Gee & Ursula take on the generational socks war

There’s something new for the generations to argue about: socks. And yes, it’s a thing.

From Vogue magazine, to The New York Times, to Buzzfeed, to Backstage Country, a sock war is afoot. (See what we did there? Actually, what The New York Times did there?) We also liked the headline from Backstage Country, “Gen Z hates your socks.”

Could this turn into the new American divide? (This is pretty funny, you should listen!)

Vogue said, “The proposition is that it’s possible to determine someone’s age, solely from the fact they’ve chosen to show an ankle.” Interesting?

@nypostPhoebe Parsons claimed all she has to do to figure out a women’s generation is look at their feet for a certain “controversial” fashion trend. Link in bio for more details.♬ original sound – New York Post | News

Sock brand Hanes confirmed to The Wall Street Journal that sales of socks that rise above the ankle are up 5.9% since 2021. Meanwhile, sales of the brand’s low-cut socks are down 3.8%.

The New York Times said:

What might be just a mild generational difference in sock preferences is being exaggerated into a kind of theatrical warfare on social media. Jabs are being exchanged. Side-by-side comparisons are being posted. And some millennials are standing their ground.”

Backstage Country pointed out:

Crew socks are the most popular choice across America, covering a diverse array of weather regions from the California heat to the North Dakota cold.”

On KIRO Newsradio, Gee and Ursula discussed the aesthetic appeal of different sock heights and the importance of matching socks with shoes.

“Can I just say that the higher up ones just don’t look good?” Ursula Reutin said. “I think if you have someone that you can run it past and say, ‘Hey, what looks better?’ Most people could say the knee socks. Those are out.”

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Gee Scott had his own set of rules for socks. “Don’t wear dirty socks. One, don’t wear clean white socks with dirty shoes. Two, don’t wear mismatched socks. Three, don’t wear Reebok socks. Don’t wear for sure, unless they are when you have to take your shoes off at the someone’s house. Here’s the one that you guys do. I know you guys love those Costco socks. I know you do with the emblems on there. Don’t wear the emblem like a Reebok sock with a Nike shoe.”

Ursula reacted with a firm, “Who cares about that? No, that’s that’s not a big deal.” But she did say, “Never wear black socks with shorts ever since they’re like half halfway up your ankles.” (It sounds like we’ve moved beyond just sock wars here.)

A listener texted in: “I’ve been trying to tell my husband how much better the crew socks look than calf high. But he likes what he likes. So I give up.”

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Producer Andrew “Chef” Lanier said there is another way to look at all of this. “Don’t give up on the high socks,” he said. “I’m getting to the age that when getting on an airplane, I like to wear compression socks.”

We’ve taken a whole new turn here. What do you think? Is it an age thing, a fashion statement, or both? Join the discussion on the Gee & Ursula Facebook page.

Listen to Gee Scott and Ursula Reutin weekday mornings from 9 a.m.- noon on KIRO Newsradio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.

Bill “No Socks” Kaczaraba is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here. Follow Bill on X and email him here.