When we first set out on our journey to create Manmade underwear, we kept digging into the reasons why things are the way they are. For example, why do men settle for plain cotton or itchy polyester? Why do men wear saggy or ripped-up boxers for so long before chucking them? What about the underwear shopping experience do men love or hate?
It led us to a realization: men are tolerating lousy everyday essential items, without even knowing it. It may be due to a lack of interest, time, or energy to research what is good or bad for you in your daily products, or it may be due to just plain indifference. This isn’t something we want to change, but rather embrace. Let us face it: men have a lot on their plates. At Manmade, our goal is to alleviate the burden by doing the research and developing high-quality products that are made for functional, everyday use.
Sock Research
Once the Manmade boxer brief was set in motion, we explored what other daily essentials men are simply tolerating – and it became evident that socks needed to be tackled next. Why? A mounting list of sock problems we discovered included stinky socks, literal cold feet, sweaty feet, holes in all the wrong places, sock slippage, and so much more. Let's not forget that so many socks also look just awful to wear!
We ran market research and found that men would opt for less visually appealing socks, often with weird logos and patterns, to avoid wearing uncomfortable, no-show, or crew socks that slip down. This less-than-fashionable style can lead to some awkward looks when taking off your shoes for dinner at a friend’s place.
It became clear that men are tolerating subpar socks as much as their subpar underwear. That's when the Manmade team rolled up our sleeves and got to work.
Material of Choice
On our journey to discover the optimal sock materials, we prioritized breathability, durability, sweat factor, and comfort. We found that cotton is the ideal choice for the everyday sock – however, there are levels to the quality of cotton ranging from cheap and brittle to super soft and durable quality. We opted for top-tier twisted, combed cotton, which results in stronger and longer cotton fibers that are softer and more durable.
We then complemented our cotton yarn with nylon and spandex, which improves the design's durability, stretch, and temperature regulating properties.
The Design
As for the styles and cuts of the socks, we found that men, in an ideal world, would prefer to wear no-show socks for warmer months, and crew socks for colder months. However, given their overall dissatisfaction with their socks – they found that no-show socks would often slip off their heel, and crew socks would slide down their ankles - they would often just opt for sport ankle socks since they would functionally stay in place all day, although a pretty bad sight to look at aesthetically.
The Crew Sock
We know first-hand how annoying it is to pull up crew socks that slip down throughout the day. We said 'good-bye' to slippage when we developed our Manmade crew sock and added a few other bomb features including:
- A cushioned heel that feels like you’re walking on clouds
- A compression arch for a comfortable foot posture while wearing the sock
- A french terry bottom for sweat absorption and temperature regulating properties
The Manmade crew sock is so comfortable that you may want to wear them all year long, and they look very sharp when rocking the mid-calf sock look!
The Low-Cut Sock
We understood that the no-show sock offers the best “look” for warmer months when you pack away your pants and showcase your shorts. However, no-show socks are extremely shitty to wear because they slip off your heel, cause sweaty feet, and don’t fit right.
The Manmade low-cut sock features:
- A front tab that sits just below the tongue of your sneaker
- A heel gripper that prevents the sock from slipping
- A padded French terry bottom for extreme comfort, and sweat absorption
The result of these groundbreaking developments is a super comfortable sock, that also makes you look and feel like a million bucks!
Onto the Future
The team behind Manmade is never done brainstorming ways to improve a man's life, even when it comes to the basics. The Manmade North Star is always guiding us when we think about new products to support wellness and redesigning daily essentials that strengthen their foundation. If we can help a man live more comfortably, with more ease and peace of mind, we can sleep well at night. We’ve got ambitious aspirations for the Manmade, and we want to be your go-to brand for the daily staples in your life!
Now that we've got your hiney and toesies covered, stay tuned for our next apparel-related product line that is sure to become another game-changing essential in your closet!