In preparation for this gift guide, Abra sent me a selection of men’s gift guides.  And some of these bloggers must had COVID because their recommendations are tasteless.  (Abra tried to remove this joke, I demanded it stay in.  Gallows humor is the free space on my 2020 Bingo Card.)  So let’s lead into 2021 with gifts that the men in your life will be talking about well into 2022.

I’m going to kick of this year’s guide with a gift that, simply put, is the gift of the year.

Golf shoes are nowhere near as comfortable or stylish as sneakers.  They also don’t provide the wide range of styles and colors that most men would prefer.  It’s white, black, or white and black.  Yay.

This kit from Golf Kicks will transform your guy’s (or your) favorite shoes into course-ready cleats.  No more boring, uncomfortable golf shoes.

Want to buy a pair of crowd-pleasing sneakers that the recipient will love?  These Kobe’s.

Listen, we all know someone who cooks or thinks they can cook or is that dude that thinks he’s a pit master because he drinks and watches a smoker for 6-hours.  Okay, that probably covers every guy out there.

Other gift guides tout hot sauce as the thing to get a man who likes to barbecue.  Or maybe some oversized grill tools.  Those gifts are lazy; nobody wants the TJ MAXX end cap aisle gift.

Meet Spiceology.  You’re six months to a year from seeing these guys in every food magazine out there. Founded by chefs for chefs, Spiceology recently started a line of rubs, spices and dry marinades for home use.  They’re delicious, unique, and the packaging has good design.

Support a small business with their Rub Collection, their Luxe Infused Salts, or their Veggie Lovers Collection.

Looking for a more luxe gift for the cook in your life?  This Shun chef’s knife from Nordstrom Rack is a great buy.  They have a wide selection of choices with both the composite and wooden handles, so you can put together a fantastic set of knives on discount.

As for apparel gifts, I’d love to stick another Canada Goose vest on here and just call it a day.  (This one is cool.) But that would be lazy, so here are your coat picks for 2020.

The Arc’teryx Koda Coat above is the cool coat that not everyone owns yet.  No Patagucci, no North Face, a step up.  It’s windproof, waterproof, and really warm.  It’s also on sale.

Looking for a dress coat?  This Scotch & Soda coat is unique. Patterns are back, I called it first.  If you don’t think your guy is ready for bold patterns, choose the sand, skip the black and blue.

Belt Basics makes the best t-shirts that I have ever owned.  Quality fabric, durable, tons of patterns, and a reasonable price. I prefer the LUX, but I like a firmer fabric.  Best of all, they’re long enough for a tall guy who has trouble finding shirts.

Speaking of incredible basics … just buy these Lululemon lined shorts. I was late to the party, but lined shorts are the s**t.  I have two pair of these shorts, and now my Nikes have dust on them.  They’re that good.

COVID forced a lot of people to take on outdoor hobbies.  A lot of my guy friends took up fishing or boating or kayaking, and this Fishpond Thunderhead Submersible is on a lot of their wishlists this holiday season.  Totally waterproof and useful for anyone who has a hobby that keeps them on the water.

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These are my marquee gifts.  Check back next week for Abra’s and my combined list of under-$30 gifts.  Happy gifting.

{this post contains affiliate links that may earn commission for my wife, so buy generously so she’ll upgrade my gifts this year}