This material only really applies to guys who need size 15 socks or any other size that might go by the term “extra large socks.” That being said, it will also cover some general benefits of socks, so if you’ve ever been wondering if you really need socks at all, keep on reading.
If you’re still here, that must mean that you either have extra large feet or you happen to have a genuine interest in the virtues of socks. We figure that’s a good thing in either case and we welcome your readership. So, if you wear size 15 shoes, does that mean you need size 15 socks? Do you need to wear socks in your size or can you get away with smaller sizes? Perhaps a better question is this, do you need socks at all?
The answer to all of these questions is not one standard response. The general answer to whether or not you need socks is that it depends, and the answer to the question of whether or not you need to mate the size of your socks to your feet is yes.
We’re going to take quite a look at why you need socks in general if you are wearing close toed shoes. This doesn’t necessarily apply to going barefoot, wearing slippers or wearing open toed shoes, but the fact of the matter is that if you are going to wear close toed shoes you shouldn’t try to get away without socks.
As for ensuring that your sizes of socks fit you, you should match the size as closely as you can, and we make it fairly easy here at XL Feet. While manufacturers are fairly liberal with their range of sizes that socks will accommodate (for example, ‘Fits shoe size 6-12” which is some serious range) at a certain point those socks just won’t fit you. We’re proud to be one of the premier suppliers of quite a variety of quality socks to guys with extra large feet.
Here at XL Feet, we’ve gotten pretty down into the weeds with the reasons why it’s a terrible idea to settle for a pair of shoes that doesn’t fit you properly, regardless of how you intend to wear the shoes. Whether it’s a question of rubbing your toes raw inside the limited space of a toe box that is just too small or one of not receiving the right support from your running shoes, we’ve shown you how wearing shoes that don’t fit properly is a regular recipe for discomfort and injury. Now it’s time for us to take a close look at why you need socks in general, and an even closer look at why you need size 15 socks if that’s your shoe size - or at least to find socks in a size that fits your comfortably.
While we would happen to agree with the statement that there’s nothing quite like slipping on a fresh, brand new pair of socks, we’ll also assert that socks are so much more than just comfort. You may have never given your socks even a passing thought, and you almost certainly haven’t given your socks as much thought as your boots or shoes, but the fact of the matter is that socks offer your feet much, much more than just comfort. Here’s an overview of why you should be wearing socks with close toed shoes, and why it does matter if they are the right size.
They Offer Insulation
Yes, a fresh pair of socks is its own special kind of bliss, but there’s much more to them than that, as we have said. One of the first and most important things that your socks can offer you is the benefit of thermal regulation - and that doesn’t just mean keeping your feet warm.
In the summer, certain fibers can help to regulate moisture and to keep your feet at the optimum temperature and help keep them dry. Depending on the fibers from which your socks are made, they may even help to wick moisture away from your foot to help keep your feet dry. Fibers like cotton will breathe, and fibers like wool will actually work to control moisture and temperature so that your feet don’t overheat.
In the winter, socks will obviously keep your feet warm. Of course, your boots or shoes will be on the front line when it comes to keeping your feet dry and warm, but socks are the last defense you have in keeping your feet warm. They add another layer of protection from the elements and will help keep you comfortable.
Those are general reasons that you should be wearing socks for thermoregulation. What happens if your socks are too small for your feet?
They Protect Your Feet from Blisters and Infection
Socks also happen to protect your feet from much more than just the temperature. Socks are a barrier between the lining of your shoes or boots which may be, shall we say, less than comfortable.
The first thing against which your socks will protect your feet are blisters. Blisters are the bane of the hiker, the runner, the weightlifter, the worker and all people in between. If socks fit properly and comfortably, they will prevent most instances of blisters, and they will do it well. The fact that they can help to control moisture is tied into this - wet fabric or skin can chafe more easily. If you thought you could just wear your shoes or your boots without socks, we have news for you. Your feet sweat all day, and though they might not feel ‘sweaty’ to you, that added moisture will put you at a higher risk of blistering if you don’t wear socks.
