Goofy Socks

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Looking down at my feet the other day, as I sat in the Palais Royal, I came to the realization that I’m almost a Frenchman. At least according to my socks.

goofy socks

Then again, the dorky shoes probably negate them.


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53 comments

    • Rae Knight

    Aw… But your goofy socks are cool!

    • Jenne

    I think the shoes are awesome! That’s actually the first thing I thought when I saw the picture.

    • elra

    David,
    I am actually loving it (I am a stylish consultant, by the way) In fact I love them both, your shoes and your shocks. They compliment each other. Very stylish!

    • Michelle in NZ

    I think the socks are great, stylish even. And at least you don’t wear white socks (ick, yuck), especially those that were kind of towelling like inside – Arrgggh.

    • krysalia

    stripey orange \o/

    double bonus score for you :D !

    i’m afraid to say that the shoes are indeed ugly but they seem to be really cosy and sturdy, that’s a good point :)

    • Val

    Super cool socks! Kind of the color of sherbet. And the shoes do look really comfortable and European…. French, indeed!

    • Roni

    I am actually ignoring the socks and shoes and obsessing on the dirt. Palais Royal dirt. Is this the same dirt I sat by at the Palais Royal? (Like I could recognize the exact patch of dirt.) Your posts make me homesick for a city I have only visited twice.

    • Charlene

    Well, I just think “chef” when I see shoes like that! Stylish? Not so much. But well-made for comfort, to get you through hours of standing at work. Sore feet and dirty dishes are the great banes of my cooking life. . .

    • David

    Roni: Yes, that’s actual Palais Royal dirt. In Paris, grass is meant to be admired, looked at, and appreciated…but usually from afar. So you walk a lot on dirt.

    Friday I took a walk in the jardin de Plantes and it took me about an hour to clean and rebuff my shoes back to “normal”—but it was worth it!

    • jean

    You are way too young to be wearing those shoes.

    • Camille

    The Jardin des Plantes is totally worth it! just visited for the first time a couple of weeks ago – I bet it’s absolutely magnificent in the spring.

    And I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the shoes. :)

    • John Mark

    But David,
    You look just the part. You must know of my sock fetish? I only wear Achile. The best socks IN THE WORLD. I’ll usually buy 20-30 pairs when in Paris.
    It’s a perfect morning; cannelés at Pierre Hermé and then socks at Achile just two blocks down on the rue Bonaparte.

    • valentine

    Maybe you ARE becoming absolutely French simply because you acknowledge the reality of your shoes. (I’m originally from the midwest – definitely a Fly Over State – and I’m not sure you should be taking European-level fashion cues for footwear from anyone over here. They DO look comfy, though. So more powers to your peds in that regard.)

    Love, love, LOVE the socks.

    • Lucy

    Looks a bit German. Getting closer.

    • Steve B

    I love French socks! I always try to bring back a few pair when I make it to Paris. Thanks to that photo–today you are my hero!

    • Jeremy

    Dunno Davied, they look ok, I used to buy French shoes when I was in the army, I remember one pair especially! They were leather and had strange looking Disney characters inside, but the best was they looked like Frankenstein shoes!

    • Susan

    The shoes are FABULOUS — are they Trippens? The website warns against wearing your Trippens for walks in the forest or on the beach, as they are “designed solely for use in urban surroundings”. They probably weren’t thinking of Paris sidewalks.

    Actually, it’s the pale chinos that disqualify you as a true Parisian, n’est-ce pas?

    • peevish

    Okay, what does it say about me that I love your shoes AND your socks?

    • Susan

    Hmmm. French? The strap on the left shoe (looking down) looks like electrical tape.
    Where was your Mother when you were getting dressed, little boy?

    • bea at La tartine gourmande

    Let’s talk about that! ;-)

    • TARA

    This is one of my most favorite posts ever! I lived in France for 18 months, and the socks do indeed look very French to me. Towards the beginning of my stay I bought a jacket that I dearly loved because it seemed so French…. It surely wouldn’t work over here though.

    On another note, I made your salted caramel ice cream this week, and it is amazing! Thanks for the recipe and all you share with your devoted fans. I’m glad to count myself among them…

    • claudia (cook eat FRET)`

    i LOVE those shoes
    what is the brand?
    i want them for my guy…

    • Lydia (The Perfect Pantry)

    And here I was, loving the dorky shoes….

    • The Irregular Goddess

    Hi David! Those shoes and socks are both quite delightful! Wear them proudly!

    • samin

    i love those shoes. are they trippens?

    • SimplePleasure

    David, I find them adorable specially your socks. love the color too!

    • Rosa

    I have always teased my French husband about his “unmanly” socks. But I do come from a country where real men wear thick, scratchy wool socks all year round!

    • victoria

    i think the socks compliment the shoes -elevating them from nerdy-sturdy to uniquely funky.

    • valisa

    aren’t you the dandy? I remember reading something in the expatica forum a few years back… you recognize Americans from their white socks they say… not just any white socks – sports socks yuckers! am so happy you’re not one of those white socks wearer, David!

    • shuna fish lydon

    This is how nerdy I am: I saw the socks and thought immediately that they looked like socks a friend of mine once wore exclusively. But to be sure I was going to ask you. Looking in the comments section to see if you gave it away I saw such friend mention the name, John Mark: Achile. With a quick search I found where to get them in London and San Francisco.

    p.s. I think the shoes are sexy too.

