Picking the perfect present can be daunting. You can spend hours scouring the shopping malls for a thoughtful and creative gift, which is bound to leave you frustrated and overwhelmed. Or you can be like me, and make it easy on yourself--and just give socks you’ve sourced online. 

Not so, since socks nowadays make especially delightful gifts. And most people need them, let’s face it. So, if someone wanted to buy a pair or two for me, I’d be the first to shout, “Yeah! Sock it to me, baby!”

Anyway, if you’re like most people, you may be an abysmal gift buyer and socks are always a dead cert, especially given the massive choices now on offer. Plus, socks are for comfort, for practicality, for fun, and even for consolation… Socks are simply for everything. 

Take me, for example. I have an entire dresser just for my socks. And I have every type of sock under the sun in there; I’m talking athletic socks, dressy socks, Netflix-and-chill socks, designer socks, sexy seduction socks, special occasion socks, holiday socks, ironic socks, Simpsons-inspired socks, even socks I never wear and like to keep pristine! You name it; it’s probably in my sock drawer. Oh, and let’s not forget the ubiquitous one-legged socks where I long since lost the other half of a favorite matching pair but can’t bear to let go… Let’s just call those nostalgia socks.

It’s your time to get the low-down on the footsie 100 (that was a corny joke) and find out some top-ranked reasons to buy socks.

Ah, socks! Practical clothing items that, for much of their existence, have remained just that--practical. 

For many years, there wasn’t a lot of variety available to make socks a viable and delightful gift. If you gave socks back in the 50s, for example, they’d have been black, navy or gray, somewhat like a uniform. Not so now. 

Recently, designer sock brands have emerged to make socks great again. Today, you do not have to settle for your formal black, white or navy cotton or ankle-cut socks. The wide range of designer socks now on offer can reflect anyone’s personality and activity in colors, styles, fabrics and patterns. 

Rest assured that you can still have old-school traditional Argyle or pinstripe socks--still the firm favorites of a great many wearers--as these will see many others come and go. But even these old familiar designs are available in so many more colors and fabrics than ever before, but alongside them, we now have a vast array of contemporary sock designs. 

No two socks will look alike… especially not when they’ve been in my sock drawer, anyway, but that’s another story.

Should you want them, crazy socks with their never-ending run of color combos and novelty ones with well-crafted messages to make you laugh are all to be had. And even better, you no longer have to tread the high street for them; they usually hang out online, with their sock buddies. 

Historically, novelty socks were always something to be worn in one’s private abode, alone, preferably in the company of cozy pajamas. But that was then. Today, gifting a white pair of socks is considered ho-hum in comparison to the zany, entertaining and vibrant novelty socks on the virtual shelves. 

Whether you are shopping for yourself or as a gift, novelty socks leave the bland and boring varieties behind and make whatever statement you like--even a romantic one. What better way is there to say something?

Sock prices vary. Compared to most gifts, though, socks are pretty affordable, even the designer ones. And given the proliferation of styles, prints, and patterns, there’s an affordable sock design for everyone. Of course, designer ones might make your wallet feel a little lighter, but they will not exactly break the bank.

Some great, high-quality designs cost less than a deep dish pizza or a cup of coffee. As such, if you are looking for a thoughtful gift, don’t discount a great pair of socks. Not only will you walk away having made huge savings, but you will also have an easier time wrapping them.

Socks help to add a little edge to a basic outfit and ensure that your streetwear looks more authentic. A bright pair, like the ones I found at NoColdFeet, is an effortless way to elevate an otherwise bland thrown-on outfit. Better still, most rules go out of the window when it comes to styling your socks.

Because they are often visible these days--and that can be the precise point of choosing bright ones--socks are an excellent way to express yourself or to pass across an important message. 

It is almost a shame that they have to be concealed most times. Wear them pulled up, or--if you are feeling daring--pair them with sandals for an avant-garde look. 

Can you ever really have enough socks? Socks may have undertones of last-minute gifting efforts, but here is the thing about socks: everyone wears them, and everyone loses them too. 

As you may already know, socks integrated into any household usually split up and wander off on their own, never to reunite. Scientists have discovered that individuals lose more than 1, 200 socks in the course of a lifetime. If someone invented counseling for divorcing socks, therapists would make a mint… But until such time, we have to buy new ones and hope they’ll decide to stay together for at least a few months. 

So, everyone needs ‘everyday’ socks but let’s not overlook those special-occasion pairs either. 

For example, buy them as gifts for your groomsmen or as a Father’s day gift. 

Whoever you are buying socks for, though, remind them not to bundle them with the rest of the laundry as research shows this is when most sock pairs fall out and go their separate ways.

Colors mean different things for different people, thus delivering a quiet message without you even having to speak. Let your socks talk for you!

Green socks are ever popular among the environmentally conscious, for example, while vibrant pink socks have been worn by fundraisers when raising money for breast cancer charities. 

Look into matching up your sock colors with whatever good causes or current trends you’re following and supporting; chances are, there’s a sock designed to ‘speak’ for you if you only seek them out. Wear your socks with pride; they say a lot about you. 

Small gifts, like socks, matter more than you think. 

While socks may not be at the top of the list of your gifts to buy for someone you love, you will find that they can actually make a huge difference. 

With such a wide array of options, you will be spoilt for choice,so you can bring out the personality of the recipient quite easily as well as delivering a message of your own. 

Whatever you’re looking for, there is certainly a unique pair of socks out there for your loved one. All you have to do is put your heart and ‘sole’ into finding them.