The combination of sandals and socks has long been seen as a major footwear faux pas.

And, as recently as last year when British department store Debenhams polled 1,500 customers on what they felt was the most egregious of all fashion offenses, sandals with socks ranked No. 1 — beating out platform shoes for men and scrunchies.

But proving that fashion is often wildly unpredictable, wearing sandals with socks is no longer a fashion misstep. This season, it’s suddenly a trend embraced by celebrities and fashion industry insiders who are pairing their Birkenstocks, clogs and even open-toed high-heel sandals with ankle-length socks.

Recently, the Row designers Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen wore matching black and gold Birkenstock sandals with pristine white socks while walking through an airport. Fashion editors and street style stars have been seen pairing metallic and bejeweled Birkenstocks with scrunched heather gray socks, perhaps as a comfy and fashion-forward way to transition footwear from winter to spring.


The trend is a sign that the ripple caused by Céline’s spring 2013 “furkenstock” still has plenty of momentum, and that quirky footwear that was never deemed fashionable in the past may be here to stay. Better hold on to those scrunchies, because you really just never know.

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