The cool kids are wearing socks with their Crocs, and now the seemingly unstoppable comfy-shoe maker is stepping in to take a piece of the accessories action.
The Gen Z-beloved footwear label has launched of a multi-year joint partnership with FutureStitch that will create a range of sock styles to complement its assortment of colorful clogs and sandals, it announced Tuesday.
Crocs Socks adds a new layer of customization to the Crocs experience, providing expressive options to complement the ultra-comfortable, wearable shoe styles, the partners said in a statement. The introductory collection, made up of 23 SKUs, features tie-dye, marbled, camouflage and space-inspired graphics in low, quarter and crew heights.
“This is something Crocs fans have been asking for, so we’re thrilled to partner with Crocs to introduce the new Crocs Socks collection around the world,” Taylor Shupe, who co-founded the vertical knitwear manufacturer and also serves as CEO, told Sourcing Journal.
“All styles take inspiration from the inline collection of Crocs shoes—everything from the seasonal color palette, key prints to featured Jibbitz charms,” he added. “We utilized a variety of knit and print techniques to create an offering of styles that feature prints and graphics that directly tie back Crocs’ iconic silhouettes, including the Classic Clog.” Some styles feature Jibbitz charms-inspired embroidery.
The variations were developed to give consumers ample choice in how they showcase their flair. Emblazoned with the catchy “Crocs Socks” moniker, the socks are available in three packs featuring different styles, as well as three-of-a-kind packs, ranging from $14.99-$24.99 on Crocs.com.
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Crocs Socks are engineered with premium-quality elastic to help the socks stay up, as well as twisted and compacted yarn for improved durability, Shupe said. The styles also feature a mesh arch band that improves fit and comfort, which was made to be reminiscent of the shoes’ iconic hole branding.
“The construction was made to reiterate what Crocs does best: comfort,” Shupe said. “Crocs Socks are created to deliver an even more elevated, personalized and comfortable experience.”
Like FutureStitch’s existing product lines, Crocs Socks will be produced at the manufacturer’s 300,000-square-foot vertical factory in China, which opened in Zhejiang in October of 2018. The facility recently received the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification, earning it the highest score among sock and knitwear manufacturers worldwide for providing employees with higher wages, free educational services, healthy food and other amenities.
“We’re a brand that celebrates self-expression through personal style and Croc Nation has been confidently rocking their Crocs with socks for years now,” Heidi Cooley, senior vice president and chief marketing officer at Crocs, said. “This is something our fans have been asking for, so we’re thrilled to introduce the new Crocs Socks collection around the world and encourage everyone to be comfortable in their own shoes.”
New sock capsules, including new heights, color ways and pattern variations, will be released seasonally, the collaborators said. The news comes five months after FutureStitch’s announcement about its ongoing licensing and manufacturing partnership with Toms, using a proprietary, waste-free 3D-knitting technique to craft no-show socks for the shoe brand’s Argentinian Alpargatas-inspired slip-ons for women, men and kids.