Whether you are knitting a sock from the toe up or the top down, unless you are following a specific pattern (even sometimes if you ARE following a pattern), you will eventually need to pick a sock heel. This decision can be about a hundred times more stressful than it seems like it should.
The first question is, how much are you willing to put into this? Are you willing to peer at a chart the entire time you are working the heel? Or do you need something a little bit simpler? (There is no wrong answer here. Choosing a simpler sock heel does not make you less of a knitter.) And how do you feel about picking up stitches?
Short row. Heel flap. Sweet Tomato. Band heel. Dutch heel. Fleegle's heel. Fish Lips Kiss. There are dozens of ways you can turn the heel of a sock, and most of them have really weird names. Each one has its own advantages and disadvantages, and each one has a core group of passionate supporters. It can be hard to choose between them.
One thing I have noticed is that some heels are described as "easy" and others are described as "fit really well," but never, it seems, both. This reminds me a lot of sweaters knit in the round. You hear a lot of people say "it's so easy to wear," but you never hear people saying "it fits really well." (Crucify me for saying so, but sweaters without seams tend to shift around your body in a weird way.)
If you really want to dig into this issue, you can knit a whole bunch of practice sock heels. This is a fun way to swatch a new yarn, and it really helps you understand how a heel pattern works if you actually knit through it. Just cast on the number of stitches you would usually have on the needles when you start the heel, and go from there.
Image courtesy Flickr/jacqueline-w
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