Socks that suck

Flickr: Mr Tickle - Wachoo Wachoo Tribe Congressman

QI-watching Rob Brydon fans will understand that there has been a certain debate over socks just lately. He favours the longer sock; I've been trying the Angora knitted version sold by newsreader Selina Scott. I went for the slightly formal version and paid around nine quid per pair (I should stress that the ones in the picture are just something I found on Flickr and not the socks in question).

The idea was that these would be harder wearing than the standard Marks and Sparks jobbies I'd been using. They were indeed more comfortable and for that money I'd hope so too; they appeared to need washing less frequently too, which is a good thing although just how much time and water you save by washing socks a bit less frequently is up for debate. The real strength of the angora sock is of course for the boot-wearing hiker.

It was disappointing, then, to find a dirty great hole in the things last night on the heel. I'd expected that they'd last, for the price. My wife informs me that I can darn them and they'll be fine, but on closer inspection they're wearing thin too.

I probably won't be spending that much again on socks, then. Another way of spending equal amounts is to get them from Dragon Peter Jones, who has launched the stripey versions he wears on telly. He's 6ft 7 and can get away with them. I've tried a pair of similarly stripey jobbies and they made my legs look plain stumpy (there's an argument that it's no use blaming the socks).

I think I'll be sticking with the plainer versions from now on. The longer sock does sound good, though.