and it felt a bit, well, weird. It reminded me of going to the beach and trudging about in a pair of damp, soon-to-be-stinking trainers.

The best solution to the sockless-with-loafers dilemma is the “invisible” sock. They provide the comfort and sweat-absorption properties of a normal sock, but leave your ankles nicely exposed to the cool air.

But be careful when buying invisible socks: not all are made for loafing.

The sock on the left is by Falke; the sock on the right is by Uniqlo. They look very similar, and both even have silicone strips on the heels to prevent annoying sock slippage. As for price, at JPY990 for three, Uniqlo’s are over a third cheaper than Falke’s. But wait! Before you buy the Uniqlo ones you should see what they look like with loafers on.

As you can see, the Uniqlo ones are still visible, while the Falke ones are not. Showing a bit of sock around the edges isn’t the end of the world, by any means, but if you’re looking for that clean, sock-free look, plump for a pair of Falke’s.

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