First it was sneakers, then it was fitted caps and snapbacks. Now, my newest accessory obsessions are fancy socks.
I'm not quite sure when it happened, but somehow my taste on what I wore to insulate my feet went from the regular old six pack of tube socks from Wal-Mart to the following...
- Low-cut ankle socks
- No-show socks
- Black socks
- Branded athletic socks
- All-argyle everything dress socks
- Stylish Nike and Stance designer socks that cost me as much as a date to the movies with my gal
Yes, I've spent up to $30 or so on a pair of socks. At first, I wasn't proud of it. Now, I'm getting these same fancy feet warmers as gifts under the Christmas tree, and I routinely find a few of my nicer pairs missing. I now own 20-25 pairs of socks that are extremely colorful, feature pictures or old-school logs on the calf, and are generally quite comfortable to wear. Please pray for me.
Needlessly to say, when I saw that Stance had unveiled the official images of the socks that will be on display for the 2016 NBA All-Star Game, I went on ahead and put a few dollars aside so I can cop a few pair.
Here are the red-and-white Western Conference socks and the blue-and-white Eastern Conference socks for your observation:
Also, here are the Friday night sock for the Rising Stars Challenge, inspired by the Toronto Raptors OVO Drake alternate uniforms:
The 2016 NBA All-Star and Rising Challenge socks ($28) are available at Stance.com and NBAStore.com. Also, be sure to follow @stancehoops for more details on everything they have rolling around the big weekend.

Eddie Maisonet is the founder and editor emeritus of The Sports Fan Journal. Currently, he serves as an associate editor for ESPN.com. He is an unabashed Russell Westbrook and Barry Switzer apologist, owns over 100 fitteds and snapbacks, and lives by Reggie Jackson’s famous quote, “I am the straw that stirs the drink.”