Can’t find socks to wear, again? Are you in a rush and can only one find one half of your pair? Did the washing machine eat your socks again? In 1999, a young advertising executive, Samy Liechti, who lived in Zurich was asked to join a group of Japanese businessmen at a dinner. He ran home to change and was back in time for the meeting. The dinner was a great success, and afterwards they moved to a Japanese tea house where, following tradition, everyone removed their shoes. The executive looked down, and had two different socks on – one with a hole in the big toe. He sat cross-legged for an entire evening, trying to hide his foot and praying that no one would notice. It was at that moment that BLACKSOCKS was born.
Liechti vowed to himself he was going to find an easy and convenient solution to buying socks for men everywhere. He was on a mission to eradicate sock buying woes for men everywhere – and safe time, stress and even add hours, days and cumulatively, even years to your life that would be spent searching for lost socks.
BLACKSOCKS was the first online sock buying website on the Internet, setting the trend for sock sites everywhere. What was particularly innovative, BLACKSOCKS launched the sockscription, the first ever subscription service for socks or any time for that matter. The sockscription allows customers to choose their quantity and frequency, with the most popular option three pairs sent every four months. The concept was simple: just when your socks were beginning to fade, or one was inevitably missing, a fresh supply arrived. No more wasting time searching for missing pairs. Once the purchase is made, customers do not have to make another sock decision for a year.
Buying socks online is the ultimate convenience—for many reasons. Let’s be frank. There is never a convenient time to buy socks. You might set aside time to go suit or shoe shopping, or look for a new car, electronics or any household items—but no one is inclined to set aside time to go to the mall just to buy socks. To add insult to socks injury, socks are never easy to find in a department store. They are on the upper floors, buried in the back aisles. Inevitably the sock displays in retail outlets look disheveled.
Online, socks can be visually displayed, showing a wide array of styles, and colors. BLACKSOCKS has calf, business light, cashmere, merino wool, knee length, sports socks and invisible socks, for those who prefer the no sock look. Socks are an easy item to buy online and eCommerce retailers have made the process streamlined and easy. And consumers have more time for the finer things in life.