Discover our sock collection!
View sock collection

Regular socks

Yoga/Pilates socks

Sports socks

Bamboo socks

Work socks

Cycling socks

Anti-slip socks

Christmas socks

Child & Baby socks

Free professional design within 24 hours
From 50 pairs
From €2.99 per pair
Delivery in about 4 weeks
Free samples

Sustainability

We work hard to make the finest socks for our customers, with a conscious eye for our people and the planet. Together with our customers, we have focused in recent years on sustainable production from start to finish.

Customers rate us with a 9.5 on 250+ reviews

How sustainable are we really?

A question we have to ask ourselves regularly. We work hard to make the most beautiful socks for our customers, with a conscious eye for our people and the planet. Together with our customers, we have focused on sustainable production from start to finish in recent years. We would be happy to tell you more about how Sokkies operates sustainably.

For this, we have highlighted points:

  1. Our materials are controlled (OEKO-TEX 100 certificate)
  2. Environmentally and socially responsible production (GOTS certificate)
  3. Additional verification of sustainable working conditions (BSCI certificate)
  4. Reducing plastic
  5. Sustainable transport options
  6. The most sustainable socks for your business (bamboo socks)

1. Our materials are controlled (OEKO-TEX 100 certificate)

The materials we use for our socks are certified under the international standard of OEKO-TEX Standard 100. What exactly does this mean? Very simple: all our materials used do not contain any harmful substances that could be bad for your health. From our cotton to the elastane; we guarantee that they do not contain any chemicals, pesticides or heavy metal residues. We also include criteria for the colourfastness and washability of our socks.

Certificate issued by OEKO-TEX® Association in Zurich, Switzerland.

2. Environmentally and socially responsible production (GOTS certificate)

Using healthy materials is of course step one, but we like to go a step further. So we have had our production reviewed in terms of environmental friendliness of the materials used. How organic are they? And what about the staff who manufacture the products?

A GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certificate guarantees that production takes place in an environmentally and socially responsible manner. It looks at three aspects: environment, socially responsible production and quality.

Environmental aspect

GOTS certification means that our organic materials (including cotton, bamboo) are grown organically.

Within the GOTS certification, two labels are issued in the field of environment:

GOTS label: the products consist of more than 95% organic textile fibres.
GOTS (x%) label: the products consist of 70% to 95% organic textile fibres.
Sokkies can proudly announce that 90% of our production is GOTS-labelled. The remaining 10% is GOTS (x%) labelled.

Socially responsible production

The GOTS certificate is (partly) a social label. Control regarding working conditions takes place in our production warehouse. This includes a ban on forced labour, trade union freedom and the right to collective bargaining, safe and hygienic working conditions, prohibition of child labour, discrimination, physical abuse or other forms of intimidation. Wages and number of working hours at least meet national legal requirements.

Quality

Also included in the GOTS certificate are criteria for shrink resistance to washing and drying and for colour fastness to perspiration, washing, wet and dry rubbing and exposure to light. These criteria are based on ISO (International Standards Organisation) standards.

Certificate issued by Control Union Certifications B.V. of Zwolle, the Netherlands.

3. Additional verification of sustainable working conditions (BSCI certificate)

To do a comprehensive check for our regular supplier, we have had them extensively checked for working conditions. Another step beyond GOTS certification, in other words.

The BSCI (Business Social Compliance Initiative) system is an initiative of companies committed to better working conditions. What does this mean in the case of the production of our socks?

Careful research was carried out at our supplier. This included working hours, wage levels, exclusion of child labour, health and safety measures and the overall working atmosphere within the company.

This audit looks very critically at all the aspects mentioned earlier. These are reflected in a score between A and E. In 9 out of 13 points, our production scores an A (the highest score). In two points a B and in two points a D. An almost perfect score, with an eye for improvement based on the feedback given.

Certification and audit done by Amfori on site, China.

4. Reducing plastic

Our socks are thus made of organic material that does not carry any harmful substances. Even the labels are (mostly) made of recyclable cardboard. To bundle these socks, we previously used two plastic packages. The socks were packaged individually in a plastic 'pouch' and then in a large bag per 10 pairs.

The large bag for 10 pairs ensures that the socks are protected from dirt during transport and makes them handy for our customers.

The small packaging looks nice, but after feedback from a number of customers, we asked ourselves, "What added value does this small packaging bring?". The added value is minimal and does not outweigh the amount of plastic thrown in the bin per shipment. Of course it is recyclable, but leaving it out is even more environmentally friendly. No weight with transport, no extra handling with unpacking and the socks are still protected by the big bag.

