Moccasins are slip-on shoes that have a thin upturned sole with no distinct heel.
These shoes also have a separate piece of leather that is attached on the top and extends to the toes – which is called a moc-toe
The thin upturned soles along with the moc-toe make it a casual shoe, and so one might wonder if it is acceptable to wear socks with moccasins
Wearing socks with moccasins is completely okay if you want to. Socks will keep your feet warm when the days get colder, and the level of comfort with/without socks will vary from person to person. However, if you are wearing shorts with moccasins then full-length crew socks should be avoided
The topic of socks with moccasins mainly has two sides to it.
Firstly, there’s the question of whether you should actually wear socks or not. These will mainly depend on the weather outside, and also your choice (yes!)
Next, if you do decide to wear socks – you’ve to choose what type of socks you should wear
Both these concerns are pretty straightforward, so let’s get into it straight away
You Should Wear Socks With Moccasins If
#1: It’s Cold Outside
The weather is pretty much the most obvious reason you would want to wear socks with mocs, or with any kind of shoes really
Socks can not only help with smelly feet, but also keep your feet warm
A nice pair of thick cotton or wool socks will be just perfect for when the temperatures drop.
There is an argument on if you should even wear moccasins in the winter as they are basically summer shoes. That makes some sense, and although I wouldn’t recommend wearing moccasins out while it’s snowing, winters are not the same everywhere.
And there are many cold months in the year apart from the winters 🙂
Besides, a lot of people also use moccasins as home-shoes (try it if you haven’t, it’s a great option!), so socks are a great way to feel all cozy and nice when it’s cold outside
On the flip side, on the warmer days you can skip the socks and let your feet breathe. Spring and Summer months are the perfect weather for wearing your moccasins without the socks.
One less thing to take off before jumping into the pool, imo 😉
#2: You Want To
This one’s obvious, but it so important that we need to talk about it.
And I’m glad that it came up – I can have a mini-rant while also hoping that I am giving you some useful info 🙂
If you really want to wear socks with moccasins, then go ahead and wear them!
Style is subjective, and style ‘rules’ merely provide you with a framework of things and ideas that are known to suit or look best.
Should you listen and understand those rules? Yes. Because you should know what you’re working with.
Do you need to always follow them? Maybe not
Real Men Real Style has a concept called The Style Pyramid, and it consists of three things – Fit, Function, and Fabric. Basically, these three factors play a big role in the overall style of an Individual
Do you see the second point there? It’s Function.
Looking stylish and trendy is of no use if it’s not actually helping you or serving a function
I have worn a pair of dress pants with moccasins (which is a big no-no) AND socks for months on my commute to work. Why? Because those were the only waterproof shoes I had, and it was the rainy season here in Mumbai.
Looking back, I could’ve made better choices about it – but with the resources I had at that time it was perfectly fine
Oh, and I do wear socks with moccasins, and with every other shoe, even now. Socks always help me feel comfortable in shoes, so that’s what I choose (hey look, rhyme!)
This, however, shouldn’t be an excuse for you to not try anything new. You never know, you might just start enjoying wearing your mocs, without socks
Read everything – try something – and repeat what makes you feel the best
What Type Of Socks Can You Wear With Moccasins
So, you’ve decided that you want to wear socks. What now – which socks should you wear – no-show, ankle-length or crew length
To figure that out, check the pants that you are going to wear with your moccasins.
For shorts and moccasins, it is best to stick with no-show or loafer socks. If you’re not comfortable with no-show socks, give ankle socks a try. They don’t look as good as no-show ones, but can still work with a pair of shorts
When wearing moccasins with other long pants such as jeans or chinos, both no-show and crew socks can be great depending on what you like.
If it is cold though, no-show socks are not going to keep you warm so you’re better off wearing crew length socks (or even over-the-calf socks)
So, What Did You Decide?
Are you team socks or team no-socks?
I’m on the socky (is that a word?) side most of the days, and then no-socks on some
Let me know about your sock-with-moccasin experiences in the comments
