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people wearing jeans and ethical socks by Conscious Step
02 Mar
people wearing jeans and ethical socks by Conscious Step

The Ultimate Guide to More Sustainable Socks

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Look after your feet while looking after the planet with this round up of more sustainable socks from brands all over the world.

More sustainable socks to keep your feet warm and comfy

Socks are one of those basics we often don’t think twice about. But when curating your more sustainable wardrobe, they should be near the top of your list.

Not only do most of us wear socks on the daily, did you know looking after our feet is important for our overall health? Speaking of health—what about the health of the people who make our socks, or their environmental impact, or even the animals? That’s where more sustainable socks come in.

Read on to discover our editors’ faves that will help keep your feet comfy and healthy year-round with this selection of more sustainable socks by brands that do better.

Conscious Step

Rated: Good
Two pairs of socks hanging on a line outside with rainbow graphics, one grey and one black. Ethically made by Conscious Step.

Socks That Save LGBTQ Lives– Ships internationally from the US

Socks with a cause. Conscious Step is an American brand that offers premium Fairtrade, organic, vegan socks matched to a direct charitable impact. Choose from several causes including protecting our oceans, planting trees, providing safe drinking water, or saving LGBTQ lives like in these rainbow crews.

The socks come in S-L sizes.

See the rating.

Shop Conscious Step.

Organic Basics

Rated: Good
A pair of grey organic cotton socks by Organic Basics.

Organic Cotton Socks 2-pack – Ships internationally from Denmark

“Design everything to last”. Organic Basics believes that investing in quality fabrics and workmanship is “the only way to act”. That’s why the brand created these organic cotton socks, using a stretch blend fabric, reinforced stress zones for durability and hand-linked toe for a seamless feel.

The socks come in sizes 35-42 for women and 35-46 for men.

See the rating.

Shop Organic Basics.

tentree

Rated: Good
Black and white ankle socks by tentree.

Ankle Sock 2-Pack – Ships internationally from Canada

tentree is a Canadian, more responsible lifestyle brand that plants 10 trees for every item purchased. The certified B-Corp brand has already helped to remove tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere and reforested over 5,000 hectares of land (that’s equal to 12,000 football fields). But its commitment to sustainability extends way beyond trees. Using recycled, organic, and circular fabrics, tentree cuts down on huge amounts of waste and water usage with every piece.

These cool socks are made from recycled polyester and come in unisex sizes S/M and L/XL.

See the rating.

Shop tentree.

ISTO.

Rated: Good

Cotton Socks – Ships internationally from Portugal

Portuguese brand ISTO.’s mandate is simple: create clothes to transcend the seasons and work as staple items in your wardrobe all year round. It has one single collection and pursues quality over quantity to try and make its items permanently available. It uses organic and natural materials, and is incredibly transparent in showing you the true cost of your clothes, including these basic socks, when you go to purchase a piece for your wardrobe.

The range is available in XS-XL.

See the rating.

Shop ISTO..

Afends

Rated: Good
A pair of classic ankle high white socks.

Unisex Hemp Socks – Ships internationally from Australia

Afends is a Byron Bay based fashion brand leading the way in organic hemp fashion, using renewable energy in its supply chain to reduce its climate impact.

You can find these unisex hemp socks in one size fits most.

See the rating.

Shop Afends.

Colorful Standard

Rated: Good

Organic Socks – Ships internationally from Denmark

Colorful Standard is a Danish clothing brand that makes organic fashion essentials, like these colourful socks, for men and women. The brand doesn’t care much for seasons or trends, instead, it creates timeless and long-lasting products to avoid the downward spiral that is over-consumption.

Find the socks in one size fits most.

See the rating.

Shop Colorful Standard.

Good Guys

Rated: Good
Two images of good guys go vegan socks in 3 colours

Vegan Socks – Ships internationally from Italy

Show your colours with the fun GO VEGAN? YES, PLEASE socks from Good Guys Don’t Wear Leather. Good Guys create cruelty-free shoes and socks for women and men, founded and designed by Marion Hanania in Paris. Hanania aims to create the perfect cruelty-free closet, where no animal product is involved, and the production guarantees fair trade working conditions.

Find the pair in EU sizes 36 to 46.

Dedicated

Rated: Great
A pair of black socks with colourful embroidered vegetables.

Vegetable Socks – Ships internationally from Sweden

If you love a great graphic print, Swedish label Dedicated has you covered. Dedicated is a more ethical streetwear brand for men, women, and children. All cotton used in its pieces are 100% organic and most are Fairtrade-certified, which means that you don’t have to sacrifice your ethics to dress in style. Start your day on the right with these graphic socks.

At the time of writing you can find the socks in sizes 36-40.

See the rating.

Shop Dedicated.

Shop Dedicated @ Earthkind.

NIKIN

Rated: Good
Sustainable socks in navy

TreeSocks Standard Allover – Ships internationally from Germany

If you’re the kind of person who wears their morals look no further. Not only is a tree planted every time you purchase a pair of these lovelies, you also get to show your tree pride! The ultra-comfortable TreeSocks will complement your look perfectly and accompany you every step of the way, and are vegan-friendly, too!

Shop NIKIN’s socks in sizes 36-46.

See the rating.

Shop NIKIN.

Boody

Rated: Good
A pair of low white active socks.

Women’s Active Sports Sock – Ships internationally from Australia

Boody is an Australian brand that creates beautifully soft, everyday essentials designed to deliver pure comfort while not sacrificing your values. Designed to make you push even harder, the brand’s Active Sports Sock takes you that step further. Boody’s unique bamboo blend is naturally comfortable and moisture-wicking, so you stay fresh while working out. As a bonus, the brand uses entirely animal-free materials in all its pieces.

