As a writer for GeekMom, I am emailed a lot of product pitches. The vast majority of these I pass on; however, there are a rare few that leap from the screen and have me replying to their sender before I’ve so much as taken a breath. One of those products was a pair of socks from Chatty Feet based on one of my favorite scientists – Professor Brian Cox.
Chatty Feet make a whole range of socks based on famous figures. There are artists including Sole-Adore Dali, Feetasso, and David Sock-Knee; Royals such as Kate Middle-Toe and the Sock Queen; film characters like Don Cotonne & The Toeminator; and, of course, the scientist range that includes Stephen Toeking, Albert Einstoe, and Professor Brian Sox. Nearly all the designs feature bright, borderline-garish colors, so they are not for the type of person who prefers subtlety on their feet. However, considering that you’re currently reading an internet post about socks based on famous scientists, I’m going to wager that you’re not one of those people.
As it happened, my pair of Professor Brian Sox arrived only a few days before I was due to see the man himself as part of his UK tour along with my mother and sister, so naturally, I took the opportunity to test them out in the field. There is no better test of an item of clothing than how it holds up on a cross-country voyage. My entire trip involved a car ride, four trains, a bus, and a walk right across Manchester city center and back – plus several hours of wandering around shops – so the socks were certainly put to the test. I also spent several hours watching the show in the hot and sweaty Manchester Arena. Thankfully for us, this ended up being the night before the terrorist attack that would make that very same venue known across the world.
At the end of the day, I was happy to finally remove my shoes and note how comfy I had felt despite my hours of walking. The socks hadn’t slipped or become damp as many cheap novelty socks can; instead, they allowed my feet to breathe. I took them home and have since worn and washed them several times, yet the design has remained as bold and bright as they day they arrived with no color running. I have noticed some slight shrinking, although this could be because they have accidentally ended up in the tumble dryer a few times. This hasn’t been a problem for me as I was already at the very bottom end of the size scale (the socks come in medium: US size 5 ½ to 9 ½, or large: US 10-13, with kids sizes also available) but if you are at the top end of the medium sizes then you may want to allow for some shrinkage after a few washes just in case and consider getting a large size instead.
Chatty Feet socks are available in single pairs, multipacks, themed four-pack gift sets (currently “Artists” and “BadAss,” which features action movie characters) and in family packs with one adult and one child’s pair included, because who doesn’t want to walk around in matching Godfather socks with their child?
Novelty socks are a classic gift, particularly for the men in your life. Dumbledore himself was famously upset not to have received any at Christmas for many years because people insisted on giving him books instead. That being said, they can easily be considered bad gifts because of the prevalence of companies making truly terrible quality socks that no one would ever wear more than once. Chatty Feet are different. These are novelty socks you will want to wear. They are comfortable and high quality as well as being fun.
GeekMom received a pair of Chatty Feet socks for review purposes.
