Will Eisner on why The Spirit never wore socks

YRONWODE: Who did the coloring?
EISNER: I would do the color guides. Jules Feiffer would do a lot of the coloring. That's why I was so amused when he said [in The Great Comic Book Heroes] that The Spirit never had any socks. (Laughter] We had problem -- we never knew what color the socks were. You see, if you made the socks red that would look too ridiculous, but red or yellow would be the only colors that did not clash with or disappear with the brown shoes or the blue pants. He couldn't have blue socks 'cause that would look like an extension of his pants and he couldn't have black ones "cause that would look real weird, and he couldn't have yellow socks 'cause it would look like an error and so we would invariably try to fudge it and of course the engraver would just color 'em flesh... [Laughter]... so he would never have socks! I didn't realize this until Feiffer pointed it out many years later when he said, "Do you realize that The Spirit never has any socks?" I said, "You're crazy!" and he showed me couple of panels -- and by God, he's right! Also, by the way Feiffer signed the artwork; that was his job: to sign "Will Eisner" on it. [Laughter]