Once your feet blister, you will be at a higher risk of infection, although going without socks is another way to heighten the chance that your feet will develop an infection or contract a fungal disease like Athlete’s Foot. Even if it isn’t caused by a blister, the lack of barrier between your foot and your shoe may abrade your foot and will bombard you with pathogens. A warm, wet environment is the perfect place for infections to grow. Sound familiar? That’s because that’s what the inside of your shoe is.
Those are general reasons. If your socks are too small, they will wear down more easily and expose your feet to those same issues, on top of what we listed above. Also, loose socks are implicated directly in a higher rate of blisters, but if your socks are too tight and wear down, you’ll be more likely to get blisters too. Just do yourself a favor and get socks that fit here on our site.
They Protect Your Feet From Other Injuries
You’re still here? That means you must want more reasons to get socks in your size. Which is fine, because we have plenty of them.
So you need more convincing than staying comfortable, warm and shielded from infections and blisters? Well how about the fact that wearing socks in the right size can help protect you from developing certain other conditions as well?
Here are just a few of the things for which you will be at a higher risk if you go without socks while wearing close toed shoes, although wearing socks that are too small certainly won’t help the matter. Generally these issues are associated with shoes that are too small, but wearing socks that are too small (or in conjunction with improperly sized shoes) will exacerbate the matter.
If your socks are too tight, you can damage your circulation or you can increase the risk of edema that will cause swelling of the legs and feet. Tight socks can also trap contaminants instead of regulating them, which can counteract some of the benefits that socks are intended to offer in the first place.
Socks aren’t the only piece of clothing that become stretched out or wear down. Don’t forget that your shoes will wear down over time, and not wearing socks with them will only accelerate this issue. Here’s why:
Remember we said earlier that your feet sweat all day and can create a breeding ground for bacteria given the wrong set of circumstances? Well, if you don’t wear socks, then all of that sweat and all of those bacteria will be absorbed by your shoes.
The least damaging effect of all this is that your shoes will develop a terrible smell over time that will be effectively impossible to mitigate or remove. While this will easily be the most noticeable effect of failing to wear socks, it’s the least damaging of the two.
Besides the fact that you’ll impregnate your shoes with an intransigent and implacable smell, you’ll basically create a petri dish for fungus and bacteria. If you don’t wear socks, sweat and bacteria will leach right into the liner of your boots or shoes, where they will remain and proliferate. There’s probably some way to deal with this or sterilize it once it occurs. Alternatively, you can just take our advice and wear socks with your shoes to prevent it in the first place.
A Few Other Things
Let’s also not forget the fact that socks help to manage moisture, which so far we have mentioned in passing, though this deserves its own attention. Moisture won’t just turn into a smell that you won’t want lingering around your shoes. Moisture will also enable bacteria to reproduce. Help control the moisture, help control the bacteria. Moisture will make you more prone to developing blisters. Control the moisture, control the blisters. You get the picture.
In addition, socks offer a level of support and cushioning on top of what is already offered by your shoes. Naturally, your shoes will be your first level of support and protection, but depending on the type of socks you prefer, they will offer you extra cushioning and shock absorption. They’ll also be comfortable. Let’s not forget that.
Get Them Here!
All of these reasons are valid reasons that you should always wear socks with close toed shoes and you should always wear shoes in your size. There’s some good news here, too. You aren’t just in the right place to get some free information on why you should wear socks. You also happen to be in just the right place to get the socks you need in your size, if you wear size 15 socks or some other, even larger size.
We offer a full range of socks for just about every need, from tube socks to black athletic socks to plain white cotton low cut socks. In addition we offer specialty socks like bariatric socks and diabetic socks, so if you need size 15 socks or larger, we can help you out.
In addition to our peerless collection of extra large socks, we also offer extra large shoes. They go together, don’t they? If you need extra large shoes for the gym, for work or formal occasions, or for hiking and the great outdoors, we have lots to love from many different manufacturers, in sizes all the way up through 21 in some models.
Take a look at our extra large socks and pick up what you need before checking out our collection of boots and shoes. We’ve given you reason enough not to go without or to settle on a size too small, so stock up today.
