Sock boots- how to keep them looking sleek and not lumpy and bumpy!
According to fashion experts a big – or the biggest - boot trend for fall 2017 is the sock boot. It is a boot that fits tight to the foot like a sock. This style is not only flattering, but also the stretch material instantly makes it form fitting and sexy. For fall the trend is to have high sock boots, up to the knee and higher. Over the summer movie stars have been wearing the mid calf and higher sock boot on the street with jeans or skirts. The sock boot clings to the leg and is made of stretchy fabric or stretch leather. It is suitable to wear with dresses or pants, and in the summer with shorts.
Apparently the trend began to gain celebrity approval in the summer in 2017 as many celebrities were spotted wearing the sock boot over the summer. Some of the ways that sock boots look good is with a pair of tight jeans or a ruffled dress or a sweater dress. The boots look good paired with a short jacket like a leather bomber jacket or a jean jacket. The trend seems to be so strong that sock boots may become your go-to boots for the next six months, according to fashion predictions.
The boot is streamlined, the toe is pointed and the high heel can be a stiletto or a block heel. The streamlined look of the boots is ruined if your toes make visible bumps on the outside of the boots. Any bumps in toes, bent toes or toes that have corns will show through the relatively thin and stretchy fabric of the boots. The toe cap and a heel area piece are usually thicker than the part on the leg, however they are not as thick as in conventional leather boots because the sock boots are made from stretchy fabric or stretch leather all over including over the toe box.
To wear the sock boots and have them look good, the streamlined look of the toe of the boot should be kept clear of lumps and bumps. The best way to do this is to put in small shoe inserts that will keep the foot in place and not allow the foot to slide forward into the narrow toe of the sock boot. The boots should be bought to fit comfortably with room for the toes to wiggle. There should be at least one half inch of space in front of the longest toe, and if the toe box is narrow there should be at least a quarter inch of space on both sides of the forefoot. Often a narrow toe shoe or boot, such as the Stuart Weitzman sock boots should be bought a half size larger than a shoe or boot with a more rounded toe box.
Fitting issues for the high heeled sock boot are similar to high heel pumps with a narrow toe box. If the toe box is made from soft leather, or stretchy material great care has to be taken to make sure the foot does not slide forward into the front of the toe box and leave impressions of the toes onto the leather or form bumps of the toes when the footwear is worn. As you can see in the photo of the light coloured sock boot there is already impressions of the toes on the outside. The wearer is a 20 year old women, who likely does not have misshapen or bent toes. She also wears the most fashionable items as soon as they become available, therefore the sock shoe she is wearing is likely to be very new.
The way to prevent toe bumps from showing on the outside of thin boots, like the sock boot, is to wear inserts that are made for high heels inside the boots. The inserts should be ultra-thin to not crowd the foot yet be cushiony to provide comfort to the ball of the foot. Inserts made from PORON are the best for having these features. The inserts should make the foot stay at the place inside the sock boot where the shoe designer intended it to be. This is how the sock boot will maintain its’ sleek lines and be an attractive fashion item, not a lumpy mess.
The best style of inserts that breathable, shaped to keep the foot from sliding forward, stabilize the heel of the boots, and cushion the ball of the foot are Killer Heels Comfort inserts.
Another type of insert that could be used in low heeled sock boots are thin foam ball of foot inserts that are not slippery so that the foot is kept from sliding forward. Gel insoles or gel ball of foot inserts would not be good because the whole foot is closed in inside sock boots and the foot could become quite hot inside the boots. Gel inserts would become very slippery when they get damp. If they can't be glued down they will also become loose inside the boots. Gel inserts and gel insoles are quite bulky and in a skin tight sock boot there is no extra room for bulky inserts.