What if your socks had the imprint of your favourite TV show, movie, food or quote? That’d be cool, right? Socks, which were once considered boring and mostly a necessity with formal shoes, have now become a fashion accessory. Gone are the days of boring beige and gentle greys. Hello, yellow and purple!
While there are a few established brands across the world who manufacture these fun socks, there are very few of those in India. Among them is Soxytoes, a Delhi-based start-up that not only has super cool designs but is also innovating socks technology.
Founded in 2018 by Vidushi Kanoria and Aayush Goenka, Soxytoes is an online store for all things feet. “Our socks are loud and vibrant and are usually based on a theme. Our most popular socks are the ones based on millennial lingo,” Vidushi says. So you’ll get socks with ‘Netflix and Chill’, ‘Savage’ or ‘Good Vibes’ written on them. The brand also makes socks with bold, quirky prints that will surely make you stand out. “We also make funky socks with images of food items like eggs or pizza on them,” Vidushi adds. Imagine gifting those to your foodie friend!
But it is not all about quirk and colour. “We have socks for a lot of different issues that a person may face. There are athletic socks, which absorbs sweat and doesn’t hinder an athlete’s game,” says Vidushi, adding, “Perfumed socks are also quite popular.” Perfumed socks? Say, what? “When the socks are being made, flavours like lime, green apple, aloe vera or sandalwood are infused in the washing tub. With a technology called microencapsulation, these molecules get absorbed into the fabric to be released when a person walks,” Vidushi explains. Bye, smelly feet!
Speaking about why she chose to dabble in socks, Vidushi says, “Socks, especially quirky ones, are sometimes the only accessory that you can experiment within a corporate setup. Even if you’re wearing monochromatic suits, you can go all out with your socks.” Vidushi says she is a fan of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s sense of style. Trudeau has been seen wearing colourful, theme-based socks at the most important and serious global conventions like the World Economic Forum or the G7 Summit.
And Vidushi is not alone in her endeavour. With her is co-founder Aayush, whom she calls the ‘sock-preneur’. “He has been running a manufacturing unit producing socks for large companies and also for export and has tonnes of experience in this field,” says the 26-year-old. While Vidushi is the brain behind most of the designs and marketing, Aayush handles all things business. Soxytoes now has kiosks in several shopping malls across the country and can also be spotted at most youth festivals and Comic Cons.
