11 Sustainable Socks Leaving Only Eco-Friendly Footprints
Want to be sustainable from head to toe?
We’ve got some essentials that will knock your current (un)sustainable socks right off.
What used to be a boring yet eco-friendly Christmas gift from Grandma, has come to be something many of us appreciate.
Whether it’s for hiking, running, snowboarding, or simply snuggling up next to a fire with a good book, a comfy pair of eco-friendly socks goes a long way.
And they should go a long way…without getting hole-y and leaving a footprint on our planet, that is.
If you’re in need of a sock drawer refresh and you’re wondering where to buy ethical socks, you’ve come to the right place.
Everything we recommend to you on Sustainable Jungle is independently researched and we ask all brands to confirm their claims. To avoid waste, we test products on an as needed basis. This post contains affiliate links. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a small commission. Learn more about why we do this here.
Sustainable Sock Brands We Love
Conscious Step donates $1 from the sale of each pair of its sustainable crew socks and ankle socks to a variety of inspiring causes.
For happy feet, get in step with Happy Earth and their sustainable cotton socks, knowing each new colorful pair of socks helps plant trees.
Wondering, which is better: bamboo or cotton socks?
With Cariloha, you don’t have to choose. They have plenty of eco-friendly socks combining both organic cotton and closed-loop bamboo fabric.
Ready to dip your toe into the world of the best sustainable socks?
Skip down to the tippity toe of the article to find out how we tracked down the most sustainable sock brands.
The Full List Of Sustainable Sock Brands
- Conscious Step | Visit Store
- Colorful Standard | Visit Store
- Happy Earth | Visit Store
- Cariloha | Visit Store
- Allbirds | Visit Store
- Pact | Visit Store
- Harvest & Mill | Visit Store
- Outerknown | Visit Store
- Boody | Visit Store
- Patagonia | Visit Store
- Kotn | Visit Store
1. Conscious Step
About Conscious Step
Price Range: $13—$44 (3 pack sock box)
Can a pair of socks change the world?
Conscious Step believes they can. $1 from the purchase of each pair of Conscious Step socks supports one of their many partner organizations.
All of their men’s, women’s and kids’ sustainable socks are Fairtrade, organic, and vegan certified and they come in a variety of fun prints.
If you’re looking for fair trade gifts for Christmas or birthdays, Conscious Step’s fair trade sock gift boxes are a thoughtful gift that gives back.
We love all our Conscious Step socks, but we’re especially fond of the bright orange socks that stop violence against women. Not only do they allow us to (literally) stand for something we believe in, but the extra cushioned bottoms are just oh-so-comfortable.
You can also get a new pair each month with their subscription service.
Conscious Step’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
These sustainable ankle socks and crew socks are made from Fairtrade and GOTS certified organic cotton, recycled polyester, and just 2% elastane.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Conscious Step is committed to a simple and transparent manufacturing process.
The sustainable fair trade socks for men and women are made in India in a WRAP, SEDEX, OEKO-TEX®, GOTS, and Fairtrade International-audited factory that is regularly visited by Conscious Steps representatives in India and once a year by the US team.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Tags and boxes for Conscious Step socks are made from recycled materials.
Community & charitable giving:
Conscious Step is a member of 1% for the Planet.
Proceeds from each sale support one of 17 different partner organizations such as Action Against Hunger, Oceana, and the United Nations Trust Fund to End Violence against Women.
Choose from environmentally-friendly socks that protect endangered animals, empower women, support mental health, socks that save the rainforest, and other well-deserving causes.
2. Colorful Standard
About Colorful Standard
Price Range: $11—$18
Socks may be a standard wardrobe item, but they doesn’t mean they have to look standard.
That’s where Colorful Standard and their gorgeous rainbow of 50+ colors comes in.
Because they’re simple solids, they’re incredibly verstaile, and can used for everything from sustainable dress socks to athletic socks, depending on your colors of choice.
Based on our experience testing them, these are also some of the most durable socks we’ve tried. The organic cotton is thick and hard-wearing, without sacrificing that glorious soft feel and breathability.
But if you want to be on CS’s natural fiber socks crew, you have to like crew socks, because that’s the only cut on offer.
Colorful Standard’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
What is the most sustainable material for socks?
According Colorful Standard, it’s anti-pilling organic cotton, pure and simple. That’s what their original socks are made of, but they also have a new line of ethically sourced super soft merino wool socks.
Supply chain & labor practices:
All products are ethically made in a Portuguese factory. If you find yourself in the bairro (neighborhood), they invite you to drop by.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Colorful Standard is all about slow fashion, which is why everything they make (like sustainable hoodies and t-shirts) is designed in simple, timeless, and often unisex styles to provide the ultimate everlasting wardrobe.
