The 'Programming Socks' meme refers to the online subculture joke that wearing thigh-high striped socks—usually in pastel pink and white or blue and white—somehow enhances a developer's coding performance. Emerging primarily from communities like 4chan’s technology board (/g/) and various LGBTQ+ coding circles on Reddit, it highlights the intersection of trans identity and the tech industry. The meme suggests that these socks are essential equipment for high-level tasks like C++ development or kernel debugging. It has evolved into a symbol of inclusivity and self-expression within the programming world, often used to subvert the stereotypical image of the 'serious' or 'neckbeard' software engineer.