On: On Having Enough Socks (2019)

[pantulis]

In order to avoid the effort of pairing socks, I once had the genius idea of buying them all the same colors. Then all hell broke loose as the color may be the same, but they were from different pairs still and so became more difficult to pair: you will lose an individual sock but not a pair.

I stopped losing socks as I began buying them in bright colors so pairs where trivial to spot in all the sock journey during laundry.

[misnome → pantulis]

I lay out all of my black socks in a spectrum, and then pair to their neighbouring sock.

Probably not efficient, but can be therapeutic.

[ArekDymalski → misnome]

Excellent comment. Sounds like an introduction to "Zen and the art of socks maintenance". HN is the only place find such gems.

[alpaca128 → pantulis]

I avoid the effort of pairing socks by just not doing it. Sometimes people notice and ask whether I bought them like that, in the end nobody cares. When a sock is worn down I can throw it away and still use the other one. Works well for me.

[basscomm → pantulis]

I solved that problem by doing a bulk buy of 20 pairs of socks that were all the same color and same style from one manufacturer.

[reneherse → basscomm]

This worked for me for awhile. Eventually it becomes necessary to pair them by level of wear, which is tedious, but you can cull the worst from the pile, or start over with an entirely new bunch.

[madcaptenor → pantulis]

This is me with black socks. I currently have a bunch of mismatched black socks sitting on top of my dresser, because I swear their matches are in my house somewhere so I'm not giving them up.

[pantulis → madcaptenor]

I feel you, brother!

[ghaff → pantulis]

Why do you care about pairing them if they're the same? That's pretty much the whole point of buying a bunch of identical pairs at the same time.

[barbarbar → pantulis]

I am in the same sock hell and have been for many years. I no longer believe that the sock pairing problem can be solved for me.

[wodenokoto → pantulis]

Huh, I was considering going the other way.

I was hoping HN knew the holy grail of high quality, ambidextrous, single color socks

[rawgabbit → wodenokoto]

Try Vermont darn tough. Made in USA. Lifetime guarantee. https://darntough.com/

[yamtaddle → rawgabbit]

I bought three or four pair of Darn Tough seven or eight years ago, and have picked up an average of another pair about every year since.

I've yet to discard any of them, though one of the pairs from that first year is juuuuust about shot and probably needs to go.

My only other socks are a pack of cheap white athletic socks (only worn for... doing athletic things, not counting stuff like hiking) and a pair or two of very thin non-wool black dress socks that I almost never wear.

A warning: I'd avoid buying them on Amazon, I got one pair on there that I'm pretty sure were counterfeit (felt much cheaper, developed holes after just a couple wears, fit was way different from all my others) so I only buy straight from DT now.

[msisk6 → yamtaddle]

I've been wearing nothing but Darn Tough for the last decade. They last awhile. After a few years a few get small holes or the elastic wears out. I save them up until I get 6 or so pair and send them back to Darn Tough. They send back a store credit for new socks. Highly recommended.

[throwaheyy → pantulis]

The trick with same color socks is to introduce new pairs to the rotation over time instead of all at once.