They also ship directly from their factory, minimizing the extra emissions of a middleman warehouse.
Community & charitable giving:
CS founded, built, and continues to sponsor (with 5% of all sales) a football club and youth activity center in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
3. Happy Earth
About Happy Earth
Price Range: $14—$45 (3-pack)
Happy Earth‘s answer to a heappy earth is organic cotton and recycled synthetics.
It’s what they use across their whole range of organic sweatpants, t-shirts, hoodies, and more.
Their dreamy collection of printed sustainable socks is no exception.
We’re mountain lovers at heart, so we have to go for the Peak Experience Socks. Featuring bright, retro colors and an adorable geometric mountain design, just having these on makes us feel a little closer to our favorite peaks.
Happy Earth’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
These are organic and recycled socks feature a blend of 75% organic cotton, 23% recycled nylon, and just 2% elastane.
Those gorgeous designs are the product of sustainable dyes compliant with the ZDHC Manufacturing Restricted Substances List.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Fair Trade and/or WRAP-certified factories are responsible for 95% of Happy Earth’s apparel and accessories, all of which uphold their ILO-compliant Code fo Conduct.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Carbon Neutral Certified, Happy Earth powers manufacturing partially with solar energy, uses sea freight shipping, and ships using lightweight 100% post consumer recycled packaging.
Community & charitable giving:
A member of 1% of the Planet, purchases with Happy Earth let you either plant fiev trees, clean one pound of trash, or fight climate change by offsetting 150 pounts of emissions.
The best part is that you get to choose which at checkout!
4. Cariloha
About Cariloha
Price Range: $16—$69 (3 pack sock box)
Are bamboo socks better than cotton?
This next brand thinks so. Say aloha to Cariloha, a Caribbean-inspired brand on a mission to provide “A Comfy Way To Save The Planet™”.
Alongside bedding and towels they offer bamboo clothing including activewear, bamboo pajamas, women’s and men’s ethical underwear, and more.
They have plenty of different styles of sustainable socks for men and women including ankle socks, sustainable athletic socks, crew socks, knee-high socks, and no-show socks.
You can also choose from a huge range of designs, whether you want boring ol’ black or something fun like the neon Tropical Foliage.
Carihola’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
For their ethical socks, the bamboo viscose is blended with several other fabrics including organic cotton and a small amount of nylon and spandex.
All products are tested for harmful substances in accordance with OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Cariloha has its own bamboo farm in China’s Sichuan province and the bamboo is turned into bamboo fiber in China’s Hebei province.
From there, the bamboo fiber travels to various manufacturing partners in China, India, Mexico, Turkey, and the US where it is woven and spun into yarn to make their sustainable bamboo socks.
Some factories are Fair Trade certified and Cariloha is working to increase the number.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Cariloha has its own sustainably-run bamboo farm where they use zero pesticides before the bamboo fabric is safely made using GOTS-approved solvents in a closed-loop process.
The brand invests in carbon offset programs and is on its way to becoming carbon neutral.
Their box suppliers use materials that meet Sustainable Forestry Initiative Fiber Sourcing Standards and the paper packaging is FSC certified.
Community & charitable giving:
Cariloha supports several organizations through financial and product donations including the Mauli Ola Foundation, LDS Philanthropies, and Operation Underground Railroad.
They also offer paid internships for university students.
5. Allbirds
About Allbirds
Price Range: $12—$24
Hailing from San Francisco, this Allbirds is known around the globe for its eco-friendly sneakers.
Its line of Trino® Socks is also well known in the world of eco-friendly socks.
To pair with its sustainable running shoes, you’ll find plenty of sustainable running socks, as well as crew socks, hiking socks, ankle socks, and no show socks, all carefully designed to meet different performance needs.
The Anytime No Show Sock is hands (er, feet?) down our favorite no-show sock ever. Unlike so many others we’ve tried, it actually stays put except for when in extreme motion. For example, we don’t go running in these socks, but for juts about anything else, they stay put all day long.
Allbirds’ Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
The eco-friendly socks are made using a variety of different eco and recycled materials like TENCEL™, cruelty-free wool, recycled nylon, recycled polyester, plus smaller amounts of virgin polyester, nylon, and spandex.
Their proprietary Trino™ (tree + Merino) yarn is soft, breathable, and moisture wicking—making it an ideal material for eco-friendly compression socks. It’s created from FSC certified eucalyptus tree fibers combined with ZQ Merino wool.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Allbirds provides detailed information about its eco-friendly materials, like where the merino wool is sourced (New Zealand), where it’s spun (Italy), and where the eucalyptus wood comes from (South Africa).
