 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Clothingretailer |
| Founded | June 1999; 26 years ago (1999-06) |
| Founders |
|
| Headquarters | , |
| Products | |
| Services | Subscription service |
| Parent | Jacob Rohner AG |
| Website | blacksocks.com |
Blacksocks is a Europeanmen's clothingsubscription service andonline retailer founded in 1999, specializing in luxurysocks,underwear andt-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 nearMilan,Italy and then sent toBarcelos,Portugal where they are all knit and packaged for shipment.[2] The socks come in a limited variety of colors and styles—typically onlysneaker ("no-show"),crew orknee length—that are made ofcotton (either 100%organic or blended withmercerised andPima), pureMerino wool or a 65/25/8 blend ofmodal,polyamide andcashmere.[3]
The company has also expanded into a line of men'sunderwear andt-shirts, as well as offering athletic and ski socks.
Blacksocks has 60,000 active customers, primarily inFrance,Germany andSwitzerland, and, as of March 2009, the company maintains a growing presence in theUnited States.[4]
The company was founded in June 1999 byMarcel Roth and Samy Liechti as ageneral partnership. According to Liechti, he was inspired to form a sock subscription service after wearing mismatched socks to a traditionalJapanese tea ceremony held for business clients.[5] In 2001, the companyincorporated and changed its name to Blacksocks SA, based out ofZurich. 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]
Blacksocks expanded its coverage when it launched in North America onMarch 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’spublic 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]
In September 2008, Blacksocks celebrated its one-millionth pair of calf socks sold.[10]
In September 2012, Blacksocks released its Smarter Socks, the first socks to useRFID 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]
| Lower leg |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Full leg | ||
| Other | ||
| Brands | ||
