Birthday

Notes on birthday

Birthday socks split into two kinds. There are the ones that name an age, which are single-use and land hardest at thirty, forty, fifty and sixty. Then there are the ones that just say something about having a birthday, which the person can keep wearing in March.

If you are buying for a milestone, check whether the design prints the number or just says the decade. The numbered pairs are funnier on the day and dead the day after. The decade pairs get worn again.

Buying for someone whose size you do not know

This is the section where that comes up most, because birthday gifts get bought for coworkers and in-laws. Default to a design in the men US 6 to 13 range if the person is adult and you are guessing. It covers most adult feet and it stretches down further than it stretches up.

Kids birthday designs are sized separately and the ranges are narrow. Getting a childs age wrong by two years is enough to make the sock unwearable, so those are worth checking against an actual shoe size rather than a guess.