Patrons of a certain age will look at these and think acid house. Acid house socks. Thing is they’re not. I mean, the association isn’t intentional. The Japanese artisan obsessives Kapital are always riffing off the smiley; on jackets, shirts, knitwear, whatever. To them, it’s just nice positive iconography. And nothing specifically to do with being off your swede in the Heston Services car park.

Being both a ex-acidhouseist and a significant fan of Kapital’s aesthetic, I’m going to have to like these. Love them in fact. Bar one thing. One irritating thing, that from a practical perspective gives my appreciation of these a bit of a slap on the knuckles. And no, it’s not the price.

It’s obvious right? Wear these with shoes on and it looks like you’re busting some standard issue, boring sporty looking socks. The interesting bit is covered by your shoes. The only way you’d impress with your smiley, anti-establishment statement, would be by not wearing shoes. Which in an average working day is not that easy. Besides, who wants to be ‘that guy.’ The guy that walks round the office in his socks. That guy’s a bell.

No, the only way to gain any level of appreciation of these is to drop them at Christmas time. Snuggled up on the sofa with the famalam. Chewing toffee pennies. Watching Fatboy Slim compete on Strictly.