and to cover them is considered provocative
That’s a new one to me.
I’ve always asked if people think that our ancestors wore socks in the desert and not sandals. The only answer people have given me in this regard is that:
1) people wore long robes so their ankles were covered
2) Its minhag hamakom
So then I pose this question back to you – if long clothing is NOT tzanua, did our ancestors wear sandals or socks? If you say socks, please provide some documentation that socks existed in the desert because I’ve never heard of it.