Let’s talk about ~socks~ baby! Did you know that every day you could be making an easy choice to reduce your impact on the planet? When you think about living sustainably, your first thought probably isn’t about your socks. But it should be!
Sustainable socks use organic or recycled materials and eco-friendly production practices for less impact on the environment. Plus, they’re more durable, so you’re not adding textile waste to landfills. Your socks may seem small in the grand scheme of things, but choosing sustainably is an easy way to help save the planet.
I’ve found the 11 best sustainable sock brands, so you don’t have to. Whether they use breathable hemp or plant a tree for every purchase, these brands make socks that are eco-friendly and comfortable. So get ready to have your sustainable socks knocked off!
Quick Picks: The 4 Best Sustainable Sock Brands
If you’re having a foot emergency and need sustainable socks now, here are the best of the best! Our top four sustainable socks are:
- Best athletic socks: Patagonia – sustainable socks meant to perform in any environment during any activity
- Best lounge socks: Harvest & Mill – cozy, organic socks for when you’re to-do list is just your Netflix queue
- Best fashion socks: Thought – fun, bright patterned socks made from bamboo, hemp, and organic cotton
- Best work socks: Colorful Standard – sustainable socks that stay up and look good all day
1. Kind Socks – Fun and Ethical Unisex Socks for Every Occasion
Budget: $
Features: ethical manufacturing, non-toxic dyes, organic cotton, non-toxic chemicals, charity giveback program
Range includes: unisex crew and ankle socks
Eco-friendly socks don’t have to be boring and Kind Socks is here to prove that. Founded with the belief that sustainable fashion isn’t a trend, but the only option, they have created two lines of fun, unique socks.
Using only organic cotton, none of their socks have toxic chemicals like insecticides or pesticides. Also, their production facilities are ethically and safely run, paying fair wages to their workers. Plus, a percentage of their profits goes to a variety of charities around the world.
2. Harvest & Mill – Cozy, Minimalist Socks Made With Organic Cotton
Budget: $
Features: organic cotton, grown and made in the USA, natural dyes
Range includes: men’s and women’s crew and ankle socks
Harvest & Mill uses American-grown organic cotton to make luxuriously soft socks. Not only is their cotton grown in the US, they spin all of the fabrics and knit all of their socks in the US as well. This helps lower their carbon emissions because they don’t have to ship materials around the world.
They also use different varieties of cotton for their colored fabrics, instead of harsh, toxic dyes. From a natural tan-green to a rust-red, you can find socks in a range of natural colors. That means you don’t have to worry about sensitive skin or throwing them into the wash!
3. Thought – Budget-Friendly Sustainable Bamboo Socks for the Whole Family
Budget: $
Features: eco-friendly materials like bamboo, recycled polyester, and organic cotton, vegan, zero plastic packaging
Range includes: men’s, women’s, kid’s, and baby socks
If you’re in the market for inexpensive eco-friendly socks for the whole family, look for further. Thought has a wide range of cute, comfy socks made with eco-friendly fabrics like recycled polyester and hemp.
Durable, anti-fungal, and made with anti-odor technology, you’ll never have to throw another smelly, hole-ridden sock away again! Plus, they’re vegan friendly, so no animals are harmed in the making of these cozies! And no worrying about shipping–all of their items come in zero-plastic packaging.
4. Patagonia – Sustainable Athletic Socks That Last for Years
Budget: $$
Features: fair labor practices, sustainable fabrics like recycled cotton, renewable energy
Range includes: men’s, women’s, and children’s socks
For high-performance socks you can use for any outdoor (or indoor) adventure, Patagonia has you covered. They’re made from a unique blend of eco-friendly materials like recycled cotton, recycled nylon, and hemp for comfortable, durable socks.
Made in fair trade certified factories, their socks are guaranteed to last you for years no matter what you put them through. Plus, Patagonia’s Worn Wear program means you can get your socks darned to keep them out of the landfills.
5. Organic Basics – Vegan Eco-Friendly Socks You’ll Never Want to Take Off
Budget: $
Features: GOTS certified organic cotton, PETA Vegan approved, living wages
Range includes: men’s and women’s socks
Organic Basics makes just that–basics made with GOTS certified organic cotton. Their socks are incredibly soft and comfortable, so they’re the ideal everyday pair. And because they’re organic, you don’t have to worry about any nasty chemicals left behind in the manufacturing process.
They take sustainability so seriously that even their default website is low-impact and shows you how much CO2 you’re saving. Plus, Organic Basics pays all of their workers not just fair, but living wages to work in safe facilities.
