A couple sat next to me, and the man took off his shoes! Not only that, but he was barefoot, i.e. no socks on a wintry night. I stared at those big white feet, and he made some joke about being from Alabama and I mentioned some sporting event and then he said, 'no, just joking, really from Maine.' He didn't look or sound like Maine, and I saw he wore an expensive watch, an expensive overcoat and ye gods! His face had a tropic tan but those big white feet hadn't seen a sandal or a flip-flop for months. Who they hell was this guy? He made another remark about Mencken or someone to indicate some education, and I was even more mystified. His wife/girlfriend looked like a 40+ Bostonian, which is to say, normal.
At intermission, the shoes went on and they left and when they returned, the shoes came off. Well, sometimes wearing shoes without socks is not comfy, and may even be painful where they rub and abrade.
My friend who was at the concert with us and is from Murray Hill in NYC and knows about such things, said sockless men were all the rage. In winter, yet. Who knew? Sockless in summer, sure, but March?
Today in the New York Times, I noticed an ad for some pricey men's oxfords, and guess what? Look ma, no socks!
Fashion forward is a hard slog in Boston. Significant Other would never dream of going sockless to Symphony Hall. Now, it seems, men have become as willing as women to sacrifice comfort for style. High heels next? We'll have to wait and see.
Read this and follow advice and no one will ever know you're from Boston!
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