Socks Business

7 Socks Business Success Stories [2024]

Pat Walls

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Updated: October 6th, 2024

Socks are a low-cost, high-profit business. One of the more affordable businesses you can start.

The market itself has a size of 47 billion USD in 2020 with an annual growth rate of 6%..

If you want to be successful in this industry, it is important that your socks are comfy to wear and stylish to look at. People would want to wear socks that will make them look great without sacrificing comfort.

In this list, you'll find real-world socks business success stories and very profitable examples of starting a socks business that makes money.

1. Bombas ($300M/year)

David Heath and Randy Goldberg didn't plan to start a sock company. Instead, they stumbled upon the idea in 2011 when David saw a Facebook post mentioning that socks were the most requested item in homeless shelters. This surprising fact struck a chord and stayed with him.

Seeing the success of companies like TOMS and Warby Parker, which coupled product sales with charitable giving, inspired them. They wondered if a similar model could solve the sock shortage in homeless shelters by donating a pair for every pair sold.

They started by deeply researching the sock market and testing various designs. With initial skepticism from some quarters, they used feedback to refine their product, focusing on high-quality features like seamless toes and arch support. The combination of a strong social mission and a superior product won them early adopters and set the stage for success.

How much money it makes: $300M/year
How many people on the team: 312

How Bombas Built a $300M Sock Empire

Bombas co-founders David Heath and Randy Goldberg turned a $140,000 Indiegogo campaign into a $300M/year business by blending mission-driven marketing with high-quality, innovative socks, leveraging Shark Tank exposure, effective use of Facebook ads, and strategic wholesale partnerships.

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2. Sock Club ($12M/year)

Dane Jensen and his business partner Noah started Sock Club as a side project after noticing the success of subscription-based models like Birchbox. They built a website where customers could sign up to receive a unique pair of socks every month. The idea took off, and they eventually shifted their focus to custom socks, which now make up 90% of their $12M+ annual revenue.

How much money it makes: $12M/year
How many people on the team: 38

How I Started A $1M/Month Business Selling Custom Socks

Learn how Dane Jensen and his business partner grew their sock business from a monthly subscription to a $12M+ revenue business that mainly sells custom socks, by developing a manufacturing supply chain in the United States, using various marketing channels, and gradually expanding the business.

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3. FEAT Socks ($1.2M/year)

Taylor Offer, co-founder of FEAT Socks, came up with the idea for his custom sock company after teaming up with fellow entrepreneur Parker Burr during their senior year of college. They started by buying plain white socks in bulk and adding custom designs in their dorm room, eventually selling 20,000 pairs of socks on campus. The business gained traction after forming partnerships with sports agent David Falk and Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman, propelling FEAT Socks to international success.

How much money it makes: $1.2M/year
How many people on the team: 3

Starting A Wildly Successful Sock Brand

FEAT Socks, a custom sock company based out of Los Angeles, went from selling 20,000 pairs of customized socks on a college campus to selling $200,000 a month after Olympic gold-medalists posted pictures on Instagram, proving that focusing on having a kick-ass brand and utilizing social media is key to success.

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4. Hippy Feet ($1.06M/year)

While studying at the University of Wisconsin, River Falls, the founder of Hippy Feet, Michael Mader, suffered a traumatic brain injury that left him unable to work and provide for himself. Inspired by the support he received from his friends and family during his recovery, he decided to start a business that could act as a support group for individuals experiencing homelessness. This led to the creation of Hippy Feet, a sock and apparel company that provides transitional employment to homeless youth.

How much money it makes: $1.06M/year
How much did it cost to start: $30K
How many people on the team: 2

How We Bootstrapped A $720K/Year Sock And Apparel Company That Supports The Homeless Community

Hippy Feet, a Minneapolis-based sock and apparel company, has created jobs for over 160 individuals experiencing homelessness with a 6-month job readiness program and has grown 2020 revenue by 156% over 2019, using sustainable materials and practices while providing sales of custom, branded socks and apparel.

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5. No Cold Feet LLC ($240K/year)

In college, Matt noticed a trend of grooms having their groomsmen wear brightly colored socks. He struggled to find a single store to buy the socks he needed in bulk, and they were often expensive. Inspired by this, Matt and his wife Mari launched No Cold Feet, an online gifting company that sells fun and colorful groomsmen socks with custom labels.

How much money it makes: $240K/year
How much did it cost to start: $16K
How many people on the team: 0

How We Started A $18K/Month Fun And Colorful Groomsmen Socks Company

No Cold Feet is a gifting company founded by Mari and Matt McNamara that focuses on fun and colorful sock designs for groomsmen gifts and has cumulatively sold over 10k orders in the last three years, passing $200k in revenue last year.

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6. Deivee ($132K/year)

Darshan M, the founder of Deivee, came up with the idea for his organic sustainable yoga lifestyle brand after realizing that Indian women were uncomfortable with the existing sportswear options in the market. Teaming up with Indian star Milind Soman, they created yoga-inspired clothing, mats, and accessories that catered to the specific needs and sensibilities of Indian women. Despite being a relatively small startup, Deivee achieved impressive revenue growth, scaling from 500,000 INR ($7K) in their first year to 120M INR ($1.6M) in their third year.

How much money it makes: $132K/year
How much did it cost to start: $100K
How many people on the team: 0

How I Started A $11K/Month Yoga-Inspired Clothing, Mats And Accessories Brand

Deivee, the organic sustainable yoga lifestyle brand, grew from making just $7K in their first year to $1.6M in their third year through their flagship products, including a Yoga Kurti, copper water bottles, and organic biodegradable yoga mats, while remaining a low-funded start-up, using micro-influencer marketing and customer feedback to improve their product.

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7. From The Ground Up Socks ($30K/year)

Rami Nasr, founder of From The Ground Up (FTGU), came up with the idea for his high-performance hiking sock brand while on a backpacking trip after realizing the lack of stylish and sustainable options in the market. Since launching 2.5 years ago, FTGU has achieved over $170k in sales, donated $5,000 to a trails association, and secured partnerships with over 25 retail locations. Nasr's success can be attributed to his commitment to quality, feedback from customers, and strategic partnerships.

How much money it makes: $30K/year
How much did it cost to start: $5K
How many people on the team: 1

How I Turned My Side Hustle Into a 6-Figure Business in 2.5 Years

From The Ground Up founder Rami Nasr grew his side hustle into a 6-figure business in 2.5 years, generating over $170k in sales and donating $5,000 to the trails association in their state, by creating better, stylish, and sustainable hiking socks, through impactful in-person sales and collaborating with “real, gritty, dirtbaggy” influencers.

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