Most of us reach for socks on a daily basis. No big deal, right? While the primary goal might be to keep our feet warm or to absorb moisture during a run, when you find a sock that performs its job while also incorporating upcycled ocean plastic and giving back to the community, it’s worth talking about.
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Swiftwick is a purpose-driven sock company born in 2008. On a mission to inspire activities of all kinds, the brand focuses on full performance sock materials for golfing, biking, hiking, running, snow sports or a day at the park.
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However, the company is also guided by a set of standards that focus on the health of the planet and the happiness of the consumer. Since its onset, Swiftwick has invested in quality materials and production methods in order to develop long-lasting, high-performance socks that enjoy maximum life before being sent to the landfill.
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Swiftwick leans into sustainable corporate responsibility at every turn, reducing transport distances, minimizing waste and reducing energy consumption wherever possible.
The company’s most recent release is based on a long-standing popular sock in the line, the Maxus. This new version incorporates a full REPREVE recycled footbed. Each pair of socks includes the equivalent of one post-consumer water bottle, helping to reduce plastic pollution in our oceans and landfills.
“Sustainability across both our business practices and our finished goods is important to our company and top of mind for our customers, which is why we’re excited to share the new MAXUS made with REPREVE,” said Joanna Mariani, chief marketing officer at Swiftwick. “We continuously work to reduce our environmental impact across our manufacturing processes, and this new release helps to close the gap in our sustainable product offerings.”
Continuing to delve into sustainable actions, Swiftwick announced that this year it achieved its goal to make 100% of Swiftwick socks with responsible, renewable or recycled materials.
The next move for the company is to ensure 80% of their Merino wool raw materials are sourced from Responsible Wool Standard certified sources by the end of 2024. The responsible wool standard (RWS) is an organization aimed at monitoring the welfare of the sheep that provide wool. RWS also oversees programs to promote and ensure land management where the sheep graze, while tracking materials from farm to final product. The long-term goal is to achieve 100% responsibly-sourced wool by 2027.
Sustainable business has been at the core of the Swiftwick business model from the beginning. Each year it takes additional steps to maintain and improve that devotion. In 2019, the company removed all single-use plastic from its packaging. It also puts ongoing efforts into finding and implementing sustainable fibers in all its products.
Community is also at the foundation of the Swiftwick business model. The company said, “Swiftwick continues to support key community organizations that place a focus on connecting underserved youth with the outdoors, helping foster a love and respect for chasing adventure and keeping our environment clean and safe for all to enjoy. They also partner with organizations in need of socks, donating over 13,000 pairs in 2022.”
I won’t keep you in suspense, these socks are spectacular. The zero no-show Maxus socks arrived quickly and with minimal packaging. There was no unnecessary waste, tissue or stuffing — just a pair of socks in a brown, recyclable envelope. Thank you, Swiftwick!
This is a newly-released material content from the brand, although it’s a longstanding favorite with customers. I’m sure perspectives on socks are subjective, but I must say, I love the way these socks embrace my feet. They fit snugly, in a supportive, rather than restrictive, kind of way.
The breathability is immediately noticeable. These aren’t your warm winter snuggly socks. In fact, my feet got cold in the winter while wearing them around my drafty house. These are performance socks. In that regard, they do their job perfectly.
I’ve worn them to the gym with a few different pairs of shoes and have found them to offer great wicking and airflow. I also love to wear them with my low-cut canvas sneakers. They are a relatively thin sock compared to basic cotton athletic socks I usually wear, so they allow more movement within the shoe as well.
Around the ankle, the trim rises higher in the back than on the sides to protect against rubbing on the heel. I appreciate this design, especially since I have one pair of shoes where I find that to be an issue with some lower-cut socks.
Although lightweight, they offer a thick and impact-absorbing footbed, so they’re cushiony, yet still flexible and breathable. Plus, they have a really stylish design.
In short, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend these socks for athletic or casual use.
Images via Swiftwick and Dawn Hammon
Editor’s Note: This product review is not sponsored by Swiftwick. All opinions on the products and company are the author’s own.
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