How to select the best pair of socks for you.

Though socks are a part of most people's everyday lives, we often don't put much time or thought into selecting the best type to wear. Each person has individual likes, dislikes and needs, so its important to consider a number of different factors when choosing the very best pair of socks for you:

1. What are you using the socks for?

Running a marathon? Chopping wood in a cold climate? Walking around the mall? Believe or not, each of these activities may require different sock choices. There are a variety of new fabrics and options available for socks today, so it is important to think about your needs before you go shopping.

2. What types of shoes will you be wearing the socks with?

This relates back to question #1 but is worth repeating. Just because a sock is marked "running sock" or "cycling sock," it might not be appropriate for the particular pair of shoes you will be wearing it with. You should get into the habit of always choosing your socks based on the shoes you will be wearing, rather than the sport or activity.

3. Do you need a particular color or style?

Perhaps you need a pair of socks to go with your tuxedo...or to wear with a particular outfit. It is always best to err on the conservative side with socks. In general, white socks should be worn for athletic or sporting activities or casual use. Darker color dress or trouser socks are best for business suits and formal attire. If you ever need to match a pair of socks with a particular shirt or sweater, make sure you bring the item with you to the store so that you can match it exactly.

4. What is your budget?

Socks vary greatly in color, type, fiber content and price. Discount stores, online shops and department stores all offer a wide variety of options for those in the sock market at all sorts of price points. Cashmere socks, or other luxury fibers will always be more expensive than cotton or casual wear socks. Socks developed for specific sporting activities also tend to be pricier. If you participate in a particular sport such as running, cycling or basketball, it is probably worth the splurge to make sure you are getting the best sock you can find for your feet and shoes.

5. Are you willing to dry clean your socks?!

Most socks will not require much in the way of special care and laundering, however, it is worth mentioning that certain fibers (such as cashmere) will require special care and treatment. These sort of socks are not often worn for casual everyday use, but if you wearing them often, they will require hand washing or dry cleaning. For most other socks, regular laundering will work fine. Always make sure to separate your colors and whites, as one stray red sock can wreak havoc on a white wash.

6. Variety may not always be the spice of life.

Though we all like to have choices in our lives, the truth of the matter is, when it comes to socks, the less variety we have, the easier it is to care for them and keep pairs paired. If you are lucky enough to find a brand of sock you love, buy as many pairs of them as you can. When most of your socks are of the same variety, this make laundry (and pairing up the socks again) a snap.