Sock WholesalersSock materials: four fibre ranges, five yarn families, and the structure that holds them
Fibre is decided before artwork, because a pattern drawn for a light cotton reads differently once the same design is knitted in a heavier blend. This page is the door to the material ranges: what each fibre does on a sock machine, what to watch in it, and which range page to open next.
Two layers here. The table is the fibre comparison. The range cards below it open the four material pages, where the styles, the compositions and the specification sheets for that fibre sit.
- 4 fibre ranges to choose between
- 5 yarn families documented on this site
- 2 audits behind the floor, held by the factory entity
- 1,000 pairs per style, whichever fibre you pick
| Fibre | What it gives | What to watch | Where it is listed here |
|---|---|---|---|
| A · Fibre comparison | |||
| Combed cottonthe default for crews | Soft hand, even dye, breathes well | The cuff relaxes unless it is blended with spandex | Pink crew socks for women, listed as 100% cotton Ballet and casual crews |
| Bamboolisted as a blend | Soft hand and moisture management; the yarn is regenerated from bamboo cellulose | It is quoted as a blend, and the percentage moves with the yarn lot | Ankle socks, listed as cotton and bamboo fiber One style today |
| Merino woolquoted by micron and blend | Warm when damp, low odour, low in itch | It needs a gentler wash cycle, and it adds a sample round | Ski socks, listed as merino wool See the note below the table |
| Organic cottonnot documented yet | The same cotton hand, with the fibre claim carried by the order rather than by the page | No style on this site is listed in it today, so it is a quoted fibre and not a listed one | None yet — the fibre, the composition and the paper trail are settled on your quotation |
| Polyester | Holds shape, dries fast, prints cleanly | It can pill where the heel rubs | Thin studio crews and kids sports styles |
| Nylon (polyamide) | Strength and a smooth surface | It feels cooler against the foot | Pilates grip crew |
| Spandex (elastane) | Returns the cuff and the arch | A high share is hard to pull on | Listed at 5% on the ballet sock, which is 80% cotton |
One row needs a sentence rather than a cell. Two pages on this site describe merino differently today: yarn options for custom socks records that no current style runs in merino, while the ski sock page lists merino wool on its specification. Both are checked before a merino brief is costed, and the desk confirms which it is for the style you are quoting rather than letting the cheaper answer stand.
What holds the fibre: the structure that goes on the machine
A fibre is half a specification. The other half is the structure knitted into it, and that is what decides where a sock is thick, where it grips and where it stretches. Four structures cover most of what this floor runs.
| Structure | What it does | Where it is decided | Definition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terry loop sole | Slack yarn is knitted into a loop pile, so the cushion is knitted in rather than added as a lining | The needle count and the terry density, both set on the sample | Terry, in the glossary |
| Jacquard | Individual yarns are selected by the machine, so a logo or a lettering set sits in the knit | The artwork, keyed to the stitch grid of the machine | Jacquard, in the glossary |
| Linked toe | The toe is closed loop to loop, so the seam is flat against the toes | The linking room, on the same floor as the knitting | Linked toe, in the glossary |
| Silicone grip sole | A dot or print layout is applied to the sole so the sock holds on a smooth floor | The dot layout, settled before sampling starts | Silicone grip, in the glossary |
| Graduated compression | Pressure is knitted in a gradient and quoted in mmHg, which is the unit a compression class is written in | The compression class, which decides the machine | Compression, in the glossary |
The fibre families behind those structures, and the point to confirm before approving a sample, are set out fibre by fibre on yarn options for custom socks. This page is the overview; that page is the detail.
The four ranges, one page each
Each range page carries the styles listed in that fibre, the composition as it is listed, and the specification sheet for the style. Open the one the end use points at; the fibre question is usually answered by that page before it reaches an email.
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Cotton socks
The default for crews, ankle socks and anything that has to feel soft before it feels technical. Combed and carded sit at different points, and the difference shows in pilling.
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Organic cotton socks
The range where the fibre claim travels with the order: no style is listed in it yet, so it is quoted per brief and the composition is stated on your quotation.
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Bamboo socks
A regenerated cellulose yarn with a soft hand, mostly bought as a cotton and bamboo blend. One listed style runs it today, at ankle height.
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Merino wool socks
Fine-range wool, warm at low weight and low in itch, quoted by micron range and blend ratio. It adds a sample round, because the construction has to be knitted before bulk.
Not on this list, and still quoted: polyester, nylon and spandex. They are the other three yarn families on the site, and they usually appear as a share of a blend rather than as the named fibre — spandex at 5% in a ballet sock, nylon in a grip sole, polyester in a thin studio crew.
Choose by end use, then by fibre
The end use is the line the brief has to name first, because the same fibre is right for one use and wrong for the next. Start at the left column and read across.
| End use | Start the fibre here | Why | Open |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ballet, dance and studio crews | Combed cotton, with a spandex share in the cuff | The sock has to feel soft first, and the cuff has to return after stretching | Cotton range |
| Everyday and business crews | Combed cotton | Even dye and a dry hand, and lettering knits sharply into it | Cotton range |
| Pilates and yoga grip socks | Nylon, with a cotton or bamboo face | The sole has to hold a dot layout or a print, and nylon holds both | The grip crew specification |
| Kids sports and thin studio crews | Polyester | It dries between sessions and it prints cleanly | The polyester kids style |
| Winter, outdoor and long wear | Merino wool | Warm when damp, low odour, and it carries a thicker construction | Merino range |
| A soft everyday blend | Cotton with bamboo | A softer surface on a patterned sock, with the percentage confirmed per lot | Bamboo range |
Material is a filter on top of the floor, not a promise: the compositions above are the ones listed on the style pages, and the exact blend for your order is confirmed on the specification sheet and carried onto your quotation.
Questions buyers ask about materials
Does a new fibre add a sample round?
Yes, where the floor does not already run it. A fibre already running here needs no extra round; a fibre that no current style runs in adds one, because the construction has to be knitted and signed before bulk. The round runs 3–5 days after the brief and artwork are confirmed.
Can you dye yarn to a Pantone reference?
Yes, with the reference sent in the brief. Colour is matched on the sample rather than on a screen, because a monitor and a dyed cone never agree. The sample you sign is what bulk is checked against.
Where is the composition written down?
On the specification sheet, with the percentages in numbers rather than as a word like “stretch”. The yarn guide on this site makes the point with the ballet sock, listed at 5% spandex and 80% cotton: ask for the content as numbers and it can be checked against the sample.
What about yarn weight?
It is recorded in grams per pair on the specification sheet. Weigh the signed sample, then weigh pairs pulled from the bulk carton; both figures are recorded against your order number, so a weight claim has a document behind it rather than an argument.
Is recycled yarn on the floor?
It is named in the yarn row on the homepage, alongside cotton, bamboo and merino, and like those it is quoted per style rather than listed as a stock range. Send the recycled content you need and the quotation states the composition it was costed at.
Four answers settle the fibre
Fibre by name, percentage in numbers, weight in grams per pair, and the end use. Those four answers cost one email and save a sample round.
Send the fibre and the quantity band and the desk replies within one working day with the construction route and the sample schedule.
Start from the end use you sell into
Request a quote Chat on WhatsAppThe desk replies within one working day; replies come from Michelle Zhang, Export sales manager.