“$10 Adidas Stan Smiths, Febuary, they were a classic and Adidas just reissued them at $90- [I have] about 50 pairs of patterned socks in my closet,” said Communications senior Jordan Oregero

Pineapple palm trees, vibrant Sistine chapels, multicolor ombre and superhero signs are just some of the designs coming out of the new sock craze industry. In the workplace, it’s difficult for guys to express their style while trying to look professional. For a time we saw men sporting fashionable designer ties but now the style has moved down to their feet. According to Yahoo Finance, the American sock industry brought in $4.22 billion last year. This fashion statement isn’t just a fad; it has turned into a big industry that can even be seen at Dreyfoos.

“Most of the clothes I wear were plain, so I needed something small to stand out but not be too obnoxious,” communications senior Jordan Oregero said.

Oregero began to catch on to the style his sophomore year, influencing his friends to wear socks specific to their unique style.

“I express myself through [my] socks,” Oregero said. “I wear a lot of plain colors, but socks have a better reflection of my personality.”

Most popular styles cost $12 to $40 a pair and are made of combed cotton or wool by companies like Happy Socks, Anonymousism, Paul Smith and Corgi as explained in the New York Times article, “Fashion Week on Wall Street: Are Socks the New Ferragamo Tie?”

“I have been in meetings where people look down and notice my socks, and there is this universal sign, almost like a gang sign, where they nod and pull up their pant leg a little to show off their socks,” Hunter Walk, a director of product management at YouTube said. His favorite pair of socks is yellow, aqua and orange striped as stated in the article.

However, this everyday design doesn’t come cheap.

“I probably spend like $50-60 a month,”  Oregero said. “I get like two to three new pairs each month.”

Designs like Plantlike Socks from Huf or Arthur George created by Robert Kardashian stock Nordstrom’s showrooms. Oregero personally likes to shop at Urban Outfitters and J. Crew for his socks.

“I have some with sharks, anchors, nautical theme stuff [and]whales,” Oregero said. “You can put so much personality into such a small piece of clothing