sportstyle

"Color and comfort is key. After the muted flesh- tones of 2019 and pre-pandemic 2020, we are seeing a preference toward bright, expressive colors. And as a result of large populations of con- sumers spending over a year working from home, we've seen fashion and consumer preference turn toward comfort with soft, durable materials that offer function and style. Socks are no different." Stephanie Lee Marketing Manager, OS1st "We are seeing sock design trending towards a fashion statement/street wear approach, but without sacrificing the need for authentic, athletic performance features. Some exam- ples include more varsity/retro striping and layering of multiple crews at multiple heights with differing colors. Tech cannot just be tech anymore; it needs to stand out. For example, a breathable mesh could/should be blocked in another or offset color to stand out. Prints and textures are popular and we are also seeing a trend towards shoeless workouts — a sock-only approach is being adopted for some workouts to improve core strength and stability. Thus, socks are playing a larger, more visible role for the moment." Zane Gresback Director of Merchandising, Gildan/Under Armour Socks "Sock design trends depend on the application. For crew socks, we're seeing a much cleaner, simpler sock design with striping on the upper part of the leg, and a logo or text beneath the striping. Less has become more, particularly in basketball and lacrosse for custom socks. Baseball and football have oddly merged into similar looks — knee-high striped socks in the team's custom colors. These designs showcase the heritage of each sport and show a more throwback look to complement their uniforms." Christian Stagg Sales Manager, Pearsox "We see the major trends as sustainable mate- rials and uplifting colors. Coming out of the pandemic we believe that colors that are uplifting and vibrant will be important to our consumers. We have committed to using Repreve fiber that is made from post-consumer plastic, in 100 percent of our product line." Russ Coillot Director, Sales and Marketing, Wrightsocks What are the major sock design trends for this season? How has the pandemic impacted the demand for socks in 2021? "Rather than overall demand, it is more inter- esting to watch the rapid evolution of how quickly the market shifted to online fulfillment and whether that trend will continue as things start to get back to normal. This includes both online sellers and BOPIS (buy online—pick up in store) via more traditional channels. Consumers have been purchasing larger pack sizes and where those don't exist they are purchasing more single packs. The "quar-an-tone" men- tality meant that people had a lot more time to research and we found that consumers were looking for two things — either they wanted authentic performance from trusted brands or they wanted high-volume, low-cost options. There was not a lot of middle ground and we found that brands not fitting in one of those two categories struggled a bit." Zane Gresback Director of Merchandising, Gildan/Under Armour Socks "When the pandemic hit, sports stopped, and so did team socks. With sports slowly starting back up around the country, the demand for apparel is finally back. With everyone trying to figure out their season in a moment's notice, the one thing in the sock industry that is most important is getting your Socks Quick." Luke Griffith Sales Manager, SocksQuick "At first, the pandemic caused a sense of caution in buying patterns, which led to many sock purchases on hold until needed. Now that we've made strides in the back-to-play initiative, those cautious buyers are now frantically attempting to get socks in hand on time. The desire and high demand is a quick turn custom sock. Depending on timeframe, some can successfully get custom delivery on time, while others must go with an in-stock option for immediate delivery. There is a large group at this point in time who wish to purchase a premium quality custom sock, but do not have the time for custom lead times." Christian Stagg Western Sales Manager, Pearsox "We have seen a dramatic uptick in consumer demand for our products, primarily our outdoor focused styles and active/running styles. We don't see this slowing down much as more people have decided to spend more of their leisure time participating in outdoor and active pursuits." Russ Coillot Director Sales and Marketing, Wrightsocks "We've experienced an increase in consumer awareness of socks and what a good sock can do. The closure of gyms, clubs and sport groups during the pandemic also created a rise in individ- ual training, putting some at risk for over-training and injury. It also meant an increase in outdoor recreation and hobby athleticism, which means more demand for gear, including performance socks. The challenge for us was to come up with solutions that kept our independent retailers connected to their customers even when doors were closed so those retailers didn't miss the chance to make a connection using our prod- ucts to help their local athletes, even from a distance. We found the best thing to do was to offer digital marketing support, lengthen our terms, and network within the industry to find ways to get our independent retailers online and connecting with their community again." Stephanie Lee Marketing Manager, OS1st VENDORS WEIGH IN 60 • July 2021 sportstyle • sportstylemag.com

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