Old Man in Sandals and White Socks

Combining socks with sandals is now a mainstream trend. But even back when it was a fashion no-go, Germans couldn't have cared less. We look into the stereotype, as well as Germany's strong tradition of ugly sandals.

Wearing socks with sandals used to be the absolute fashion faux pas. If it's hot enough to wear sandals, critics would claim, why would you need to wear socks with them? And isn't the non-waterproof combination absolutely useless in muddy situations or if it starts raining?

Most crucially, a bunch of people simply feel the combination is an eyesore.

For years, several Germans were nevertheless oblivious to the fact that they were ridiculed for wearing white socks with their old-school leather sandals.

Those Germans weren't the only ones associated with the look; it was adopted worldwide, usually by older people unconcerned by the basic commandments of fashion. Still, the German habit was turned into a national stereotype that's still perpetuated today: For instance, in the DW series of cartoons That's so German, artist Miguel Fernandez also refers to the cliche.

The cultural phenomenon therefore deserves further exploration. Are Germans really at the origin of the combination formerly vetoed by the international fashion police?

The DW series "That's so German" also pokes fun at the cliche

Trendsetters from the antiquity

The internet does not reveal much about the origins of the Teutonic cliche. There's a Wikipedia page on "Socks and sandals" in English and a few other languages — but it doesn't even exist in German — yet.

It mentions that the earliest documented evidence of wearing socks and sandals together was found through an Ancient Roman archaeological site in North Yorkshire, England. An analysis of the remains of a sandal determined that Romans were already doing it 2,000 years ago.

Actual Romano-Egyptian socks, divided at the toe and designed to be worn with sandals, were excavated from a burial site in Egypt at the end of the 19th century. Estimated to have been made in the 4th to 5th century, they have been part of the collection of the V&A Museum in London since 1900.

The Japanese developed their own style of the combination too, as points out fashion historian Birgit Haase, professor at the university HAW Hamburg. Dating back to the 15th century, traditional tabi socks were also specifically designed to be worn with thonged footwear. Donned by men and women in different contexts, they are still part of formal attire for tea ceremonies, for example.

German tourists established the cliche

In comparison, the socks-and-sandals combination does not appear in German traditional dress, even though knee-high socks are prominent when men wear lederhosen.

It's rather through German tourists that the image became widespread, according to Lena Sämann, head of the fashion department of Vogue Germany online. "They would climb mountains wearing tennis socks and trekking sandals, astonishing Southern Europeans," she told DW. For years, Germans were the world's top travelers, but they still wanted to feel comfortable and "at home" while abroad, which is probably why they'd pick footwear that felt like their slippers, Sämann says.

The fashion editor also points out that "Germans like to be prepared and equipped for every situation. They've always had a soft spot for functional clothing — often adopting it in partner look. By wearing socks in their trekking sandals, they probably don't get blisters on their feet as quickly."

Fashion historian Birgit Haase also mentions another practical reason for the combination: Socks absorb sweat in sandals — so they're not as useless as they first appear.

Comfortable with the feeling of sand in your socks? Here's the way to do it

Sandals with a strong tradition

If it's unclear when the cliche of the socks-and-sandals wearer became associated with Germans, the country has a well-documented history as a master of orthopedic sandals.

Birkenstock is obviously one of the world's most famous brands in this field. German shoemaker Johann Adam Birkenstock established his family business in 1774. Their shoes with a cork insole were developed by 1945, and the first model resembling today's widespread Birkenstock sandal was invented in 1964.

The shoe's iconic status is largely due to the German-American designer Margot Fraser. While on a spa trip to Germany in 1966, she discovered how comfortable the sandals were. She started selling them in California in the 1960s, where they became popular among hippies.

In the 1980s, Fraser turned the brand into a multimillion-dollar business in the US. Today in North America, wearers of socks and sandals are rather seen as a West Coast phenomenon, satirized for instance through characters in the "Portlandia" television series and countless memes.

Another German orthopedic sandal with a cork wedge in the sole has recently gained popularity. The Wörishofer was developed in the Bavarian spa town of Bad Wörishofen in the 1940s. When Hollywood stars such as Kirsten Dunst and Maggie Gyllenhaal were spotted wearing them by 2010, the brand was added to the list of "ugly" shoes that became trendy, alongside Birkenstocks, Crocs and Ugg boots.

Initially shower sandals, streetwear today: The Adilette

Meanwhile, the German footwear giant Adidas is behind another cult sandal. Its Adilette slides were designed in 1963 at the request of athletes who wanted a shoe they could wear in locker rooms and showers. With its orthopedic rubber sole and striped top, the iconic poolside model has since moved to the streets, and is often worn with socks too.

