#Inside the world of ‘Sock Girl’: Golfer turned social media star

Add Isabelle Shee’s name to the ever-growing list of athletes-turned-influencers.

Known as “Sock Girl” to her 128,000 Instagram followers, Shee said her social media journey began four years ago, around the time fellow golf personality Paige Spiranac “opened up the door for golf influencers.”

“It was around 2016 when I decided to stop pursuing the LPGA and turned to social media,” Shee said. “It was around the time that Paige got much exposure and opened up the door for golf influencers. I just happened to be a female golfer at the time, so I’d say I got really lucky.”

Shee had played college golf at UC Riverside before transferring to UNLV. And although she felt uncertainty about her future, Shee’s leaned on a tight-knit circle to keep her grounded in the present moment.

“I have a group of really close friends, we call ourselves the sisters,” Shee said of her close confidants, which includes sister Kat Shee, as well as golfers Tisha Alyn and Maiya Tanaka, all of whom have strong social media followings.

“It’s just so nice to have girls that you can really bounce ideas off of, and you’re in the same field, so you understand the struggles you go through,” she added.

Among those struggles, staying positive amid the online noise.

“I think being in more of a public eye, you just kind of have to accept that you can’t please everyone, and it’s really important to be authentic to yourself and then have a support system that you can depend on,” she said.

Shee also credited her sister Kat for continuously pushing the golfer to show bits of her personality online.

“The best advice I’ve gotten would definitely be from Kat, where she told me that strangers couldn’t see the real me,” Shee said. “Because we’ve spent so much time together, she knew how silly and fun I normally was, but for some reason on social media or to strangers, I was more shy and reserved. She encouraged me to be more outgoing and to let my personality shine from the get-go.”

In addition to workout videos and golf clips, Shee’s knee-high accessories are also regularly featured on her feed.

“Ever since I started playing golf, I’ve always been known as ‘Sock Girl,’” Shee explained, noting the nickname came about around 2006.

“I was competing in 113-degree, Palm Springs [California] weather. [My mom] wanted me to wear long pants for sun protection, and I didn’t want to die of overheat, so we came to a compromise that I could only wear skirts if I could wear the longest socks that I could find to show the least amount of skin,” she said.

Since then, Shee has sported socks both on and off the course, incorporating different shades based on her moods, or if a particular hue held a special meaning.

“If for one tournament, I felt like I needed a bit of luck, I would wear an all-red outfit,” she said, indicating the color red means good fortune.

Shee’s passion for socks has since led to the inception of the eco-friendly brand IS Socks, which features products made with recycled materials such as coffee grounds and plastic bottles.

“By creating streetwear you could rock at the tee, we aim to help grow the game by attracting the less conventional golfer,” Shee said.

While IS remains her focus, Shee is open to the idea of taking her career down another path.

“I definitely wouldn’t close any doors on podcasting, broadcasting if the opportunity presented itself,” Shee said. “My overreaching mission is to spread positivity through the game of golf so I’m open to all avenues that would support that goal.”