What Socks to Wear with Trainers (2024)

Trainers (or ‘sneakers’ if you’re from the US) are the undisputed rulers of the casual footwear scene. They’re versatile, stylish and can now be found in such a wide range of unique colours and styles that it’s all but impossible to cover them all!

But there is one question that certainly does deserve an answer: what socks should you wear with trainers?

Too often we see men making mistakes when pairing socks with trainers. Sometimes it’s a colour choice, sometimes a length choice… sometimes it’s both at once!

But worry not, we at Pants&Socks are here to set your mind at ease and give you the lowdown on exactly what socks you should be wearing with your trainers.

Choosing socks to wear with trainers

Ankle socks? No-show socks? Crew socks? White socks? Black socks?

No socks? …. Nah, that’s ridiculous!

But, as you can see, there are a lot of sock-related things to consider when choosing the perfect match for your new pair of trainers. There are classic combinations that you should be aware of - and some HUGE mistakes that you need to learn to avoid.

Fortunately, the three main things you need to be thinking about are: sock length, sock colour and the rest of your outfit, or ‘style’.

Style

Let’s start by breaking down the style of outfit you might be wearing with your trainers. As we said above, they’re the kings and queens of casual, but they’re also the perfect choice for sports, aren’t they? And then there’s the sheer number of casual styles you can look into.

You could pair them with shorts, jeans, cords, chinos or sports gear… basically, you need to consider what you’re wearing on your legs that’ll either compliment or detract from the look of your trainers - and you’ll need to match your socks to your legwear as well!

Length

Length is perhaps the easiest to get right as there aren’t really many sock lengths to worry about. And, to make things even easier, we’ll break down the lengths right here and tell you how they should or shouldn’t be worn:

No-shows/invisible socks - best worn with low-top trainers for a look that… well… makes it look like you’re not wearing socks. This has become a modern classic paired with some slim jeans or chinos rolled up at the cuff.

Ankle socks - best paired with high-top trainers to achieve a similar look to the no-shows.

Crew socks/trouser socks - if you’re going for the ‘American teen’ look, a sporting look, or you’re just wearing normal trousers, then crew socks are a great choice. Pair them with shorts and pull ‘em high for that teen look. Do the same thing, but in a clean white and a sporting outfit for the sports look. And if you’re just wearing trousers… just choose your favourite pair!

Colour

Colour is a tricky one to get right as there are several schools of thought, but the easiest thing to bear in mind is: white is for sports. Only wear white socks if you’re pairing your trainers with a sporting outfit. Trust us - it’s a thing.

Other than that, you should really be pairing the colour of your socks with the colour of your trainers or legwear to either make them stand out or blend in. The choice is yours!

Best socks to wear with trainers

Since a lot of it does indeed come down to personal preference, we’ll stop telling what you should and shouldn’t be doing right here and instead give you our top picks for the socks that WE like to wear with our trainers.

1. Tommy Hilfiger 2 Pack Men’s Iconic Socks

Let’s start with some of our very best-sellers!

They call them ‘iconic’ for a reason - and that reason is: they’re stylish as hell.

Coming in a fab 2-pack and at a reasonable price point to match, these socks by Tommy Hilfiger are a great choice if you’re going for that sporting or preppy look.

Pair them with shorts and pull them high to hit the preppy scene, or go with the white pair to rock the sports pitch.

Made from soft cotton featuring a global stripe in the welt and a cushioned sole for the extra comfort we all crave from a sock, these are perfect for that smart-casual look.

And, as an added bonus, you can get the same style as no-shows!

2. BOSS 2 Pack Men’s Invisible Socks

And, speaking of no-shows, here’s our pick for the very best of them.

These invisible socks by BOSS are designed for concealed wear with low-profile shoes and trainers - also called ‘low rise’. Basically, they’re designed to never be seen… like very stylish ghosts.

Trimmed with silicone at the interior for an enhanced grip to ensure they’ll never slip, these socks are crafted in a combed-cotton blend with certified-sustainable yarns. Subtle BOSS logos provide understated branding for you aficionados out there as well.

Let’s face it, BOSS is called BOSS for a reason. They know their underwear.

3. Levi’s Men’s 2 Pack Regular Cut Sportswear Logo Socks

A new addition to our range, these socks by Levi’s are the cream of the crop when it comes to cool.

In a 2 pack with a choice of colour from white, grey, black and charcoal, they’re also very versatile when it comes to pairing with your trainers. Go white for sporting events, but otherwise, you can take your pick - grey, in particular, is a great choice of colour as it pairs subtly and well with almost any colour foot or legwear.

And that logo.

It’s just nice, isn’t it?

Meanwhile, the soft cotton construction will keep you both warm, comfy and let your feet breathe. All round, they’re just an awesome and stylish pair of socks!

What socks will you wear?

And there we have it, folks! Refer back to this lil’ article as often as you like for the basics on pairing socks with your trainers. Just remember to think about the 3 categories of: colour, length and style. You’ll be right as rain.

If you want to browse for more ideas for the perfect socks for your new trainers, then do not hesitate to check out the rest of our amazing sock collection right now.

And, as always, stay tuned to our Below the Belt Blog for more tips, tricks and hints to keep you up-to-date on everything pants and socks!