To the homeless, good, clean socks are crucial to being able to walk long distances without blisters and avoid athlete’s foot, frostbite, or worse. But because most of us treat socks as an afterthought or perhaps as a fashion statement, homeless shelters tend to find themselves low on good socks.
Some socially minded sock companies are trying to address the problem. In the U.S., sock brand Bombas launched in 2013, allowing customers to donate one pair of socks for every pair they buy. (I wrote about the brand’s mission earlier this year.) And this week, a brand called Sexy Socks launched a crowdfunding campaign to do the same in the U.K.
The brand began in South Africa in 2014 with a sock made from 83% bamboo. It sold 30,000 pairs, which meant the same number was donated to schoolchildren in need. Now Sexy Socks is launching a crowdfunding campaign on a platform called UpEffect to fund a global expansion, starting with London. The company will invite children to take part in “sock drops” to donate socks to people in need and to try to get a younger generation aware of and excited about social entrepreneurship.
Recognize your brand’s excellence by applying to this year’s Brands That Matter Awards before the early-rate deadline, May 3.
