— — Practical and predictable as gifts, socks have the misfortune of being stuffed way under the tree and deliberately left off many wish lists.

That was until a footwear revolution, of paisley, pastel and polka-dotted hosiery started appearing on the ankles of American men.

This year, the nearly $6 billion sock industry will be front and center for gift exchanges, thanks to a fashion sock boom.

Just ask GQ.

“Socks are a very good intro for a guy who is just deciding I want to be more stylish,” says GQ style writer, Jake Woolf.

So, why socks? As a