According to an industry report entitled “Socks Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2015 – 2025”, the sock market has grown faster in the last several years than the overall growth of the apparel industry. The reason, according to a summary of the report, is that “advent of luxury socks and socks for specific application” have “transformed from commodity items to fashion pieces.”

An analysis published by Transparency Market Research in February 2016 indicates strong growth prospects for sock manufacturers and brands. This is based on the prediction that socks will grow in fashion importance around the globe, as well as the increase distribution of socks through e-commerce channels.

Who is currently benefiting from this trend? According to a summary of the report, athletic socks remain the largest segment in the industry. That helps to explain why the researcher’s list of the top 10 sock manufacturers include several sports equipment and apparel companies: Adidas Group, Nike, Puma SE, and ASICS Corp.

In terms of actual brand names, the leading sock brands in the U.S. as of 2016, based on overall domestic sales, are:

• Hanes: $199.1 million
• Fruit of the Loom: $187.8 million
• Gildan: $135.7 million
• Hanes Premium: $66 million

Private label brands collectively accounted for $658.3 million in 2016, according to the research.

About the author

EVERSOX is a worldwide supplier of custom branded socks for businesses, retailers, and promotional products distributors — with over 10,000 designs manufactured & 100 major brands served since 2010.