 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Clothing retailer |
| Founded | June 1999 |
| Founders |
|
| Headquarters | , |
| Products | |
| Services | Subscription service |
| Parent | Jacob Rohner AG |
| Website | blacksocks.com |
Blacksocks is a European men's clothing subscription service and online retailer founded in 1999, specializing in luxury socks, underwear and t-shirts.[1] With no requirement to pay in advance, customers receive a fixed quantity of socks at regular intervals of 1–4 times annually, charged to a payment method of their choice prior to each shipment. The yarn for the socks is spun, finished and dyed near Milan, Italy and then sent to Barcelos, Portugal where they are all knit and packaged for shipment.[2] The socks come in a limited variety of colors and styles—typically only sneaker ("no-show"), crew or knee length—that are made of cotton (either 100% organic or blended with mercerised and Pima), pure Merino wool or a 65/25/8 blend of modal, polyamide and cashmere.[3]
The company has also expanded into a line of men's underwear and t-shirts, as well as offering athletic and ski socks.
Blacksocks has 60,000 active customers, primarily in France, Germany and Switzerland, and, as of March 2009, the company maintains a growing presence in the United States.[4]
History
[edit]The company was founded in June 1999 by Marcel Roth and Samy Liechti as a general partnership. According to Liechti, he was inspired to form a sock subscription service after wearing mismatched socks to a traditional Japanese tea ceremony held for business clients.[5] In 2001, the company incorporated and changed its name to Blacksocks SA, based out of Zurich. Roth left the company in 2005. By 2009, Blacksocks had delivered over one million pairs of socks within Europe.[6] Their original subscription plan offered three pairs of identical socks delivered every four months for an annual "sockscription" of US$89.[3]
North American launch
[edit]Blacksocks expanded its coverage when it launched in North America on March 19, 2009.[7] Lori Rosen, founder of New York-based public relations firm Rosen Group PR, serves as managing partner for U.S. operations, with the Rosen Group also overseeing the company’s public relations.[8][9] Rosen was selected for the position after she approached Liechti about marketing the concept in North America upon learning about its history and track record during a European business trip.[4]
Milestone
[edit]In September 2008, Blacksocks celebrated its one-millionth pair of calf socks sold.[10]
Technology
[edit]In September 2012, Blacksocks released its Smarter Socks, the first socks to use RFID technology to facilitate sorting and ensure that each sock is correctly matched to its original mate after laundering. The RFID chips embedded near the cuff of each Smarter Sock communicates with the company's mobile app, Sock Sorter, which guides owners through the rematching process.[11] The app can also use the device's camera to determine if any color fading has occurred for any brand of sock, and records other data about the Smarter Socks such as wash count, date of order, pair status, ID number and whether the sock is left- or right-footed.[12][13]
In April 2017, Blacksocks launched an order button for customers to order socks and other items directly from their closets.[14]
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ "BLACKSOCKS Online shop". Blacksocks. Archived from the original on October 18, 2025. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
- ^ "Made in Portugal: the origin of our socks". Blacksocks. September 15, 2023. Archived from the original on May 26, 2024. Retrieved December 26, 2025.
- ^ a b Associated Press (January 14, 2015) [2009-05-21]. "Review: Blacksocks.com Is as Simple as It Sounds". Fox News. Archived from the original on January 27, 2021. Retrieved December 26, 2025.
- ^ a b Pasquarelli, Adrianne (March 20, 2009). "Sock club for men makes U.S. debut". Crain's New York Business. Archived from the original on December 14, 2018. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
- ^ Ewing, Jack (July 23, 2002). "A Web Outfit with Socks Appeal". Bloomberg Businessweek. Archived from the original on June 3, 2013. Retrieved July 30, 2009.
- ^ Merrill, Scott (May 15, 2009). "Blacksocks.com: An infinite supply of black socks". TechCrunch. Archived from the original on July 23, 2014. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- ^ Fowler, Geoffrey (March 19, 2009). "Socks Don't Match? How About a Subscription?". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Archived from the original on April 15, 2021. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
- ^ "Rosen Group PR". Rosen Group. Archived from the original on June 6, 2019. Retrieved December 26, 2025.
- ^ Todé, Chantal (March 23, 2009). "Sock subscription service reaches US". DM News. Archived from the original on December 15, 2018. Retrieved April 1, 2012.
- ^ "History and milestones since 1999". Blacksocks. Archived from the original on May 19, 2024. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
- ^ Liszewski, Andrew (September 24, 2012). "Thanks to RFID, You'll Never Lose a Sock Again". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on April 2, 2019. Retrieved December 26, 2025.
- ^ "Classic Calf Socks: Smarter Socks with Plus+". Blacksocks. Archived from the original on June 13, 2020. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
- ^ Furchgott, Roy (September 25, 2012). "Radio-Tagged Socks for the Obsessive". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 26, 2025. Retrieved December 26, 2025.
- ^ Güntert, Andreas (April 5, 2017). "Blacksocks wandelt in den Fussstapfen von Amazon". Handelszeitung (in Swiss High German). ISSN 1422-8971. Archived from the original on September 27, 2023. Retrieved October 31, 2017.
