Vans sneakers are popular during summertime, especially the slip-on Vans.
Whether you’re rocking a pair of Vans for the skate park or wearing them as a fashion statement, the debate has always been about wearing them with or without socks.
So, can you actually wear Vans without socks?
It’s fine to wear Vans without socks for short periods. However, if you are doing anything active, or it’s warm and humid outside, you should wear socks with your Vans. Socks help control temperature and moisture so your Vans won’t get sweaty and sticky inside.
That said, there are smart ways to wear Vans “without socks”. In this post, we will explore the best ways to rock a pair of Vans, with or without socks.
Do You Wear Socks With Slip-On Vans?
While it’s normal to wear Old Skool Vans (the one with laces) with socks, most people prefer to wear slip-on Vans without socks.
Slip-on shoes, especially slip-on Vans, are designed as an easy style of footwear that highlights the ankles of the wearer. They are casual in appearance and tend to work best for relaxed and informal occasions.
However, it all depends on what you like. Whether you like the look of slip-on Vans without socks, or you like to wear them with ultra-high socks, go for it.
That said, here are our recommendations for wearing slip-on Vans:
1. Should you wear socks with slip-on vans?
Ideally, you should wear socks when wearing Vans, especially slip-on Vans.
Slip-on Vans do not have shoelaces, so they have less ventilation than regular Vans. Wearing socks can help regulate the temperature inside the shoes, reducing sweat and moisture.
Did you know that your feet have more sweat glands than anywhere else on the body? Indeed, there are about 125,000 sweat glands on each foot.
With or without shoes, your feet are constantly sweating, but when they are wrapped in shoes, they are more likely to be sweating due to the warmth and humidity inside.
Because of the sweating, the average foot loses about a cup of moisture per day.
Letting your feet sweat throughout the day may ultimately lead to infection because perspiration contains bacteria, no matter how many showers you take per day.
That is why you should wear socks with your Vans, including slip-on Vans.
2. Why should you wear socks with Vans
To keep things simple, here are a few reasons why you should wear socks with Vans:
- Smelly foot odor – caused by trapped sweat and high temperature
- Painful blisters – caused by your skin (especially the heels) rubbing the shoes
- Shorter shelf life – the insole material becomes thin and frail faster
- Ugly discoloration – sweat and moisture will stain the shoe material
Not only do socks provide an ideal place for your feet by helping in temperature and moisture control, but they also prevent your Vans from rubbing and causing painful heel blisters. Think of socks as the first line of protection for your feet.
Additionally, you may notice a pungent and smelly odor coming from your feet when you don’t wear socks for long periods of time.
Vans shoes are notorious for causing bad foot odor. The upper part of the shoes is made of either canvas or suede, materials that are not very breathable. Unlike mesh and fabric, they do not provide enough ventilation to let cool airflow come inside the shoes.
As a result, your feet may sweat more than normal when wearing Vans shoes.
Socks help absorb sweat from your feet when they’re trapped inside your shoes. Without socks, the sweat has nowhere to go, which ultimately results in a smelly odor. You don’t want your friends and family to talk about your smelly feet now, would you?
Moreover, if too much sweat touches your shoe’s insole material, the synthetic fiber will keep getting weaker and weaker until it becomes thin and frail. This will hurt your feet in return.
3. What socks do you wear with Vans slip-ons?
If you want to go for the “sockless” look while keeping the dreadful foot aroma at bay, then you should wear no-show socks with your slip-on Vans.
No-show socks, also known as invisible socks, are socks that provide protection for your feet but are low enough to remain unseen below the ankles. It’s as if you are wearing no socks at all, hence the name, no-show socks.
Not only are they cheap, but they are made of ultra-breathable materials which keep your feet dry. Just be sure to buy no-show socks that are unisex.
We’ve found one product on Amazon which is made of 80% cotton, 17% polyester, 3% spandex, giving you a plush and comfortable feeling. Additionally, these no-show socks have three silicone non-slip strips at the heel to prevent rubbing and blisters.
Check them out.
Should I Wear High Socks With Hi-Top Vans?
Vans can be worn either with or without visible socks.
Just like wearing invisible socks for low-top Vans, you can choose to wear ankle socks for high-top Vans if you don’t want to include the appearance of socks in your look.
By wearing slightly higher socks with high-top sneakers, you will have more comfort and reduced foot odor, compared to going completely sock-free.
High-top Vans are best worn with jeans or long trousers, instead of shorts. Because of this, it doesn’t really matter whether your socks are visible or not, since the jeans would cover up most of the socks anyways.
That being said, it’s better to go with neutral-colored socks, like black, white, or grey, if you’re going for a clean and minimalistic look.
But if you want to go bold, then socks with striking and contrasting colors are the way to go.
Final Words
Now you know that you can actually wear Vans without socks.
But, wearing Vans without socks may cause unpleasant foot odor and damage to your shoes. If you want to go for the “sockless” look, wear a pair of no-show socks with your Vans.
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