How To Keep Socks Up All Day & Why Yours Are Sliding Down

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In another recent video, we discussed how to prevent shirts from coming untucked and another really popular question we get asked all the time is “How do I stop my socks from bunching up on my ankles or in my shoes?” and “Why do my socks slide down and how can I stop that?”

In today’s video, we’ll give you a definitive answer, and we’ll explain to you what you should look for and what you should avoid, so you always have socks that stay up and look dapper.

Your socks should NEVER look like this
Your socks should NEVER look like this

Why Do You Want Socks That Don’t Slide Down?

  1. It’s extremely uncomfortable. and I always hated that myself is when socks slide down and they bunch up in your shoe especially when you walk and that usually happens when you are at a trade show when you walk a lot and then you constantly have to stop, pull up your socks, open your shoes, get them back down, so it’s a hassle, and it’s just really uncomfortable and your feet hurt at the end of the day.
  2. No one wants to see your hairy calves. It’s unprofessional, and traditionally, dapper gentlemen would always have over the calf socks that would not expose any kind of skin. Now, even if you shave your legs, you still don’t want to expose skin unless it’s maybe a hot summer day and you are wearing a pair of seersucker pants with boat shoes or driving mocs, but that’s a whole different game. When in a professional setting, an office setting, in a business meeting, or even on a date, keep it over the calf or keep your ankles not exposed.
Socks that slide down is the second pet peeve in men's wear
Socks that slide down is the second pet peeve in men’s wear

How Do Socks Stay Up?

Basically, there are three main characteristics to consider.

Sock Length

The most important thing in keeping your socks up is length. Unfortunately, most men’s dress socks are only mid calf or shorter, and those socks will always slide down no matter what you do with them unless you go to a different solution like shirt suspenders. You cannot beat gravity with anything other than a sock that reaches just below your knee and over your calf because what you want to achieve is that your sock hugs your leg at the thinnest point, so your calf below it gets wider.

Elastics

The second most important reason is elastics. You can get cheap elastics, you can get more high-quality elastics, and the amount differs as well. Cheaper socks usually come with a cheaper, stronger elastic but it’s actually so strong that it pulls down your sock because it’s not perfectly sized for your foot.

At Fort Belvedere, we really like natural materials, and we always try to stay away from nylons or polyesters or anything artificial, however, with socks, you need them to stay up. What we did though is that we used a nylon and we covered it in cotton, so your skin will only be in touch with cotton and never touch the elastic. That way, you get the feel of natural fibers and the benefit of elastics, so your socks stay up all day long.

It actually took me quite a while to come up with this solution because a few years ago, I was fed up with all over the calf socks I wore and they would still slide down and so it took a little while to really perfect the solution but the socks that we have now, we have tested for over three years, and they haven’t failed me, and I know they won’t fail you either.

Invest in a quality pair of socks
Invest in a quality pair of socks like this one from Fort Belvedere – Midnight Blue and Burgundy Shadow Stripe Ribbed Socks

Sizing

The third reason why socks slide down is having the wrong size. Most socks today come either in small, medium, or large, or sometimes you find dress socks such as this pair which comes in size 8-12, that’s just a range that is way too big and as such, they need more elastics, more nylon, so it pulls harder. It will feel less comfortable on your foot, and it also has that tendency to pull your sock down especially on the foot area where you walk a lot, and that causes it to slide down.

Whenever you see dress socks that are less than four sizes, skip them and go with something that has more sizes because otherwise, it won’t fit you and you will have problems with the socks sliding down.

So in conclusion, if you want socks that don’t slide down, you have to buy quality over the calf dress socks with the right amount of elastic in the right size.

Sock Garters can be uncomfortable for some
Sock Garters can be uncomfortable for some

Should You Consider Sock Garters?

Now, if you already have a lot of short socks in your wardrobe and you don’t want to replace all of them or if you are a vintage lover, you should consider sock garters. They are also sometimes called shirt or socks suspenders, and there are different variations. Some of them are actually held in place over your knee or sometimes under your knee, and it’s basically a little clip mechanism such as with a clip on pair of braces or suspenders. Other models actually attach to the bottom of your shirt and connect to your socks however, I personally find it extremely uncomfortable to wear them also, they show if you have a thinner fabric for your pants and overall, I’m a very minimalistic person so I try to get the best stuff I can without having to overload my outfit and what is underneath of it because comfort is important and the way you look and feel.

Just like with “menswear innovations” oftentimes, they fix a problem that you would not have if you buy quality items, to begin with. Sometimes, you’ll also find tie dimples in all kinds of shirt stays; you won’t need those if you simply have a proper piece of clothing in the first place. And that’s what we’re here to tell you about because we teach you about quality so you can distinguish crap from good stuff without looking at the label.

Fed Up With Socks That Constantly Slide Down?

CONCLUSION

So at the end of the day, it’s up to you whether you want sock suspenders that definitely work. However, they feel not so well on your skin, and I find them extremely uncomfortable. I suggest you go with a quality pair of socks, you skip the suspenders because just imagine you’re on a date and you go home feeling like James Bond. You want to prevent the situation where you actually look like an old grandpa with sock suspenders. Chances are, she won’t be impressed!

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