EUROPEAN OEKO -TEX CERTIFIED SOCKS AND OTHER APPAREL

HISTORY OF SOCKS

The earliest saved pair of socks dates back to 300-500 AD and was found in Oxyrhynchus on the Nile in Egypt. It is split toe, and made of something in between shoes and firm material to be able support walking. They were more like house slippers. 

In the 8th century BC, Greeks produced “pilol” made from animal hair. At the same time, Romans wrapped their feet in leather fabrics. Around the 2nd century, Romans began sewing pieces together making what’s called “udones”. By the 5th century AD, Europeans began to produce “puttees” and these were worn by the holy people to symbolize religious purity.

In the 1600's, people began producing socks using hand knitting technique. Back at that time, it was leather or animal hair. At the end of the 16th century, a new method was introduced - hand knitting -- and an era of experimenting with different sock materials started. Around 1800’s machine knitting was introduced and slowly production transitioned into machine-knitting that became the predominant method of socks production. 

BAMBOO VS. COTTON

Cotton socks: Cotton material is grown on shrubs. During harvest, cotton balls from cotton shrubs are taken and spun into yarn to make soft and breathable material. There are four types of cotton. Cheapest cotton are typically grown in Asia. Due to climate, asian cotton is not as soft or durable compared to the cotton grown in the middle east. Today, new species of cotton are introduced using GMO. The genetically modified species helps mass production, but the quality is not as good as naturally grown cotton, although a lot cheaper. Egyptian and Turkish cotton are the best and the most expensive in the world. At Soxessory, you are getting only the best quality cotton socks made from Turkish cotton. 

There are several chemical steps involved to wash cotton of pests and dirt particles. During this process, cotton is boiled in the solution called “alkali”. After that, bleaching takes place that removes impurities from cotton. From that point, cotton is ready for production, unless manufacturer process it further into mercerized cotton. 

Cotton mercerization is a process that takes cotton fabric and applying caustic soda solution to swell the fibers. This process improves strength, lustre and dye affinity.  During this process all left over alkali must be washed or during mercerization cotton will shrink. Many makers do not care about washing all alkali solution off and that’s why you see your socks shrink after few washes. At Soxessory, we are only offering top of the line mercerized cotton socks that gets washed twice before the production to ensure no shrinking when you wash it in the washing machine.

Bamboo socks: In order for the bamboo wood to become bamboo fibers, there a few ways to make it happen. Some good and some bad. The not so great method of producing bamboo fibers is used by “cheap” manufacturers, typically from China that involves a chemically induced process where 50% of the chemicals used are released to the nature and pollutes the land.

There are eco friendly processes of creating bamboo rayons that creates little harm to the environment. Because we are environmentally conscious, the Soxessory brand only sells socks made with eco bamboo fibers.

When purchasing clothing or socks, only buy socks and other fabrics that are OEKO TEX certified. OEKO TEX is your insurance that fabric you are wearing is free of residual chemicals. If your product is not OEKO TEX certified, you’ll never know about the manufacturing process, whether it’s environmentally friends and free of child-labor, and there is no way to tell if there are leftover chemicals that can harm you. All Soxessory brand socks are OEKO TEX 100 and 200 certified.

WHAT ARE THE SEAMLESS SOCKS

Every pair of socks comes out of production machine looking like it was wrapped around a tube. In order for this material to become a sock, it needs to be linked together. Socks manufacturers link both of these sides at the seam, right above your toes. There are few types of seam: handlinked, smooth, truly seamless and side by side. 

Truly seamless socks do exist, but might not be as comfortable in other areas. The best seam is the one that’s hand linked. Each pair of socks goes through hands of person who is linking seams together. That person uses thin and super soft string in order to link seams together. Machine is not capable of creating such smooth seam and that’s why when you are wearing your socks, handlinked seam is by far much more pleasant compared to machine linked seam. At Soxessory, you are getting not only the best eco bamboo and mercerized cotton materials, you are getting hand linked seamless socks.

SOCKS TYPES WE SELL

There are several socks type you can buy at Soxessory site. We offer many of the most popular categories of socks. Here are what we currently offering for sale:

Crew - The most popular. Great for outdoor, sports and hiking. Soxessory crew socks are made from the highest quality cotton that’s moisture wicking, anti bacterial and well ventilated cotton.

