moosox

All donations are important. Food, clothing, shoes all make a huge impact. But socks, it turns out, are the most requested item at homeless shelters. (Many shelters won’t accept used socks, not many socks are donated, and people living on the street wear through pairs quickly.) [NY Times.]. Homeless people walk miles every day and suffer from bad foot problems. Fresh, new cushioned socks can make a world of a difference.

We experimented with many different materials. At first we focused on Bamboo socks for ecological reasons. But they were too thin and not very supportive. We finally landed on a cotton blend (80% Cotton, 17% Polyester, 3% Spandex). We also designed in a cushioned sole to provide better support and comfort. This will be something we keep working at, and I will continue to experiment with more material blends that deliver the best intersection between quality, comfort and eco-friendly impact.

Great question. The most important reason is our cause and the impact we are making on the impact of homelessness. When you consider that 6 pairs of Nike socks is the same as 12 pairs of our socks (because we donate 6), the price difference is very small ($45 for us, vs $40 for Nike). Nike is a great company but benefits from huge manufacturing and logistics economies of scale where we do not - and also doesn't have any of the delivery costs to shelters. Finally, our logo is better - and our impact is hyper-local.

Bombas and their business model hugely inspired us, but there are also some differences in our approach. Most Bombas socks are targeted at filling a different customer need - highly colorful, fashionable, and as a result, significantly more expensive than ours. They provide a different, less-expensive, simpler, sock for the homeless population that is still durable and targeted at their needs. We love their model but wanted to do something a little different. At moosox, we are looking for more of a balance of quality and affordability for both our paying and non-paying customers alike. It is really important to me, that my paying customers proudly wear the exact same socks as the shelter population. A simple crew sock whose design reminds us all of the plight of homeless people every time we wear it - and at a price point that is accessible. We think we have found that balance with a simple but stylish, durable, white crew sock with black accents -- and of course the moosox logo. Also, we want to be hyper-locally, and so we are currently partnered with the OpenDoors shelter in Norwalk to distribute our socks to the more than 1500+ people they serve.

Great question! If you head to the “shop” section of our website, there is a product labeled as the “Custom Pack”. This pack allows you to choose your own balance of socks that you receive, and socks that you choose to donate.

Currently, all of our donated socks will be personally delivered to OpenDoors (opendoorsct.org), where they will handle the distribution of the socks to the more than 1500 people they serve throughout the greater Norwalk area.