Is removing one's socks considered showing off or a whisper from Satan if the reason is people have become accustomed to seeing me with them on?

The reality of showing off (riya') is seeking worldly gain through acts of worship. So long as you intended by your hijab the Face of Allah and obedience to His command, as stated in His Almighty words: "And not expose their adornment except that which [necessarily] appears thereof; and to draw their headcovers over their chests" [An-Nur: 31], then the whispers of Satan, by which he seeks to deter you from obeying Allah and adhering firmly to the hijab, will not harm you.