Good Yarns And Great Socks

Here at Swanndri, we’re incredibly proud and privileged to be able to work with partners and suppliers who share the same values and perspectives, and are committed to the same kind of quality.

Like we the team at The New Zealand Sock Company.

The New Zealand Sock Company, based in Ashburton, is a family owned business that’s been making the best darn socks in the world since 1901. They’re the go-to sock manufacturer for some of the world’s leading clothing brands, and we’re proud to count them as partners of Swanndri.

“Anybody can make socks. We pride ourselves on making the best”, says Euan Sparrow, CEO. So how do they do that? For them, it’s about sourcing consistently high-quality materials, continuously developing designs for comfort and performance, and employing innovative methods to make socks like no other. “We’re a few steps ahead of everyone else”, Euan admits with a smile.

It’s clear that they’re passionate not just about what they do, but who they do it with. They’re creating unbeatable quality, comfort and performance in a real family environment. In fact, there are currently two generations of family involved in the running of the business. Talk about a close-knit team…

Puns aside, this business parallels Swanndri in more ways than one. Theirs is built around good old-fashioned values – while constantly innovating and looking for new ways to grow. It requires serious commitment. “We’ve got a really, really exceptional team here that works really, really hard”, says Euan.

Hard-working. Passionate. Committed. They’re not just characteristics they look for in employees, they’re prized in partners, too. Whether it’s suppliers or customers, The New Zealand Sock Company is all about working with like-minded people who are in it for the long run.

Like Swanndri. Of course it helps that they’re unofficial brand ambassadors for our products. As Euan admits proudly, “I’ve got a bush shirt – the one with the wee collar and then the long tail at the back. I wear it all the time.”

We’re also on the same page when to sourcing materials. “Merino wool just makes sense”, says Euan. It’s local, natural, and consistently outperforms synthetic fibres. Nothing complements their technology better or has a closer compatibility with human skin than nature’s hardest wearing fibre. We couldn’t agree more.

You start to see what Euan means when he says, “it’s not just a sock.” It’s the result of 120 years of design and innovation and care and thought and hard work. And that’s no mean feet.

So, next time you pull off your gumboots or brogues or crocs or runners after a big day and think how good your feet feel, don’t just thank us, thank the legends at The New Zealand Sock Company.