Food socks, for people who think about lunch constantly

There is a whole genre of sockwear dedicated to food, and it splits cleanly into two camps. The first is representational: a flat print of ramen bowls or fried eggs, repeated across the ankle. The second is structural — socks that have been knitted into the actual shape of a food, with a bun-coloured heel and a lettuce frill around the cuff. The second camp is where things get strange, and it's the reason this category exists.

Food socks are also the most reliably giftable weird socks, because everyone has a food they are known for. The colleague who eats the same sandwich every day, the friend who won't shut up about pickles, the relative who has opinions about pineapple on pizza — all of them are one pair away from being extremely easy to shop for.

What to check before you buy: printed designs usually survive the wash better than socks with three-dimensional attachments, and anything with a knitted-on garnish tends to run warmer and thicker than a normal sock. If they're a gift for someone with larger calves, look at the size notes carefully — novelty crew socks are frequently cut narrow.