Picture this: You’re strolling through the sand of a golden brown beach, turquoise water rolling in just short of your bare feet as you breathe in the ocean air and bask in the sun.
You’re relaxed, content, confident, at peace.
That, my friends, is how it feels to go sockless in summer.
Unless your fucking feet sink.
This Summer’s Hottest Trend?
Sparing Yourself from Stanky Foot Scent
Admittedly I’ve left out the part about how, for many of us, a hot summer day can cause your feet to sweat like Paul Giamatti in a sauna, turning a man’s best summer shoes into yurts with the nauseating aroma of, well, Paul Giamatti in a sauna.
Fortunately, your nose need not suffer for your feet’s freedom.
Read the tips below to learn how to let your ankles enjoy the sun without subjecting your coworkers, friends or (heaven forbid) your date to an unwelcome and potentially embarrassing level of shoe stank.
How to Go Sockless in Summer
(Without Stinking Up the Joint!)
1. Get Some Odor-Fighting Insoles
[image: Dr. Scholl’s]
If you bought your shoes to fit you perfectly with socks on, you’ll probably find you’ve got a bit of extra room when you slide your foot in au naturel.
Kill two birds with one stone in the form of odor-fighting insoles.
You can get a well-reviewed pair on Amazon for about $6 bucks, or a heavier-duty and longer-lasting version for about $40. (But I’ve also had good luck with pharmacy house-brand insoles from the major chains, so you could just check your nearest drug store.)
Either way, you’ll want to opt for a thin insole. Since your shoes (presumably) fit well with socks on, you’ll only need a little extra padding in order to feel comfortable going barefoot.
2. Throw in Some Baby Talcum Dusting Powder
(Whatever you call it, it works)
[image: Andrey_Popov / Shutterstock]
Call it what you will, there’s a reason this stuff has been a staple of men’s gym bags for decades.
Sprinkle a little in on top of the insoles and let it soak up some of the sweat that your feet will amass throughout the day.
The right amount will vary depending on your level of comfort and perspiration, but I find even a healthy dose will be gone after a full day of barefoot walking.
Note:
I used to recommend Johnson & Johnson baby powder, but after a huge lawsuit linked their talc powder to cancer, I now recommend springing for a natural alternative like the Burt’s Bees version.
(I’m not a big “natural” or “organic” guy, but honestly, why take the risk?)
3. Opt for No-Show Socks
[image: JORMATT / Amazon]
The ninjas of ankle-exposed glory, these let you achieve the sockless look without having to worry about sweating through your loafers.
But be warned: here be dragons, or at least the risk that your no-show socks will poke up from beneath your shoes, exposing your supposedly sockless charade.
If possible, try to find a pack that includes multiple colors, like these, and match the sock color to your shoe as best you can. It’ll help disguise them should they fail to live up to the “no-show” promise.
