I Found the Elusive “Cool Socks” All the Trendy Kids Are Wearing

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For the last several months, I’ve been having a sock problem. When it comes to fashion trends, I consider myself fairly “with it.” So I’ve seen the chatter about the appropriate sock height. I know that no-show and ankle socks have been given the skinny jeans and side part treatment circa 2021. I’m on board with doing away with ankle socks, but as a short person (5’2″), I’ve struggled to a sock that hits the right height — one that looks intentional instead of nerdy and doesn’t make my legs look shorter.

Recently, though, the very source of my confusion (TikTok) may have delivered a solution: quarter socks. I first heard the term in the comments section of a TikTok begging for the scoop on where people were buying their “cute little white socks” that fell between ankle sock and calf socks. “They’re called quarter socks!” the top comment reported. “Most brands sell them but a lot of people get them from Hanes or Aritzia.” That comment had been liked over 53K times. Clearly, it was onto something.

The Ideal Sock Height, Explained

While I’d been looking into the pros and cons of ankle socks vs. crew socks, a little digging revealed that quarter socks — sometimes called quarter-length socks or half-crew socks — are, indeed, what I should have been looking for.

Ankle socks cover your ankles only — just enough to keep pebbles out of your shoes or to prevent ankle chafing. These can be functional, but look off when you’re wearing them for fashion (like you intended to buy a no-show sock and missed the mark somehow). Crew socks extend to the bottom of your calf muscle. These are definitely trendy right now and are cute with leggings or when scrunched down a little for a casual look. But they can also look cartoonishly long on my short frame, and they weren’t the everyday socks I needed that could be paired with jeans, skirts, or dresses, and athleisure.

Quarter socks hit about midway between those two points, offering just enough coverage: you’ll still see some bare skin if you’re pairing them with a midi skirt, but none if you’re wearing them with a pair of full-length leggings.

The Best Quarter Socks

Once I learned the name of the genre of sock I wanted, I started my hunt for the best quarter socks on the market. I parsed through the most common recommendations on TikTok, the best-sellers on Amazon, and my own personal experiments to narrow the field down to this list of the best quarter socks available in 2024. I looked only for white, but there are several selections on this list that come in a variety of colors, in case you prefer to mix it up. There are options for working out and everyday wear, and a wide range of price points for every budget.