A Cool Guy Trick

On a recent photo shoot, I picked up a cool trick from a model — a male one, no less.

The backstory: It was a back-to-college spread that required the model to bring a pair of white socks.

Him: "I don't have white socks."
Me: "What? Who doesn't have white socks? Then what do you have?"
Him: "Black ones."
Me: "What do you wear to the gym?"
Him: "Black ones."

I still think this is weird. At the shoot, I quizzed him some more about his supporting footwear. He took off his boat shoes and revealed....PEDS! Black, of course.

Instead of my first instinct (to mock him) because no one under 70 usually wears these things, I realized the brilliance of Peds — or, as they are rebranded in the 21st century, shoe liners — it's a way to get that no-sock look with cute, casual sneakers without the swamp foot. Awesome.

Target has a two-pack of Merona cotton shoe liners for $5. They're thin, light and offer a nice barrier between tootise and naked sneaker. The back does slip down a little, but it looks infinitely cooler not to have any sock peeking out from the ankle.