Sock Tyranny

Here's Josiah in his winter school uniform. That's right it's his winter uniform and it's shorts. Not that it has actually been that cold here, but it's still not, by any means, what I consider shorts weather.
But Josiah loves his school uniform and wants to wear it, so, I have been on the hunt for appropriate leg coverings.
Now I happen to really like socks. Bright colors, fun patterns, and especially stripes. But lately, with 10 feet in this family and 50 toes poking out through holey stockings, I'm feeling a little overwhelmed by my family's need for socks! Just almost enough to make me long for somewhere subtropical where we could wear flip flops and forget about socks.
The Japanese share my affection for socks. I know this because I've been all over town spending way too many hours shopping just for socks. Not that socks are hard to find, there is an amazing variety of colors and patterns in almost every store, unless you're picky and want something specific; knee-high socks for boys, for example. I did eventually find several good pairs in cute and sufficiently boyish gray, blue and black stripes. The pair he's wearing in the picture is not my favorite, nor are they supposed to go up over his knees, but Josiah dresses himself now, including making his own selection from his overflowing sock drawer.

In case you didn't know, it is Japanese custom to remove your shoes when entering a home, school, and sometimes restaurants and special events. Since your socks are so frequently exposed, it makes sense to give them more thought than just pulling on something to make your shoes fit right.
Toe socks seem to be pretty popular. I've never tried them but thought they were neat; at least until my recent extensive sock shopping experience. I don't remember seeing any toe socks for less than 1000 yen ($11.60 currently). They're not that cool.