Gen Z Changed Its Mind About Crew Socks
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While Brooklyn-based writer and millennialRebecca Firkser, 33, and her Gen-Z sibling Mads Firkser, 29, are just four years apart, Rebecca says, “we are of completely different generations.” Over the years, Mads has persuaded her to reconsiderlow-rise jeans, advised her on whether to roll up her T-shirt sleeves, and, during a recent laundry session, delivered some rather surprising news: Ankle socks are okay again. For anyone who followed the Great Sock Height Debate of 2024, this may come as a surprise — it certainly did for Rebecca. At the time, Gen-Zers (at least those on TikTok) alleged that they could tell how old you were depending on your sock height: Ankle socks gave away that you were a millennial, while crew socks signified you were Gen Z. The kerfuffle has since been called a “millennial Gen Z culture war” inCosmopolitanand a “sock war” in theNew YorkTimes. (Over here at the Strategist, we offered a counterargument: Everyone should be wearingquarter-socks, which hit a couple inches above your ankle.) Two years later, though, it seems Gen Z has changed its mind. Of the 50 Gen-Zers I surveyed for this story, just eight said they still preferred crew socks to ankle socks.
The newfound appeal of the ankle sock comes down to wanting a more polished look. “I don’t really like the look of socks, honestly,” Connecticut-based 18-year-old Annetta Solari told me. “Seeing the ankle is classier with any shoe.” Like many of her contemporaries, Solari pairs her ankle socks with sneakers from Veja and Golden Goose — but Sambas, Tasman UGG slippers, and Birkenstocks were also acceptable pairings, according to Gen-Zers I chatted with from across the country. “I think the sneaker should really be the statement,” Solari says. “I don’t really like my socks to be thought about.” Not to mention, shorter socks make for better tan lines than crew socks: “I didn’t want to be walking around school with a tan line almost up to my knee,” Ohio-based 22-year-old Cam Behaein says.
Quarter-length socks are okay, too — especially if it’s winter or the socks have some ruffles. “I don’t think any of my friends even own tall socks,” says Oklahoma teen Presley Schrader, who trades ruffly socks from Free People with her friends depending on everyone’s outfits. But if you must wear crew socks, the current custom is to scrunch them to quarter-sock height. Some Gen Zers, like 19-year-olds Harper Robusto and Jasmine Simmons, even buy socks specifically designed to slouch.
The jury’s still out on no-shows: Over in Arkansas, teen Caroline Wright has been wearing the style for the last nine months, but Manhattan-based teenJada Maisonettold me, “If you’re wearing sneakers, like Jordans, and you can’t see your sock, you’re gonna get flamed.” Still, for many Gen-Zers, everything is better than crew socks, which “just feel too childlike now,” says Syracuse studentViolet Alao. The fact of the matter is that Gen Z is growing up, and their sock preferences are changing in the process. I suspect it’ll only be a matter of time before Gen Alpha will be calling the sock shots.
Of course, there are exceptions to the rule. Illinois-based 18-year-oldAva Mikellstill finds crew socks the most comfortable and stylish, and Georgia College & State University student Finley Pierce opts for ruffled edge crew socks. Even World Cup champion Lamine Jamal sports crew socksacross social mediawhen he’s not playing soccer. However, I can’t stop noticing more and more ankle and quarter socks on young people around me: Tween sisters in the bathroom line ahead of me at the Albany Amtrak station paired their Tasman UGGs with ankle socks; a gaggle of teens crossing the street in front of me on the Upper East Side styled Nike Dunks with quarter socks; and at a recent Yankee game, I couldn’t find a sock higher than two inches above the ankle on other 20-somethings sipping on beers in the nosebleeds. So, if you’ve been afraid to bare your ankles since summer 2024, let me be the first Gen-Zer to tell you it’s all right — ankles are okay again.
Some Gen-Z approved socks to consider
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“They are literally the most comfortable thing and worth every penny,” says 21-year-old Dray Dalia.
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Ruffle socks “just add a little bit of girly to anything you wear” Schrader says.
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Aritzia’s socks were a resounding favorite with teens and twentysomethings I interviewed.
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Their ‘ankle’ socks are more of a true quarter-length sock.
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Behaein typically wears ankle socks from Nike and Adidas.
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“Maybe when I have more money I’ll buy Lululemon socks,” Behaein says. “I’ve heard they’re comfy.”
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