I think sock wearing is mostly a matter of climate.

The only shoes I wear are comfortable, casual flats, generally shoes with an athletic-style rubber sole. These range from white leather "sneaker" style (both slip on and lace up) to leather or suede slip ons or Mary Jane style. But all with a heavier sole -- I have a few "dressy" type flats with thin leather soles. I wear stockings with them...or not. Just not socks.

I don't keep socks that slide down...the aggravation isn't worth it. I need my feet to be comfortable. Mostly black, but I've got lobster socks and pirate socks and moose socks and cat socks and flamingo socks and yesterday, in honor of St. David's Day, I wore black socks with the Welsh dragon on them. I have fun with socks. Yes, I do have some solid colored ones, too.

But I don't wear them in the summer. Here in New England, it's too hot in the summer to wear socks. So I put a dash of Gold Bond in the shoes and go barefoot in the shoes. I'd never consider wearing socks with sandals, no matter how casual. Sandals are designed to expose the feet to the air.

Linn