You Don’t Need Socks in Hawaii

Socks, socks, more socks oh and, pants, shirts, shorts, sweatshirt, oh and socks ahh! That was what went through my mind as this Yooper got ready for her first adventure to Hawaii. What do I pack? I’m going to tell you, it is definitely not socks or pants or even shoes for that matter. I think, in the long run, I could have saved more than half the hassle and 50 bucks on luggage if I just went with shorts, tee shirt and tank tops in a good-sized backpack. So remember Hawaii travelers, NO socks, NO shoes, and NO pants, especially if you are from Michigan.

I have to say Honolulu was not what I had pictured in my head. I was overstimulated at first. Coming from Marquette, MI I expected Honolulu to be close to the same size. Oh no, people!! It felt bigger than any other city I had been too. On the plus side, there was a different aspect of feeling. Throughout the city, I felt safe. We took a 12-mile walk around Honolulu to explore and not once did I feel my guard go up. I got the impression that everyone was on their own time, vacation time so to speak. There was not the feeling of “I need to do this” or “I need to be here”. Everyone was moving at their own pace. It was a hot walk. No socks were included. I do recommend, shorts with pockets and a tank top and if you are pale and burn easily 100 proof sunscreen.

Honolulu has invested in making many of it’s main streets bike-friendly with dedicated bike lanes and a bicycle rental system throughout the city called BIKI.(Honolulu Vibes Photo/Ronen Zilberman)

I highly recommend that you bike around the city at night, we cycled around the city twice during my stay. The things I saw were amazing. We biked to the beach; hearing the ocean at night was peaceful while staring out into the black abyss. During the night time, the city of Honolulu is a different place. The parking lot at Magic Island transformed into a practice space for Tahitian hula and drumming. I urge you if you encounter a scene such as this in your biking adventure to stop and listen. It’s an amazing cultural immersion.

Another beautiful place to stop and see at night is the night skyline of Waikiki. Coming from a small town, I thought this was amazing to look at. The city is still alive, even at night. Check out King Street they have bike lanes and special bike traffic lights. This makes it easy to travel around the city quickly while still being able to see and experience the city life. Even at night, I wore only a pair of shorts and no socks, sandals only.

Waikiki Beach with Diamond Head in background. HonoluluVibes.com/ Ronen Zilberman

A small warning, you will see lots of homeless people. If that is something you’re not used to it might take you by surprise. I was told that many of them choose to live like that, others had no choice. They are harmless and are doing their own thing; they stay out of your way, just stay out of theirs. It seemed to me it was their vacation way of life. They had tents set up, blankets set up and were loving life in their own way. Another surprise I encountered was the number of cats I saw. There were cats everywhere. Cats, cats and more cats, everywhere there was a cat or two or three. Don’t feed them, don’t pet them, just ignore them. I know as a cat owner it was tempting to touch and play with them, but where there’s one – there’s fifty. They too are enjoying their Hawaii way of life. The thing about these cats, they were not wearing socks either and it did not bother them.

View of Waimanalo on the Windward side of Oahu from the Makapu’u lookout. (HonoluluVibes.com photo/Ronen Zilberman)

The best thing I can recommend when preparing for your trip to Hawaii are a few small training tips.  The first one is to get rid of your fears! You are in Hawaii. Try all the new, strange, and interesting foods you can. There are more restaurants and places to eat on one little island then you can imagine. We got to eat different fruits, candies, mochi, etc. (click here to read about my experiences trying new foods!)  Try to swim, experience the ocean and her power at least once. Brave the outdoors at all times of the day and night. Each time of day features its own treasures. Don’t have fear to try something new. The variety of activities you can do is amazing, there is something new every day. Tell yourself everyday “I’m in Hawaii” and remember –  every activity can be done without socks. Lighten your load take out those socks, let your feet feel the earth that is Hawaii, trust me you will never regret it.

To read more about my recommendations for visiting Oahu:

You Don’t Need Socks in Hawaii – Part II: Restaurants

You Don’t Need Socks in Hawaii – Part III: Camping, Hiking & Must See Places

by Chris Plourde

Born & raised on the shores of Lake Superior in the isolated terrain of Michigan's Upper Peninsula Chris is a dedicated nurse and lover of the outdoors. Curiosity and exploration are her constant companions and she's always up to try something new. We welcome her input as she shares her perspective & experiences visiting Hawaii with Honolulu Vibes!