As the gift-giving season quickly approaches, many are scrambling to find the perfect presents for all the special people in their lives. Some people are ahead of the game and completed their Christmas shopping even before Black Friday occurred. On the flip side, there are those who have yet to give this quest a single thought. By the time they do set off for their Christmas shopping, they may only have things like gift cards, candles or holiday-themed candy to pick from. While all these items have their own level of controversy on whether they should be considered “giftable,” there is one item that trumps them all: socks. To some, gifting a pair of socks represents laziness and poor planning. To others, it is a symbol of reaching the peak of a best friendship. What are your thoughts on socks? Read on to find out those of the Life Section!
Naiiya Patel, BM
Yes, but this answer is dependent on three very important factors:
1. Who is the gift for? Socks are a person-dependent gift. Socks make a perfect gift for a random work Secret Santa exchange or for your best friend who loves cozy things. But, I feel like your mom deserves something more extravagant.
2. Is it the only thing you are giving them? If you have a gift limit of $50 and you only give socks, I mean come on. If you are giving a gift basket full of gifts though, socks make a great addition.
3. Are they good quality socks? I would rather receive nothing at all than a sh*tty pair of socks. Do not buy a pair of socks that will just shed all over my feet and shoes: Invest in a good-quality pair that will last for years to come. If all the factors are right, I would 100% agree that socks are a good Christmas gift!
Benjamin Lassy, LE
Socks are an epic gift.
Would you be upset if someone gave you a nice pair of gloves for Christmas? Like the genuinely nice ones — the kind that are nice and warm and maybe even have a little rubber nub so you can still use your phone. Those gloves are the best. But, they’re like $15.99 or more. So, I’m hoping that you, like me, would be financially reasonable and acknowledge that they’re a little bit out of the comfortable price range. It’d be great to get them as a gift, but what if you need gloves now? You’re probably going to pick the cheap ones that will barely keep you warm.
And now, the question of socks. If I go shopping, the glove process applies. The good socks are way out of the budget; I am not spending over $10 on socks, and the good ones are $30 or more. So, the question of socks is quickly answered by grabbing the usual bulk pack of thin socks. I know they’re going to get holey in about a week or two, but hey, they get the job done, right? NO. That is where I, and I think many, are wrong.
Good socks are incredible. You’d be a fool to settle with some cheap, torn-to-thread pair when you have the possibility of a thick, fluffy and warm alternative. When you see them in the drawer you’ll want to fit your whole leg in them, they’re that nice. Slippers would become totally redundant.
I’ll end on this: One of the most impactful gifts I’ve ever received is a pair of flannel socks. Look into them, but don’t buy a pair for yourself — they’re way too expensive — my hope is that this year they’ll turn up under the tree for you. Have a safe and happy holiday!
Karla Perez, ALE
Some believe that this question is controversial, and others may believe that the answer to it is obvious. To me, I think that to find your answer you need to know your audience.
Before I get into anything worth getting, certain socks need to be automatically eliminated from the running of “giftable socks”: any athletic-brand socks, socks from Amazon and even the themed pairs from Target just to name a few. If you plan on getting socks for anyone this holiday season, you have to rack up as many points for creativity and humor as possible; otherwise, you’ll create an extreme let-down and possibly create a new enemy.
Now that you have a smaller pool to choose from, let’s go over where you should get socks for specific people in your life. For the friend who’s young at heart, I recommend looking at Happy Socks. Their products come in a wide range of bright colors and feature fun but not chaotic designs. For the holidays, you can buy a pack of socks which come packed in a milk carton, a beer mug and even a pizza box. For the clown of your friend group, you can find a plethora of options at Sockolgie. Themes for the socks range from politics and the pandemic to expletives and food. The designs are so unique that I might just be making a purchase there myself.
Unfortunately, a funny pair of socks can’t win everyone over. Use your best judgment when deciding who to get these gifts for rather than making a blanket decision. If you’re on the fence about it, I say stray away from the socks, but if you’re confident in your recipient’s sense of humor, then go for it. Hopefully, this roundtable gives you some guidance this holiday season!
Kaily Martinez, CC
As a child, the last gift you’d hope to receive when opening presents on Christmas day was socks. When I received them I wasn’t overjoyed, but I would still try to be grateful for receiving something in the end. However, as I got older, socks became one of the best gifts to receive and give for Christmas.
Considering Christmas is during the winter, you can never go wrong with giving socks as a gift because the thermal pairs are perfect for keeping warm. Also, socks come in different designs, colors and fabrics, making them unique in their own way. When buying socks for someone, a good hint is to keep their interests in mind, as there are socks for anything!
There are never-ending choices when it comes to picking what type of socks would be a perfect gift. They could reflect the personality of the person you are gifting them to or they could have a witty joke written on them. The gift doesn’t have to be an expensive pair of socks, but as long as you put the effort in, socks are always a perfect gift for Christmas!
James Fitzpatrick, SW
Back in the good old days of childhood, Christmas was an otherworldly event. Watching Santa trackers online and putting out milk and cookies for the big man showed how much we cared about him. So, when he reciprocated this respect by giving us socks under the tree, it was a slap to the face. However, all these years later, maybe they’re not as bad as coal in the stocking after all — of course, that’s only when they’re supplemented with other goodies.
I’ve had an interesting arc with my appreciation for socks on Christmas over the years. The amount of gifts under the tree has dwindled year after year, so I understand that something as simple as socks takes up the empty space and consistently tricks my brain into thinking there are more actual gifts. To be fair, I do consider socks to be real gifts now, especially when the stitching on my current pairs begins to bother me or when one sock rips, deeming the whole pair useless. If my younger self was reading all this, he would be so shocked that he would ask me, “Oh sure, what are you gonna say next, that Santa isn’t real?”
But now, since the mystique of Christmas is gone, my mom and I have actually been deciding the specific type of socks I will be receiving on the big day. Plain white athletic socks from Costco are a bit too drab, but six pairs of Nike Everyday Plus socks are $28!? The sock market is in shambles; thankfully, we settled on some wool-blend crew socks in assorted colors. As long as the stitching is good, I’ll be content on Christmas morning. That’s if I also get that TV I wanted. Hopefully, we didn’t go too over budget with those socks…
Desirae Sin, SW
As you get older, you start to realize what material possessions you really want in life. Personally, I would be happy to get socks or other seemingly mundane gifts. Socks have a purpose at least, they wear down over time and you always find yourself needing more. The gift-giver shouldn’t be shamed for what they bought, but the receiver needs to lower their expectations. This isn’t the roaring 20s; Most of us are broke college students who have to choose between paying for gas or eating dinner.
Socks are much more versatile than you might think. If they’re closer to slippers or have fun designs, then it’s perfect for children who are prone to falling constantly. I actually bought my sister cute slipper socks with the black cat from “Kiki’s Delivery Service” on it for Christmas, don’t tell her! Also, if you are the type of person where nobody knows what to buy you besides socks, then that’s all you deserve. Your personality is as bland as a pair of plain white socks.