Are you hip enough?

"Now on the streets of Berlin you'll find at every corner youths who look like the reincarnation of the formerly typical German tourist — wearing shorts, a fishing hat, tennis socks and trekking sandals," says Vogue's Sämann.

Over the past few years, countless lifestyle magazines have been enthusiastically reporting that the former fashion no-go is now the hip thing to do. Main bonus points of the trend: It gives more exposure to those expensive designer socks, while hiding unsightly toes.

Hide your toenails and show off those socks

Since at least 2010, labels including Miu Miu, Wood Wood and Vetements have been dressing their models with socks and sandals on the runway. The combo's popularity grew among hipsters who, inspired by normcore and irony, would adopt "purposely uncool" looks.

From Justin Bieber to Tyler the Creator, from Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen to M.I.A., superstars have been sporting the pairing as well.

But can everyone pull off the tricks of high fashion labels, post-ironic hipsters and eccentric celebrities? The socks-and-sandals combination is bound to remain an eternal debate — one that those pioneering German tourists never cared to take part in.

You'll find more from Meet the Germans on YouTube or at dw.com/MeettheGermans.

• 

  Knock your socks off!

  Vacation envy

  An Instagram and Facebook classic, photos of bare feet on a beach have turned into the symbol of relaxing holidays away from everyday stress. No Socks Day, celebrated on May 8, is perhaps a way to incite everyone to unwind a bit, even without the seaside setting. Take your socks offs — and see what happens.

• 

  Knock your socks off!

  Feet-friendly paths

  Especially in colder countries, feet rarely get out of their shoes in public. But there are official options out there to do so: Barefoot paths, which are in trend in Germany, allow visitors to walk without shoes on a specially conceived trail to directly experience the sensation of various materials. Some of them are just a few meters long, while other hikes cover several kilometers.

• 

  Knock your socks off!

  Cheating

  "Barefoot shoes" is an oxymoron, but it's still a term used for a minimalist, really flexible version of conventional shoes. The first models were introduced on the market in 2004. They allow feet to be protected while letting them experience the sensory contact of the ground. The debate about whether or not they are actually healthy is ongoing.

• 

  Knock your socks off!

  A star's statement

  A member of Cannes film festival's jury in 2018, US actress Kristen Stewart walked barefoot on the red carpet and caused a scandal: "She broke the golden rule!" wrote tabloids in reaction. Some interpreted the move as a protest against the festival's dress code — even though there is no requirement to wear high heels on the red carpet.

• 

  Knock your socks off!

  Religious ritual

  In a refugee camp near Rome, Pope Francis symbolically showed solidarity with the plight of migrants by washing and kissing the feet of people of different religions in 2016. The Washing of the Feet is a Christian religious rite that recounts how Jesus washed the feet of his apostles during the Last Supper. In ancient civilizations, it was a custom that was a sign of hospitality.

• 

  Knock your socks off!

  Not completely bare

  Mehndi is the name of this body art that originated in ancient India and Persia and is still popular in India, North Africa and the Middle East, particularly among women, but for men as well. The temporary tattoos are created with a paste made from henna.

• 

  Knock your socks off!

  Reasons to free the toes

  Most people have probably experienced something similar: You take off your shoes before entering an important person's house, and an embarrassing hole in your sock has your big toe sticking out. That's why US actor Thomas Roy, initiator of No Socks Day, feels you'd be better off without them. He also points out that fewer socks means less laundry — which is good for the environment.

• 

  Knock your socks off!

  Freedom of movement

  Parents only want the best for their beloved offspring. But what are the optimal shoes for baby's first steps? Slippers with rubber soles or leather shoes? The fact is that most people are born with healthy feet and only end up with problems later on in life — often due to wearing the wrong shoes. The best solution might be to start walking barefoot from the beginning.

• 

  Knock your socks off!

  From head to toe

  Have you ever noticed how many idioms refer to feet? Here is a small selection: To get cold feet. To have itchy feet. To have two left feet. To shoot oneself in the foot. Have a foot in the door. Or catch someone on the wrong foot. And the one pictured above doesn't have a leg to stand on: It's left over from a statue of Emperor Constantine, which was once 12 meters high and can be seen in Rome.

• 

  Knock your socks off!

  Eyecatcher

  And here's a reverse version of Day Without Socks: everything bare except the feet. The picture by star photographer David LaChapelle, an ad for the brand Happy Socks, demonstrates that the clothing item can also be a celebrated fashion accessory.

Old Man in Sandals and White Socks

Source: https://www.dw.com/en/germans-socks-and-sandals-an-exploration-of-the-cliche/a-49689654