Dara Can't Face Fall Without These Incredibly Soft, Color-Blocked Socks

My feet have been through a lot. I spent the majority of my adolescence pirouetting barefoot or in pointe shoes. And just when my toes thought it couldn't get any worse, I moved to New York City, where I walked miles in uncomfortable sandals. I'm often asked by pedicurists in the summer if I'm a runner due to the blistered and battered state of my feet. Aside from an occasional rat sighting or that one time in gym class in seventh grade, I do not run.

I do, however, walk very fast and when the temperature drops I shuffle - something I've dubbed the "cold shuffle" - but my inventive quickstep does not tear up my feet, because I'm always wearing soft, friction-reducing ankle socks by Hysteria, a Happy Socks brand dedicated to fashion-conscious women.

I first tried out the helpful foot sleeves a little over a year ago, when they appeared in our office. I never turn down free socks, so naturally I took them home with me and, as they say with any love story, the rest is history.

Some come in a cool graphic prints, though my personal favorites are the shimmery color-blocked ones that add an element of fun when worn with loafers or when poking out of ankle boots. I wear them with practically every shoe I own when fall hits and then layer them under fuzzier socks when those nor'easters strike.

Hysteria by Happy Socks Hanna 2-Pack Colorblock Socks, $34, available here.