    • David

    Valisa: Actually, I have a drawer with quite a few white socks in them, but I was told (actually, ordered…) not to wear them in Paris!

    • Amy

    The shoes look comfy.
    I won’t even get into the socks…then again I’ve never been a big fan of socks.

    Oh just an FYI. The ingredients for your white crispy treats (w/o the candied nuts bc I’m lazy)….is calling me from my kitchen counter. haha. ; )

    • Kristin

    My boyfriend is French and for Christmas he usually gets really goofy socks with pictures of Mickey Mouse or Lucky Luke on the sides from his Mom in our big package that arrives in December….
    When they get old and holey, he stops wearing them, but refuses to get rid of them, so he has a huge pile of goofy French socks.
    Ahhh, goofy socks are very French indeed!

    • Dave

    As a sock fetishist, may I say “Bravo!” My rule: Always let your socks and, when applicable, the lining of your jacket be the flashiest parts of your ensemble.

    My very French friend Eric has been teaching me to take my stylie sock thing one step further by mis-matching them – for example, a stripey orange sock on the left foot and subtle brown plaid on the right. On a trip to Paris last week I tried it out a few times. It’s thrilling in a subtle extra-bounce-in-your-step kind of way. It’s like walking around with a little secret — a surprise party hidden beneath your cuffs. And it’s a great way to discover if someone is paying close attention to you.

    The shoes? It would be easy to write them off, but who knows? If you dig them, and they make you feel good then why not?

    • brett

    French socks, German shoes. Hmm… not quite Parisian. Alsatian perhaps?

    • Fran

    Will you be wearing those socks on the Paris Chocolate Adventure in May of ’09? I hope so (of course they may be a little worn by then).

    • Tags

    I don’t know about dorky, but you sure are ready for halloween.

    • Andrea Therese Ulbrick

    And I thought the Swiss had a nasty dress sense… also I came looking for the salt stand at the Bastille yesterday to say gidday but could not find you. Next time maybe. Food tip, the Hairira soup at the Mosque De Paris is high quality.

    • jen

    Oh David. Are those VELCRO???????

    • David

    Dave: I’m not sure I would take sock-styling trips from a Frenchman. Just say “No” when he whips out a pair with Homer Simpson on them.

    Jen: Of course they are!

    How else does one tie their shoes?

    • Eileen

    I happen to really like the shoes. Just curious… what color was your shirt and/or sweater?

    • Jill

    Now I love the shoes, but then again, I still have a pair of Earth Shoes in my closet.

    • Katie K

    Let me guess– they’re orthopedic, right?

    • Alice Q. Foodie

    Oh man, this reminds me of a Silver Spoons episode – somehow it just popped into my head – about how your socks should always match your shirt. I can only hope it was orange OR red and not striped too! ;-) I think those shoes are great, they look very “I am so comfortable with myself that I don’t need to impress you” – kind of like the Dansko clogs that are so popular around here these days!

    • Kendall

    I like your dorky shoes!

    • Matt

    OK, I will have to be the dissenting voice of reason. While the shoes may be comfortable, they in no way negate the socks. David, they exponentially increase the ouch factor. By several degrees. But talent is beauty and style and more, and you’ve got that well covered so go ahead and wear the shoes and socks. Just please don’t ever wear shorts, leather sandals, and black dress socks. No amount of talent can cover that sin.

    • Paul.

    The French have elevated goofy socks to an art form. (The “Roy Lichtenstein of Socks” maybe?) And I love it. Oh, and I love how they’re not afraid of color (especially purple).

    I always load up on socks when I’m Paris!

    Wear your goofy French socks with pride, David!

    • sabra-jenks graham

    dorky shoes? i love the shoes! did you buy them in france?
    as for the socks, do french men always wear crazy socks? i never noticed when i was there.

    thanks for your writing, i just started reading your blog a couple of months ago and enjoy it immensely.

    ciao,
    sabe (say-bee)

    • David

    They’re Trippen shoes, and I have quite a few pairs.

    I love them, but the downside is that they do tend to draw a few stares..

    • Alexandra

    Those are awesome socks! I’m quite jealous of them.

    • Alexandra

    Also, the shoes are great. Dorky, but in a delightfully cool Germanic way. I have a couple pairs of Trippen myself, (for times when I want shit-kickers on my feet rather than dainty lady shoes) and I’m just in love with them.

    • Alisa

    It’s a shame Michelle’s computer is on the fritz. She loves teasing you about your socks! Bis

    • Laura Parsons

    I’m a big fan of Trippen shoes, too (and, yes, I liked them even before I worked for an online boutique that sells them). They’re just so funky and comfortable. I laughed out loud reading the comment from Susan about how Trippen warns against pretty much wearing their shoes anywhere (the brochure I got with my first pair went on and on and on…). But my experience has been that they’re great pretty much everywhere!

    Anyway, although Ped Shoes doesn’t carry men’s styles (wah wah wah), women interested in Trippen may want to browse through Ped’s extensive selection. Plus, Ped’s getting much more in for spring! Keep checking back.

    Love the socks, too! And as long as you’re dropping by Ped, don’t miss the Antipast socks from Japan!

A

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