Quarter Socks - These ones reach above the ankle and below the calf. Great protection from blisters and mosquito bites covering the most desirable area for the insects. Women prefer quarter socks over other types.

Ankle or Low Cut, mostly preferred by men to wear sneakers and other low cut shoes for the boat and loafers. Looking sophisticated and preventing blisters.

No Show / Invisible - Very thin socks, usually hidden when you are wearing loafers or slippers. Great for those who are not into wearing socks.

Calf length - These are preference for the ones who like to wear shorts, skirts or any other casual wear. 

Winter - wool socks to keep your feet warm while the weather is cold. At Soxessory, we have a great selection of winter socks for all ages - adults and kids.

Compression - Perhaps you have health requirements that need extra firmness around your calves, or you’ve got that long flight coming up to prevent swelling. We offer the most effective compression socks on the market to support your needs.

WHAT ARE COMPRESSION SOCKS

A lot of medical supply stores in health care industry carry different types of compression socks for people with various medical conditions. Compression socks helps your veins to push blood back to your heart. Wearing compression stockings helps ease swelling and help prevent or treat spider and varicose veins. Some conditions such as varicose veins and people prone to blood clots require more pressure in the leg and foot, some medical conditions require less. Healthy people without varicose veins or blood clotting conditions prefer to wear compression stockings when flying long distance, sitting or standing all day long as legs get swollen due to poor blood circulation during the day. Whether you have health care needs, getting ready for a long flight or your job requires you to sit or stay up all day, compression socks will be beneficial for. Every type of compression sock comes with measurement - compression level. Copper infused compression socks will work better than any material socks as material gets stretched. Copper infusion material is less stretchy, keeping it’s form a lot longer. At Soxessory, we carry copper infused compression socks, 15-20 mmHg (unit of pressure), that are anti odor as well.

WHAT ARE THE BEST SOCKS FOR SWEATY FEET

There are approximately 250,000 sweat glands in your feet. It is possible that they can excrete as much as half a pint of moisture each day. Wearing nylon or similar material socks will keep moisture inside, producing a bad smell and help fungus that causing bad smell to develop a lot faster. If you have sweaty feet, you need some kind of material that keeps your feet cool and allow moisture to evaporate. It starts with your shoes. Having leather shoes with holes, sandals, loafers, mocasines that allow your feet to breathe are great. With these type of shoes, mercerized cotton socks or eco bamboo fibers will be the best combination. At Soxessory, we only sell top quality mercerized cotton and eco bamboo socks. Our best selling women's cotton socks are the women's cotton crew socks that come in many colors and patterns. There are plenty to choose from. When you are buying socks, make sure that there over 70% of cotton or bamboo fibers and that these socks are as thin as possible. 

WHAT'S THE MOISTURE WICKING MATERIAL

Simply put, they keep your feet dry. There are several moisture absorbing and moisture wicking materials designed to keep your feet dry. Materials such as polyester may be harmful for your feet due to it absorbing sweat and keeping moisture next to your feet. Often times, they may promote bad smell, not allowing your feet to breathe properly, and keeping your feet warm when it’s hot summer. To avoid smelly feet, you need moisture wicking fabric that keep your feet dry, such as cotton or bamboo fibers. With proper shoes or sandals, these socks will draw moisture away by allowing your feet to breathe and stay dry at the same time. Bamboo rayon or mercerized cotton will be the best for wicking moisture away from your feet, keeping your feet cool and feeling great.

FAQ - FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How fast do you ship? - We are shipping from Seattle, WA - Pacific NorthWest - West Coast USA. Our shipping cut off time is at 5 PM PST. So for example if you place order before 8 PM EST - East Coast time, your order will be shipped that same day. Every customer gets detailed tracking information emailed several times during shipping. We ensure that every order gets delivered fast and secure.

Is your site secure? - Yes, we are hosting on Shopify platform - the most secure and up to date platform for e-commerce.

