[Gemme]

Originally Posted by Miss Tick

I’ve eyed this thread warily for a while now. I love socks but there is a rather embarrassing issue that comes up whenever I talk about sock use. It’s rather uncomfortable and anyone who reads my posts can see how difficult it is for me to open up about just anything (tongue in cheek here). But before I share my secret shame I want to enjoy a little stress free conversation about my love of socks. I need to warm up and work my way into this.

I love colorful socks of every ilk. Like glass sculptor Dale Chihuly, I never met a color I didn’t like. I have socks with cartoon characters, superheros, animals, sports team logos, and designs of all types. I am not hampered by a need or desire to only wear socks of a certain length. I am also not restricted by a necessity for appropriate sock management for work. My socks are hidden under my pants and no one is the wiser. Of course there are times during a meeting when my slacks might ride up a tad and if one were to glance under the table at the right moment one might be privy to an explosion of color. But if my coworkers have ever noticed and been shocked at my shameless use of rainbow hued toe warmers they have kept it to themselves.

Colorful socks make me smile. I feel happy just looking at my socks. My feet would be so sad if they had to live in only black and white. Even when I’m wearing boots and I can’t see my socks that easily, I will push up my jeans a bit when I’m sitting so I can catch a glimpse of their colorful cuteness. Just a look never fails to bring me joy. There are only two times when I don’t wear socks bursting with color and character. One is when it’s really cold and I’m going to be trudging through snow and ice, then I wear the warmest heaviest socks I own and they usually have minimal color, maybe red and gray. The other is the source of my humiliation and embarrassment. I am a secret user of peds.

For years and years in the summer or when it was warm and I wanted to wear sneakers and no socks, I wore peds. I hate bare feet in shoes. I can’t stand it. Neither can I wrap my head around socks and shorts. I don’t care for that look. I try to stick with sandals and bare feet in the summer, but there are times when only a shoe or a sneaker will do. Then out come the peds. I have them in white, black, polka dot and of course there’s the plain nylon looking ones. Nobody sees them, my shame is well hidden beneath my shoes. But that has not stopped the bullying, the ridicule, the scorn I have endured at the hands of lovers and friends. Almost every person in my life has tried to stop me from wearing these tiny targets of tremendous revulsion. It’s unfathomable how much hatred the little guys can garner. There we times when current girlfriends and exes would come together, united by my misguided and offensive use of peds, and plot against this common enemy. Those diminutive disgusting excuses for socks had to go. The people in my life were not kidding. Friends, family, and partners alike were deeply disturbed by my penchant for this foolish footwear. When my wife and my best friend first met years ago, although it was winter with no peds in sight, the conversation ultimately turned toward my ped wearing and the taunting began.

Since moving to another country it has been difficult for those I left behind to hold this abomination in the forefront of their consciousness so I have of lately escaped any humiliating tirades. My wife is not thrilled with my use of the little horrors but she has made a sort of uneasy piece with them. However, every now and again her mortification surrounding this unfortunate and persistent folly comes around to bite me in the toes. I have been more careful since given another chance and I do not allow my new friends to get a whiff of my ped fetish.

I know what I’m doing is wrong and I should know better, but I can’t help myself. It’s the easy answer to my dilemma around what to do concerning the shorts and shoes debacle. And truthfully it is the only answer I can live with despite the ridicule, mockery and derision I’ve suffered at the hands of purposeful persistent peds detractors.

Since I’ve gone in the closet I haven’t talked about this problem in a couple of years. Stealth ped use has it advantages but we all know how secrets keep us sick.

Originally Posted by DapperButch

MissTick,

I get it. I very much dislike the look of shorts with sneakers (on adult masculine individuals). I also cannot stand the feeling of no socks in a shoe/especially a sneaker.

The white sock height issue I mentioned struggling with is where this comes in. I have to balance what I think looks good on me (with shorts), plus, with what is trendy (not trendy = crew style pushed down..but on me, I think they look good. *sigh*). It can be rough sometimes. A nice pair of short hiking boots can improve the situation, or like you, I wear sandals (very BUTCH ones, of course! ha!). I think I said in an earlier thread, I tend to only wear sneakers when working out. I do find them more acceptable on me wear with jeans, but rarely.

So, I have to tell you, I learned that with those sketcher sneaker type shoes people don't wear socks with them. I do think they look better that way, but me, having the same problem as you, what do I do?

WELL, I found that they make cotton socks that are not peds, but are hidden right under the shoe line. Regular thickness and everything. I found them at some show outlet store.

Check it out!

P.S. Peds are for sissies.

Like Anya (who is a medical professional), I am concerned for both of you.

Originally Posted by Miss Tick

Makes sense to me. I wear my xmas socks and boxers right through February. Along with my winter themed socks and boxers which can sometimes cross boundaries with xmas.

I broke my toe today which is probably why all of a sudden I am hyper aware of feet, socks and toes.

Which toe?