Researching this Socked A-Z of Socks, we have come across socks ranging from less than a pound per pair, up to the finest hand-crafted socks made from the tears of unicorns and threads of gold, weighing in at £75 a shot. So the question has to be asked: Are cheap socks worth the money?

We put the cheapest socks in humanity concept to the test, by purchasing gents’ black socks from a variety of value outlets for the lowest price possible. We bought socks from market stalls, supermarkets and well-known High Street cheap clothes chains. We wore each pair several times over a number of weeks, putting them through a standard wash each time.

While – at first – the standard of wear was fine on the initial wearings, it soon became clear that corners had been cut on crucial parts of the design. The elastic around the cuffs was the first to go, leaving spiders’ legs of unravelling elastic around the tops after just a couple of washes, as the seams began to go at the toes.

Putting them to stress tests playing football and going for a run when we’d normally use sports socks was the death of them, and we couldn’t even bring ourselves to give these shoddy cheap socks the most basic of funerals.

The conclusion is, then, that cheap socks aren’t worth the effort, and it pays to shell out even a quid or two on better quality. For example, black cotton socks from socked.co.uk. They survive everyday use, because they’re built with love and a gentlemanly handshake.

Celebrity Wearer: Martin Money Saving Expert