What’s your return policy? - We are offering 120-days money back guarantee. Within 120 days after you purchase, you can return order for a full refund within 120 days. Shipping is covered by our company. It costs you ZERO to try our socks for 120 days. On top of that, after 120 days, we are offering you LIFETIME REPLACEMENT warranty, also free of charge. During a lifetime, you can request a replacement pair of socks you purchased from us. If for some reason we do not have your type in our inventory, we will mail you the most compatible item we have in stock.

What payment methods do you accept? - We use standard payment methods - all major credit cards - Visa, Master Card, Discover, American Express (AMEX), PayPal and AfterPay - where you can split payments in four without any interest.

What are the best diabetic Socks for Men and Women? - The best socks for men or women who are diabetics or people with varicose veins are the ones that are made from Bamboo Rayons. These socks not only work as graduated compression socks, but also help your feet to breath. The socks are also anti-bacterial and prevents leg swelling.  Another option will be copper infused compression socks. These socks are designed to apply extra pressure around your feet and calves to prevent fluid build up that can lead to leg swelling. Soxessory provides convenient and fast shipping so you don't have to make a trip to the medical supply store.

What are the best athletic socks?

While Soxessory socks are wonder for everyday activities from walking to running, if you are a diehard Nikes or Puma fan we also have great brand-name athletic socks available for you to choose form, because we understand that certain blend of cotton, polyester and spandex might be more preferable to active people than high composition cotton socks. 

 What are the most comfortable socks for everyday life? - The most comfortable socks for everyday life will be Soxessory brand’s crew length men’s bamboo socks or crew length women's cotton socks. They are made with the best quality Turkish cotton and put through the mercerization process to ensure extra comfort and durability. Women's cotton socks and men's bamboo socks come in a variety of styles and length such as crew, no-show and ankle. You name it, we have it. Our women's cotton socks best sellers are by far the crew length socks because we carry everything you need for any occasion.

What are the most popular women's cotton socks? 

Our best selling women's cotton socks are Soxessory brand women's cotton crew socks. Our women's cotton crew socks are made from high-quality Turkish cotton, put through the mercerization process to ensure best color, softness and durability. If you're looking for women's cotton socks for everyday wear, we have many styles to select from, such as stripes, solid bright colors and basic colors like black, white and navy. 

What are the best socks for extremely sweaty feet? -  Bamboo socks will be the best. Bamboo Rayons help to evaporate moisture better than any other material. These socks are anti bacterial and material is very soft and pleasant if you have sensitive skin. 

Will bamboo rayon shrink with washing? - Generally when bamboo rayon socks shrink, it is due to manufacturers (especially low cost ones in China) cutting corners during the production process. Quality sock manufacturing relies on expensive machines that steams and dries socks during production process to ensure that when you wash them, they will not shrink. All Soxessory socks go through steam and dry process. So when you buy socks from Soxessory, we assure you that they will not shrink after proper wash.  

Is bamboo fabric in my socks really environmentally friendly? - Not all the time. Certain manufactures will apply harmful chemical processes to create bamboo rayon that releases toxins affecting reproductive organs and causing cancer. Fortunately, there are chemicals free methods as well. The chemicals free method is a lot lengthier and more expensive. At Soxessory, you buy socks that are eco friendly, made with chemical-free production and on top of that OEKO TEX 100 and 200 certified.  

What is the best fabric composition of men socks? - The best composition for men socks are the bamboo socks, single color crew length. These socks are the most comfortable, and there are plenty of colors to select from. The Soxessory socks will last a lot longer compared to any other brand. 

Do black socks cause athlete's foot? - It depends on the material and not color. Black socks can be any type of socks. Material that can cause athlete's foot will be nylon or polyester that are not breathable. You have plenty of socks to select from at Soxessory. We sell mercerized cotton and eco bamboo socks that will allow your feet to breathe and will not lead to athlete's feet. 

What are the best and warmest winter socks? - It is very important to keep your feet warm during winter cold weather. At Soxessory we carry women’s wool socks with Christmas ornaments themes and other patterns. Many wool socks makers will make their socks so thick that it’s impossible to wear inside snow boots or winter shoes. Soxessory wool socks are great to wear with your favorite boots, because they are not thick and can fit in any boots.