APPAREL SOCKS
SOCKS&
JOCKS
S
elling socks is a small, specific and vital category
worth exploring and examining for team dealers.
In many respects, socks are a basic commodity for
them and sporting goods retailers — aer all, they
are a necessary part of nearly every team sport's
game-day uniform and practice outfit.
Making things more interesting is that the team sock
business can also be considered a
fashion category, with color and fashion
almost – and we emphasize almost – as
important as performance and price.
Just ask Allen Krebs, owner of Kratz
Sporting Goods, about the breadth
and depth of his socks business and
the vast inventory of socks on display
in his retail outlet and stored in his
warehouse in Clarksville, IN.
"When it comes to socks, I sell any
color under the rainbow," he tells Team
Insight.
According to the National Federation
of State High Associations (NFHS), one
of the uniform rules for high school
soccer is actually a boost to sock sales.
e NFHS requires that all high school
soccer teams wear a pair of white or
light colored socks for home games
and dark or colored socks for away
games. Of course, the sock colors must
complement and match the uniform
colors.
Fortunately, for the manufacturers
and sellers of socks, there are only a
few major sports that don't require
a sock to be worn during practices
or games — think beach volleyball,
gymnastics, swimming and water polo.
24 • Team Insight ~ May/June 2024 teaminsightmag.com
For team dealers, it all starts at the bottom
with the sale of team socks. By Mike May
Today's basketball players have different tastes in their team socks.
