No Show Socks For Ankle Booties

One of the best things to come out of my short time spent in Northern California is it finally broke me down to buy ankle booties. That in turn sent me on a quest for the best no show socks to wear them with, which also turned out to be great for wearing with sneakers. Win, win! Back when I discovered these petite-friendly Rag & Bone Margot booties (which have treated me so well, I’ve bought them in two colors), I asked readers for their favorite no show socks and decided to try quite a few of them out. This post outlines the socks for ankle booties I personally found best, and still wear on constant rotation.

Important bits:

• I wear a women’s US size 4.5 – 5 shoe, so the no show ankle socks highlighted here are great for small feet, but most also come in multiple sizes. I’ve indicated the size I wear for each.
• To better hide in low-front booties and sneakers, these socks all have a lower dip in front than sport type ankle socks.
• I was looking for actual, substantial socks, not sock liners. If you’re looking for thin nylon-esque sock liners, there’s a post for those too.
• I wash all my no show socks in mesh garment wash bags with the regular laundry, and then air dry on a drying rack.

Stance “Invisible Socks”

Size: s/m

These are my favorites and I really should buy some more. Coming in a variety of graphic prints and color combinations, they are fun to wear and made from the thickest fabric out of any other socks I tried. They feel warm on the feet and are just thick enough to snugly fill my ankle boots so they fit secure without any slipping and sliding. The toe box and heel both fit securely, and there is a silicone strip at the heel to prevent slippage. These rarely, if ever, slip off my heel, which makes them a comfortable sock.

Price $12/pair

Purchase at Amazon

Purchase at Nordstrom

Keds “Sneaker Socks”

Size: one size

These are slightly less reached for than my Stance socks, but a good option nonetheless. Also coming in lots of colors and prints, these are fun little socks that get the job done. A little thinner fabric than Stance, and also have a silicone strip at the heel to prevent slippage. These tend to sit a little lower on my heel, so these slip every now and then, but not often enough to make me not want to ever wear them. These are also the more economical of the bunch.

Update: forgot to mention I washed and shrank these socks in the dryer on high heat before wearing for the first time to get a better fit, thanks to suggestions from commenters in the original post. (thank you to Keilexandra for reminding me!)

Price $12/2 pair

Purchase at Keds

Falke “Sneaker Socks”

Size: 1 or small

These are another nice sock, similar in thickness to Keds and sturdily made. These fit nicely, if not a little bit snug, so these are a great option for anyone with smaller feet than my own. Once again, these have a silicone strip at the heel to prevent slippage, and rarely cause me any problems. The pricier of the options, I wouldn’t purchase these again unless I was able to get a good deal on them, but they are part of my constant rotation.

Price: $20/pair

Purchase at Amazon

Purchase at Shopbop

Also comes in a lower “Step Sock”

Smartwool “Hide & Seek Socks”

Size: s

These are a great cold weather option as they come in a toasty wool blend, and feel the thinest of the bunch. My ankle booties feel a little looser when wearing these versus the Stance/Keds/Falke, but it’s not a deal breaker. I find myself reaching for these on especially cold days or when I know I’ll be sitting in chilly air conditioning and don’t want to worry about my feet. I also find these to run a little longer than the other brands, so they may not work as well for anyone with a smaller shoe size than my own.

Price: ~$15/pair

Purchase at Amazon

Purchase at Nordstrom

I also want to try this lower cut style