There are some 'open-back' and 'open-ear' headphones that let you hear your environment passively.
Others that have more active environment passthrough such as Ambient Sound from Samsung, also exist.
This might be a useful gift for a cyclist or jogger that needs situational awareness.
(Am fairly certain they aren't great if you are going for audiophile level reproduction - but from a safety perspective, they let you hear your environment - note, I have personally never tried them)
Also beats getting hit by a car that you didn't hear.
For personal safety though, they win hands down. I can hear cars and people easily and I'm much more aware of surroundings. Downside is though that if you are running down a busy road, the sound of cars can override the sound of your audio but for me, that's an acceptable trade off.