Do You Wear Socks With Hey Dudes? We Reveal All

Hey Dudes are casual, comfortable shoes meant for you to wear however you want. But do you wear socks with Hey Dudes? It’s up to you!

Can you mix and match shoe colors and other accessories? Of course! There is no right or wrong way to wear Hey Dudes, but let’s look at your options and the most frequently asked questions.

Do Hey Dudes Make Your Feet Stink If I Don’t Wear Socks?

Hey Dudes are breathable canvas, so it’s unlikely that the shoes will develop an odor quickly if you don’t wear socks.

Over time, any shoe will take on an odor when you wear it barefoot. There’s no sock to absorb moisture and wick it away from the inside of the shoe. If your feet sweat, and most feet do, that moisture soaks into the canvas of the Hey Dudes.

Eventually, the shoes can smell. Fortunately, the company knew the shoes were so comfortable that many people wore them barefoot.

Hey Dudes come with a removable, washable insole to help combat shoe odor!

If you want to go sockless in your Hey Dudes but don’t like the idea of shoe odor, you can try to stop it before it happens in several ways designed to stop odor.

• Wash your feet and dry thoroughly immediately before wearing the shoes so they’ll only be on sparkling clean feet.
• Try a cedar shoe insert or other odor-absorbing insert meant to stay in shoes when you’re not wearing them.
• Don’t wear your Hey Dudes every day to give them a break and let them air out between uses.
• Clean the shoes regularly and let them air dry, preferably in the sun.
• Crumble paper and shove it into them to absorb any moisture you left behind.
• Use foot antiperspirant. Don’t use underarm deodorant but a special foot antiperspirant designed to stop sweating.
• Use a foot powder or body powder like medicated Gold Bond on your feet before wearing the shoes. Now and then, sprinkle some inside the shoe and let it sit overnight before dumping it out.
• Wash the removable insoles regularly to keep them fresh.
• Wash the shoes occasionally, too. 

If doing those things seems like a hassle, you can always buy no-show socks meant to stay underneath the opening of a shoe. These socks are thin, but it’s still fabric around your foot absorbing moisture.

Is Wearing Hey Dudes Without Socks Bad for My Feet?

The best question might not be, “Can you wear Hey Dudes without socks?” but “Should you wear socks with Hey Dudes?”

The bad news is that podiatrists agree wearing shoes without socks can cause problems for you and your feet beyond smelly shoes.

Blisters and Infections

The risk of blisters from the material inside the shoe repeatedly rubbing against your foot increases when you don’t wear socks.

Some people with poor circulation don’t heal well, and the tiniest blister or wound on the foot gets infected. An infection can happen to anyone, though.

Fortunately, Hey Dudes are soft and comfortable, so this risk seems minor for most people.

Athlete’s Foot

This risk is more common and suffered by more people. Burning, itching athlete’s foot is a fungal infection of the skin. If your feet stay moist for a long time, you’re more likely to develop athlete’s foot.

When you wear shoes without socks, no material easily wicks dampness away from your skin, and the fungal infection is more likely to develop.

Hey Dudes breathe well, so this risk seems minor, too. If you don’t have issues with your feet like poor circulation, dry or cracking skin on your heel or between your toes, or fungal infections, you probably don’t need to worry.

Since Hey Dudes are canvas rather than some waterproof material that blocks moisture from getting in or out, they seem less likely to cause problems than many other shoes. You have to judge how your feet feel after a day in the shoes to know if they stay too damp.

Wearing Hey Dudes without socks sometimes won’t hurt your feet, but you should avoid wearing shoes without socks every day. Be sure your feet are dry when you put the shoes on, and dry everything thoroughly when you take them off for best results.

Reasons to Wear Socks With Hey Dudes

There are several good reasons to consider wearing socks with your stylish Hey Dude Shoes.

• Your feet will stay warmer in the winter.
• The sock will wick moisture away from your feet and keep them drier during hot weather.
• You’re less likely to rub and blister.
• Socks help prevent foot wounds and injuries by providing padding and a thin barrier between the skin and other things.
• Your shoes will smell fresher, longer.
• You can choose complementary colors in your socks and express your style and creativity.
• You’re less likely to go barefoot when you take your shoes off, and going barefoot is as bad as wearing socks without shoes.

Going barefoot isn’t going to cause most people major problems, just like asking, “Do you wear socks with Hey Dudes?” isn’t likely to cause problems. But sometimes, it can be a mistake.

Stepping on something barefoot can cause foot injuries, and worse, it exposes your feet to bacteria and viruses. You can develop unsightly nail fungus from going barefoot.

You can also break down your feet over time because walking barefoot doesn’t support the foot the way shoes can. Your arch, in particular, gets no support when you walk barefoot and can start to fall if you do it often.

If you wear socks with your Hey Dudes, when you take the shoes off, you might be tempted to put on a houseshoe or at least leave the sock on for minimal protection.

It’s better to wear shoes without socks than to go barefoot. So if your answer to, “Can you wear Hey Dudes without socks?” is still a resounding yes, despite the risks, then be sure to take steps to keep your feet dry and your shoes clean.