From 2023, we have therefore decided to abandon small packaging. A big pile of unnecessary plastic will thus be saved. In addition, for the large bag, we have the option of biodegradable bio-plastic.

5. Sustainable transport options

Our beautiful socks, like almost all textiles, are largely made at in Asia. The global textile industry is mainly located in China, Turkey, Bangladesh and India. As soon as our beautiful socks are ready, they go on transport to the Netherlands. This can be done in various ways; plane, boat, truck or train.

We offer our customers the option to choose more environmentally friendly options that have lower emissions. These are often boat or train. To encourage our customers to take advantage of this, we always offer a discount when an eco-friendly option is chosen.

6. The most sustainable socks for your business (bamboo socks)

In recent years, bamboo socks have been one of the most sustainable trends within the sock industry. An environmentally responsible option that can compete qualitatively with the cotton market standard. Bamboo socks are incredibly soft and offer comfort benefits in addition to sustainable benefits.

They are made from bamboo yarn, made from the bamboo plant. This plant grows naturally in China, where our production is (mostly) located. The official name for this bamboo yarn is bamboo viscose, but it is popularly called bamboo. These socks can also be made with fun print, logo or icons.

We list some of the (sustainability) benefits of the bamboo socks:

  • The bamboo plant grows incredibly fast and undergoes a simple production process (low water and power consumption).
  • Bamboo plant takes 35% more CO₂ on other plants
  • Antibacterial; bamboo socks absorb moisture, so no unpleasant sweat odours
  • Longer durability than cotton socks
  • Temperature regulating: warm in winter, cooling in summer

The production of bamboo socks is relatively new within the industry, it is still in its early stages. In recent years, we have invested in this production together with our supplier, trying to get the production cost per pair of bamboo socks towards that of cotton socks.

To encourage our customers to choose bamboo socks, they are offered at the same price as cotton socks.

We supply socks to more
more than 2,500 organisations worldwide.

Conclusion

We tried to answer our own question "How sustainable is Sokkies?".

  • With audits and certifications (OEKO-TEX Standard 100, GOTS and BSCI), we try to ensure that our products are produced correctly. Both in terms of the environment, people and society.
  • By reducing plastic and offering more eco-friendly transport, we hope to do our bit to reduce emissions on our planet.
  • Finally, we have made investments within our product range to offer even greener products.

Do you have any more specific questions or would you like more information regarding Sokkies' certifications, audits or overall working methods? Feel free to contact us.

Get in touch!

Our customers' experiences

Customers rate us with a 9.5 on 250+ reviews

Sanquin

Claudia van der Pijl

"The socks with pelicans turned out very nicely. Thanks for the nice cooperation!"

5 of 5

Albert Heijn

Evi Grijpink

"Looks great! Beautiful socks turned out."

5 of 5

Easyflex

Naomi Yard

"We received the Sokkies this week and were able to make our employees happy with them.

We are very pleased with them! Thanks again for the service and who knows until next time!"

5 of 5

Kaleido

Hein Oude Hesselink

"Looks good!"

5 of 5

Mollie Payments

Joe Burton

"Everything is perfect, I appreciate all the help. Thank you!"

5 of 5

Visma Onguard

Denise Rossen

"We are fans!"

5 of 5

ForFarmers

Lobke Elzinga

"A compliment to the socks. They are very well received by our customers! Everyone is happy with the design!"

5 of 5

Restocks

Nick Ketting

"Totally satisfied, sports socks of top quality!"

5 of 5

DHL Parcel

Pieter Kuijper

"The socks have turned out beautifully. Internally, there are plenty of photos going around from employees who think they are fantastic. Definitely worth repeating!"

5 of 5

Total Pack

Ton Dielissen

"Clear communication resulted in two beautiful pairs. Pleasant cooperation!"

5 of 5

Trend See & Hear

Pepijn van Houtum

"Excellent communication and top-quality socks!"

5 of 5

Balchem Corporation

Jaap van den Berg

"Great design, good service, excellent quality, eye-catching. Highly recommended!"

5 of 5

Bincx

Lola van den Bos

"Good communication, well thought-out design. In short: service and quality!"

5 of 5

Runway wide

Maartje van Bussel

"Sokkies is fast, creative and personal! Excellent service and attention to detail are key and they deliver beautiful products. Absolutely highly recommended!"

5 of 5

The Halm

Ruth Mollema

"Good and fast communication! Flexible and attentive, good service!"

5 of 5

Swapfiets

Irene Miedema

"We had a very nice design in mind for the socks. Thanks to Sokkies, this has now become a reality. We are going to make a lot of people happy with this in the near future!"

5 of 5

Request your sample design for free now!

A digital design within 24 hours!

I want a request a quote