Are Crazy Socks Really A Huge Silicon Valley Trend?

Oh, The New York Times. How you make us giggle. This weekend, the newspaper of record cast its (supposedly) all-seeing eye to the Silicon Valley fashion scene...especially what is happening around the ankles of the Bay's brightest tech stars.

What did they come up with? Socks! Crazy, patterned, colorful socks that are being used like "gang sign[s]" in local tech offices, where fellow wild-socks wearers nod at each other knowingly while checking out each other's foot action.

These socks, according to the Times, are also being worn because "girls notice"...at least according to 37-year-old Twitter communications director Matt Graves.

Wait, you might be thinking, the Times dedicated a sizable article to this supposed trend taking foot (hehe) on the peninsula? Indeed.

While companies like Happy Socks have seen their profits skyrocket of late, perhaps thanks to the rise of menswear overall or maybe the Sartorialist-propelled cuffed-pants trend that puts the spotlight squarely on the below-the-knee area, the NYT argues that "Northern California shoppers particularly favor them."

One explanation of this (dubious?) trend, courtesy of a 24-year-old Facebook product designer: "Let’s say you are wearing sweat pants and a hoodie, but you have really cool socks on. It can be this rebellion against everything."

Or, it's just another way to completely nerd out. "I started having to suit up for meetings with Fortune 500 companies,” Uber cab's Travis Kalanick tells the Times. "I wanted to keep a little of my geeky computer engineering flair without people thinking I was nuts.”

So, are patterned socks really the new Zuckerberg-endorsed Adidas flip-flop? We, for one, are a bit skeptical of the hugeness of this trend or its being hotter in tech than other industries. Also, we've reached out to our well-placed moles down in Mountain View, and they say the whole trend is "news to [them]" (although they say wearing no shoes or socks at all has been taking hold on one notable campus). But we suggest you read the Times article here, and let us know your take in the comments below.