Wear Hey Dudes Without Socks

Hey Dudes have soft canvas interiors. The shoes are flexible enough that they’re unlikely to rub or irritate. Because they’re soft and flexible, they’re also unlikely to develop an ugly shoe crease with wear.

The removable and washable insole will go a long way toward keeping the shoes smelling fresh. Your feet have about 125,000 sweat glands each. A washable insole can save your shoes.

You can also buy extra insoles and change them out regularly to make them last longer between washes and keep your shoes fresher.

Unless you have foot problems or your doctor recommends that you wear socks, you should be able to enjoy the comfort of being barefoot inside your Hey Dudes.

Don’t discount the ability to express yourself through fashion as a good reason to wear socks with your Hey Dudes, though.

What Kind of Socks Do You Wear With Dudes?

Yes, you can make a fashion statement with your socks, even if you don’t like wearing them, by choosing the same colors and patterns in your clothes, or by picking the opposite look for variety.

Long Socks

If you wear socks with Hey Dudes, why not make a real statement with them? In shorts or pedal-pushers, knee-high socks can add color or pattern to your lower leg and set off the color and style of your shoes.

Crew Socks

Standard crew socks in chunky textures, eye-catching patterns, or bright colors will make an unforgettable impression.

Socks with Charms or Pom-Pons

Any type of sock in a complementary or contrasting color will get you noticed, but classic socks with pom-poms above the heel or any kind of charm, ribbon, lace, or bow will stand out.

Pantyhose or Tights

These materials aren’t as protective or comfortable as socks, but they can create a unique look for wearing your Hey Dude Shoes. Textured or patterned hose can add extra interest to your outfit.

Which Hey Dudes Shoes Should You Wear?

Do you wear socks with Hey Dudes? Which ones should you wear sockless? 

The Hey Dude Shoes you choose are up to your personal preferences. All of them are made from comfortable cotton with lightweight EVA soles with removable insoles, and built-in arch supports for pain-free and comfortable walking and standing.

Classic Styles

The “Wendy” is a classic Hey Dudes style that comes in dozens of colors, patterns, and variations.

But can you wear Hey Dudes without socks if they’re the Wendy style? Here are some tips about this style:

• Go for the chambray or 100% cotton styles.
• Skip the corduroy versions with wool inside unless you plan to sock up. The shoe will regulate heat, but if it wicks moisture, it’s going to smell faster than other materials.
• The stretch-fit shoes might not be as breathable as the standard cotton canvas.
• Try the Wendy Sox line if you want the comfort socks without wearing them and don’t mind extra cleaning to keep your shoes from smelling.

Boots

Can you wear Hey Dudes without socks if they’re boots? You can, but your feet will sweat, and the shoes will quickly start to smell.

Hey Dude women’s boots, particularly those with liners in them, like the Britt, the Denny, the Vic, the Mel, the Brandy, and the Peyton will probably smell faster than classic shoes because of the fuzzy liner.

The Eloise leather and suede boots will trap moisture around your foot and raise the risk of athlete’s foot or another fungal infection.

It’s a good idea to wear socks with these Hey Dude Shoes.

Boat Shoes

The Laila boat shoes are breathable chambray, but they have suede collars and patches that form a barrier. So these shoes are partly breathable and partly not.

The boat shoes aren’t the best choice if you want to wear Hey Dudes without socks.

Casual

The shoes under the Casual heading at Hey Dude include the line of Polly shoes and the Wally Women.

Wally Women are breathable natural materials and should be fine to wear barefoot sometimes.

However, the Polly shoes are water-resistant. If water can’t get in, water can’t get out. Those probably trap moisture where it is and make odor, irritation, and fungal infection more likely.

Slip-Ons

Can you wear Hey Dudes without socks if they’re the slip-on styles?

Yes! The slip-on lines are Misty, Lena, and Lexi. All three are breathable and natural cotton canvas, so they’re as likely to let your feet breathe as the Wendy.

Plus, some of the slip-on shoes are mules, so less of your foot is enclosed inside the shoe.

What Are Hey Dudes?

Hey Dudes are shoes created by Alessandro Rosano in 2008 as a line of comfortable footwear with a casual look and feel.

The company was so successful that Crocs’s shoe brand bought Hey Dude at the end of 2021 for $2.5 billion.

The shoes will stay on the market and probably stay the same, but Crocs controls the business interests.

What Material Are Hey Dudes?

Hey Dudes are typically canvas shoes with lightweight and flexible plastic EVA soles. If you put them on top of the water, the soles make them float.

The EVA soles offer better shock absorption than rubber and other materials without weight.

When you wonder, “Can you wear Hey Dudes without socks?” remember that the shoes are light and made from canvas. Since canvas isn’t waterproof, the shoes won’t hold moisture against your foot.

The shoes breathe better than many other brands, so wearing them without socks should cause fewer problems.

Can You Wear Hey Dudes Without Socks? Final Thoughts

You can wear Hey Dudes without socks, but it’s best if you don’t do it every day in the same pair of shoes to give them and your feet a break.

Keep your feet clean and dry, keep your shoes clean and dry, and wear socks in them sometimes to keep your feet and footwear looking and smelling their best.