This morning I gave up. When I woke, it was 42* outside, windchill of 37*, probably 33* when factoring in the wind tunnel of my terrace. That’s right, I cried uncle and put socks on.
Sock Prayer Flags. (Photo credit: knitting iris)
I have a love/hate relationship with socks. Mostly hate. I prefer barefoot or flip-flops. I always make sure I have at least one pair of shoes that are fuzzy inside so I can delay the dreaded opening of the sock drawer as long as possible. But then…there are so many cool socks out there. Patterns, colors, silky, cozy, cushy, and itchy. Can’t forget itchy. They can be a boost on a cold morning, getting your toes warm and bright yarn to pierce a gray sky.
I always preferred barefoot. When I was a kid and running down the outside stairs without shoes on, my grandmother would yell behind me, “Fringie, the dogs make sissy out there! There’s glass!” Both true. Remember, I didn’t grow up in the country, these were the streets of South Brooklyn, no garbage cans on every corner, cracked cement, before NY was cleaned up for tourists, before the young and hip discovered the outer boroughs, before pooper scooper laws.
Here in Manhattan I don’t often see anyone barefoot outside. Once in a while, though, usually a young woman late at night or early in the morning carrying stilettos. Even I want to yell at her, “The dogs make sissy out here!”
As a teen, I would go to the beach and walk the boardwalk barefoot. The boardwalk used to be wood, no practical composite materials. Old weathered boards. At night, I could be found in my room with a pair of tweezers, picking the splinters out of the soles of my feet. By then, my feet were so calloused I didn’t feel the splinters going in or out. What did I do with my shoes while I was on the boardwalk or the beach? I can’t remember.
Coney Island, New York boardwalk on a foggy night. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Now, I’ve got the feet of an old peasant. Makes sense, I am an old peasant. Doesn’t matter if I spend 99 cents or $8.00 on a pair of socks, the average lifespan is a season. Or it would be, if I threw them out once they had holes. I don’t. Not until the holes can no longer be twisted and arranged so my toe doesn’t poke through inside my shoe while I’m walking. That’s uncomfortable. I’m sorry Man Child, you got my feet.
Husband has the feet of royalty. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him wear through a pair of socks. And he wears them :shudder: all year long.
English: Feral Goat on Island Davaar. At the time he was stood stock still and blended into the background very well. I almost walked straight past within a few feet and not notice him. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
mrsfringe 
I’m with you! Barefoot and flip flops, and I’ll do sneakers without socks before I’ll pick socks voluntarily (though I’ve found when walking the dog, in my current sneakers, socks are indeed preferable. Feh.)
In the winter, I tend to still be wearing skirts, but tall boots. So, big tall socks. Which are kind of cool. But come off as soon as I get home.
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Sounds like you and I have a similar wardrobe 😀
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A typical view of my feet in winter would be both of my legs & feet hanging over the edge of my skooshy red reading chair with differently patterned and colored holey socks on each foot. My whole family tends to go barefoot a lot as well. The only time I ever got stung by a bee was cause I stepped on one while walking barefoot in my yard as a child.
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Ouch!
I confess, it bothers me if my socks don’t match. They can clash with whatever else I’m wearing, but I like them to match each other.
Flower Child, on the other hand, loves wearing different colored/patterned socks together. 🙂
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You shoulda’ been born a Kiwi. We were barefoot all summer as kids and many adults adopt the position too.
Recently a flip flop broke whilst shopping in the village. The Englishness of me said get straight in the car and go home. The kiwi said take of the other flip flop.
Kiwi won.
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Ha, I love it!
Go, Kiwi! 😀
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My left foot, the one I fractured, doesn’t tolerate shoes too well but it sure likes socks–nice warm comfy socks. My sock drawer overfloweth with all manner of socks: snowmen socks and penguin socks, psychedelic toe socks, socks sporting feathers and sequins and little gold balls. Dots. Stripes. Nylon and cotton and wool. . .
My favorites are a pair of white, hand-sewn socks, seam on top running straight down the middle. I don’t know how old they are.
I just saw my first snowflake, ms fringe. Thinking of those socks right now.
🙂
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Must be time for the snowflake socks! 😀
Where those white socks sewn by your hands?
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No. I found them at an antique store, mrs fringe. Not sure how old they are. I bought them because they were so unique.
I am not a seamstress, not by a long shot. I take after my mother, who sewed rips with fishing line. Not all the time, but. . .
I guess I should be glad she didn’t use staples.
🙂
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🙂 Mebbe one day you’ll give me lessons, so I can thread the needle. Why do they make that darned hole so tiny, anyway?!
😉
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As a child I was barefoot all summer long. It took about a week for my feet to not feel little pebbles and the scorching pavement! Up here in the land of ice and snow we had about 70f degrees today – I absorbed every last bit of sunshine I possibly could because Sunday they’re calling for about 25f and snow! What a difference 3 days makes…
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😀 I swear I don’t remember anything hurting the bottom of my feet–until I made the mistake of running across the street barefoot in southern California. In the summer. Youch!
Glad you had such a beautiful day today, store up that Vit D for the weekend, and start laying out your favorite sweater 🙂
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Laying out sweaters! Only 238 days until summer!
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I remember running across the street as fast as I could to get to the grass of the neighbor’s lawn – it cooled my feet off. I spent all summer out of shoes – today, not so much – cold, rocky, snaky and the dogs do their sissy out there…
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Did you say snaky? eeeeeek! 😉
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Yes – snaky. Shoes required, especially after dusk.
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putting my shoes back on–quickly 😀
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