6. Conscious Step – Organic Sustainable Socks That Give Back With Every Purchase
Budget: $
Features: charity give back program, natural materials like GOTS certified organic cotton, recycled materials
Range includes: men’s, women’s, and children’s socks
Conscious Step socks are comfortable, durable, and oh-so cute! They’re made with organic cotton and recycled polyester to reduce their impact on the planet. They use less water and electricity to make socks even softer than those conventional cotton ones you find in supermarkets!
If you want to find guilt-free socks, these are it. They’re vegan, fair trade certified, and a 1% For The Planet company. That means when you buy conscious step socks, they give back to causes like ocean conservation and tree planting programs.
7. Colorful Standard – Organic, Sustainable Socks Perfect for Work
Budget: $
Features: organic cotton, PETA Approved Vegan, OEKO-TEX® environmentally friendly dyed yarn, recycled merino wool
Range includes: men’s and women’s socks
If you believe your feet deserve sustainable love, you’ll get along great with Colorful Standard’s comfortable, eco-friendly socks. Using organic cotton and OEKO TEX® eco-friendly dyed yarn, their socks are anti-pilling and perfect for work, lounging, and everything in between.
If you’re looking for an even cozier pair, check out their luxe and ethical merino socks. Made with recycled merino wool from old sweaters, these socks are Global Recycled Standard approved! And did I mention they’re cozy?
8. Boody – Sustainable Bamboo Socks That Stay Up All Day
Budget: $
Features: organic, ethically sourced bamboo fabric, transparent manufacturing process, low water use
Range includes: men’s, women’s, and children’s socks
For lightweight, breathable socks, check out Boody! They make super soft socks made out of sustainable bamboo rayon. The best part? These socks are built to stay up all day, which means you won’t be bending over every ten seconds to yank your socks back up ever again!
Boody has a seriously transparent business model where you can see the exact environmental impact of each item they sell. By using organically grown and ethically sourced bamboo, just one pair of their socks saves 132.9 hours of LED bulb energy and 82.7 liters of drinking water.
9. Pact – Everyday Socks Made From Organic Cotton for Comfort and Sustainability
Budget: $
Features: GOTS certified organic cotton, carbon offsets, recycled nylon
Range includes: men’s, women’s, and children’s socks
If you need ethical socks for the entire family, you’ll love Pact. Made with the unique blend of certified organic cotton and recycled polyester, their socks are soft, breathable, and durable. Plus, they have a special labeling system, so you don’t have laundry sock mixups anymore–one stripe for the kids, two for women, and three for men!
Pact also purchases carbon offsets for their entire collection. For a pair of no-show socks, they send money to efforts like a wind power farm in India and a reforestation project in the United States.
10. Allbirds – Cozy Sustainable Socks Made With Recycled Fabrics and Merino Wool
Budget: $
Features: carbon neutral, recycled materials like nylon, ethical merino wool
Range includes: men’s, women’s, and children’s socks
Do you want warm wool socks without having to think about animal welfare? Enter Allbirds. They made cozy, ethically and sustainably sourced merino wool socks aka the perfect ethical winter socks! Their socks are made with recycled nylon and polyester blended with merino wool for comfort and coziness!
If you’re worried about how sweaty wool socks can be, don’t be. Allbirds add eucalyptus to their socks for odor-free and breathable wool socks. Plus, their entire operation is carbon neutral. They keep careful track of each product’s environmental impact and then balance the emissions.
11. 8000Kicks – Breathable Hemp Socks For A Well-Rounded Sustainable Wardrobe
Budget: $$
Features: premium hemp fiber, antibacterial and antimicrobial socks
Range includes: unisex socks
Hemp is well-known in sustainable fashion circles for its breathability, so it’s no wonder that 8000Kicks’ hemp socks are some of the most breathable sustainable socks out there! Known for their waterproof hemp shoe, they added a sock to keep your entire footwear collection sustainable.
They use premium organic hemp to make their socks, so you don’t have to worry about any nasty chemicals like pesticides. Plus, they’re super durable, which means you won’t have to continuously cycle through packs of $5 bargain bin socks anymore.
Conclusion
It may seem like we’re splitting hairs when we talk about wearing sustainable socks. It seems like such a small, unimportant choice compared to the big problem of climate change. But when you support brands that use zero waste practices, recycled materials, or eco-friendly supply chain management, you’re sending a message to the rest of the industry.
Start small or finish out your ethical wardrobe with the best eco-friendly socks! All of the brands mentioned above use sustainable practices to make cute socks that are good for you and the planet!
Megan is a sustainability writer based in Fiji, where she lives with her partner in the house they built themselves. In her free time, she free dives, spear fishes, and takes long walks on the dirt roads.