I do like my Smartwool and Defeet socks. They have summer weight socks and winter weight socks. The cheep synthetic socks is what I wear most of the time but the wool socks are pure pleasure. If your friend is talking about the overpriced support socks then you could pass. But if you are riding tube socks with red stripes then he might have a point. I don't pull out the wool socks in Georgia until fall and winter. When I am on vacation riding in the Colorado mountains I wear them every day as it can be from 25-100F out there.