Find the socks in size 3-9.

See the rating.

Shop Boody.

Unrecorded

Rated: Good

Socks Yellow – Ships internationally from the Netherlands

Unrecorded is an independent clothing brand from the Netherlands that represents a new wave of unisex brands that are rebelling against the nature of fast fashion. Unrecorded is passionate about style, and produces apparel using more lower-impact materials. Its socks are knitted in Portugal from an organic cotton blend. We love the subtle rib that makes these socks the perfect sock for every occasion.

Find the socks in sizes 35-46.

See the rating.

Shop Unrecorded.

A-dam

Rated: Good
A pack of three card games-inspired socks.

3x Ace Pack – Ships to Europe from the Netherlands

Socks that clean oceans? Yep, that’s right. Made with 15% ECONYL® for flexibility and 84% GOTS organic cotton, these vegan-friendly socks remove harmful plastics from the ocean and are regenerated for a fresh pair of socks. Not a fan of this embroidered fish? Pick your favourite high-end embroidered character or even just stick to a solid coloured sock for everyday wear.

You can find the socks in sizes 36-46.

See the rating.

Shop A-dam.

PACT

Rated: Good
Sustainable green pact socks

Premium Crew Socks 3-Pack – Ships internationally from the US

PACT is a brand that is passionate about being part of a movement that’s transforming the way apparel is made. All of its clothing is sweatshop and child-labour free, ensuring that you can ‘tread lightly’ while sporting its apparel. This one size fits all sock hits mid-calf and is sewn from premium organic cotton yarn, meaning it’s suitable for vegans, too.

Socks are stocked in one unique size.

See the rating.

Shop PACT.

Girlfriend Collective

Rated: Good
sustainably made white socks with please recycle logo by Girlfriend Collective

Please Recycle Quarter Crew Sock – Ships to Australia, the US, and the UK from the US

 

Known for its minimal, luxury women’s activewear, Girlfriend Collective recently launched ‘Everyday GF’ —a collection of more sustainable everyday staples, featured on women who champion equality, opportunity, and access for BIPOC communities, today and every day. Beautifully crafted in a range of cool colours, the quarter crew Please Recycle socks work to increase circulation and reduce swelling. The brand uses recycled polyester as well as low-impact non-toxic dyes and is fully Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certified, which means it’s good for your body as well as the planet.

Socks are stocked in sizes 4-13.

See the rating.

Shop Girlfriend Collective @ LVRSustainable.

Shop Girlfriend Collective.

NICO

Rated: Good
3 pack of sustainable socks

Recycled Cotton Long Socks Mixed 3 Pack – Ships internationally from Australia

Established in 2012 by Lis Harvey, NICO celebrates minimalism and understated luxury. The brand brings high quality basics and underwear to the Australian fashion landscape featuring clean lines, luxe fabrics, and the styles and colours needed for everyday. The clever people who made these socks are working to solve the problem of textile waste in Bangladesh by creating yarns out of recycled cotton, saving water and drastically reducing CO2 emissions in comparison to conventional cotton. NICO’s factories are signatories to The Bangladesh Fire and Building Safety Accord and are compliant with BSCI and certified with WRAP. The brand occasionally uses wool from non-mulesed sheep.

Socks are stocked in one unique size.

See the rating.

Shop NICO.

ASKET

Rated: Good
Men's socks in ribbed gray

The Ribbed Cotton Sock 3-Pack – Ships internationally from Sweden

ASKET has been creating timeless wardrobe essentials since 2015 with revolutionary sizing and fair pricing. These vegan ribbed cotton socks provide comfort and elevation in all the right places. Crafted from long staple Egyptian cotton, they’re reinforced at the toe and the heel to make sure comfort is combined with durability.

Socks can be found in sizes 39-47.

See the rating.

Shop ASKET.

Harvest & Mill

Rated: Great
Harvest & Mill sustainable socks pack in ivory

Women’s Organic Cotton Socks – Ships internationally from the US

Harvest & Mill pieces are grown, milled, and sewn exclusively in the US, supporting American organic cotton farmers and local sewing communities. The brand makes socks for men and women, always ensuring they are not dyed or bleached, greatly reducing the use of water, energy, and dye materials. Even better, by cultivating different varieties of cotton, the brand is able to bolster biodiversity, which is essential for ensuring healthy ecosystems and keeping our planet resilient in the face of climate change. Neat!

You can find these organic socks in sizes S-L.

See the rating.

Shop Harvest & Mill.

Komodo

Rated: Good
Black and grey herringbone socks by Komodo.

Herringbone Socks – Ships internationally from the UK

UK brand Komodo puts people and the planet first with its range of more ethically-sourced and lower-impact menswear and womenswear. The label uses some more responsible materials, including GOTS certified cotton and hemp, and ensures that most of its suppliers pay a living wage to their workers.

These herringbone socks are available in sizes 44-46.

See the rating.

Shop Komodo.

Shop Komodo @ Staiy.

Shop Komodo @ Immaculate Vegan.

Pop My Way

Rated: Good

Socks in Oatmeal – Ships internationally from the UK

Pop My Way is a GOTS certified brand that features mix and match baby essentials that are designed to “pop” onto the garment. This UK brand’s modular and versatile designs take the stress out of getting your little one dressed with mix and match elements you can switch in and out for ease or occasion.

These organic cotton socks for your little ones are available in sizes 0-18 months.

See the rating.

Shop Pop My Way.

Editor's note

Feature image via Conscious Step, all other images via brands mentioned. Good On You publishes the world’s most comprehensive ratings of fashion brands’ impact on people, the planet, and animals. Use our directory to search thousands of rated brands.

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