Story highlights
Former presidents Clinton and Bush caught up in Houston Saturday
Clinton gave Bush three pairs of novelty socks
Bush is known for sporting trendy footwear
Good friends help each other follow their passions – and former President Bill Clinton is no exception.
While catching up with former President George H.W. Bush on Sunday, Clinton gifted his predecessor – known for sporting trendy footwear – three pairs of colorfully patterned socks.
Clinton tweeted a picture of the two in Houston, writing, “Great to spend time with @GeorgeHWBush & Mrs. Bush in Houston today. We caught up about kids, grandkids, old times and new times. And socks.”
One pair is green with pictures of chocolate labs, and another is light blue with bright yellow bumblebees. The third is brown, with its pattern mostly hidden beneath the stack.
The top pair of socks is from the brand “Socksmith,” which is based in Santa Cruz, California.
“(Bush) has actually received a pair of our socks in the past, which was pretty exciting to see he has at least two pairs of Socksmith socks at this point,” Nicki Henry, Socksmith marketing manager, told CNN. “We’re just thankful that they both love fun socks.”
Though the green and brown variety presented by Clinton is not in stock on its website, the same pattern – labeled “Lab-or of Love” – is available in a different color scheme.
Clinton’s tweet garnered much attention on Twitter, with over 48,000 likes and 1,000 replies as of Monday.
Bush has sported multiple pairs of trendy socks in the past.
The 92-year-old Republican, who has a form of Parkinson’s disease, uses a wheelchair, often exposing his fashionably clad ankles.
On his 89th birthday, the former world leader donned a pair of Superman socks.
And while accepting an award from the Lyndon B. Johnson Foundation in 2013, Bush sported footwear dotted with the face of a familiar man – himself.
His embrace of whimsical socks hasn’t gone unnoticed. Bush seems to have earned himself a reputation, with people across the country taking to Twitter to express solidarity with the former president and his socks.
The Republican National Committee even sells “George H.W. Bush Socks” — colorfully striped stockings signed by the former president himself.
Clinton has expressed admiration of Bush’s footwear before.
In 2013, Clinton tweeted a photo from their annual lunch, pointing to Bush’s cactus-patterned socks and writing “#sockswag”.