Final assembly happens in WRAP-certified factories in China and/or South Korea.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Allbirds is Carbon Neutral Certified. Each product has a carbon footprint calculator and the numbers are getting smaller all the time.
90% of their packaging is made from recycled materials.
By 2025, Allbirds aim to use 100% regenerative agriculture for their sustainable wool socks.
Community & charitable giving:
Through their Soles4Souls partnership, Allbirds donates lightly used shoes to communities in need.
6. Pact
About Pact
Price Range: $18—$30 (3 pack sock box)
You can toe-tally fill your sock drawer thanks to Pact.
The Boulder, Colorado-based brand combines style, comfort, and sustainability to make its organic basics including organic underwear, tees, loungewear, sustainable bedding, organic sustainable socks, and more.
They have your feet covered with their range of sustainable knee high socks, no-see-ums, ankle socks, and eco-friendly men’s crew socks.
Both the sustainable socks for women and men come in several fun patterns and seasonal prints including a festive-themed Holiday Sock Box.
Pact’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
They use mostly Fair Trade and GOTS certified organic cotton in their ethical cotton socks.
This is blended with nylon (sometimes recycled nylon) and a small percentage of elastane.
Supply chain & labor practices:
74% of Pact’s organic cotton comes from India, where all of their organic basics are produced in child-labor-free factories certified by Fair Trade USA.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Pact takes steps to reduce energy consumption, conserve water, and reduce fabric waste by using conservative cutting methods.
They are carbon neutral, purchasing offsets via a partnership with SimpliZero, and use Vela™ recyclable paper bags for packaging.
Community & charitable giving:
Send gently used clothing back to Pact in the same box your order arrives in, and the brand’s Give Back. Wear Forward program will distribute them to charity organizations.
7. Harvest & Mill
About Harvest & Mill
Price Range: $11—$72 (6-pack)
if you’re looking for duarble socks made in American, American-touch, wander into the fields of Harvest & Mill.
This all-American sustainable basics brand specializes in only the most simple and essential of wardrobe pieces.
Nothing represents that so much as their crew and ankle socks in simple, earthy colors.
We own a pair of their Organic Cotton Crew Socks and adore the thick, slouchy feel of these highly comfy socks. That makes them our go-to grab when we’re lounging about or throwing on winter boots.
Harvest & Mill’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
They’re made of a thick and cozy blend of 88% organic cotton, 10% stretch nylon, and 2% elastic.
The simple colors are actually not the result of dyes, but rather the natural colors of the cotton used.
They don’t process their fabrics with synthetic chemical finishes, bleach, or toxic dyes.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Harvest & MIll is our go-to source for American-made women’s clothing.
Because literally every step of their supply chain is USA-based—organic cotton farming, milling, and sewing.
Instead of contracting out to large companies, they partner with only small, ethical, and independent suppliers and factories.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Like their cotton and products, their biodegradable mailers are USA-made, too.
By investing in renewable energy and reforestation, Harvest & Mill fully offsets the carbon footprint of their operations.
They also minimize waste by using precision patterns and upcycling scraps.
8. Outerknown
About Outerknown
Price Range: $27—$34
Co-founded by professional surfer Kelly Slater and designer John Moore, Outerknown is here to make waves with its outdoor-focused women’s and sustainable men’s clothing.
It’s also one of the best places to source sustainable socks in the USA.
For something ultra-plush and warm, the Arvin Goods x Outerknown recycled wool sock is unbeatable.
Any of their foot-happy sustainable thermal socks will pair perfectly with either their adventure-ready sustainable outdoor clothing or casualwear.
Outerknown’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Their Plant Dye eco-friendly socks are some of the cleanest socks around. Each pair is made from blended organic cotton and modal, along with a touch of elastane.
They’re dyed using sustainable dyes via a process that uses 98% less water and much less energy than conventional dyeing methods.
They also offer one of the best options for recycled socks in partnership with Arvin Goods.
The recycled yarn socks are made from 45% recycled wool (from post-consumer wool clothing), 25% recycled polyester, 20% recycled acrylic, and 10% other fibers.
Supply chain & labor practices:
To make its ethical winter socks, Outerknown partners with a family-run factory in Japan that has 104 years of sock-making experience.
The brand also publishes a full list of suppliers, uses fair trade certified factories (across Peru, Mexico, and China), and maintains a Code of Conduct based on Fair Labor Association standards.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Outerknown is bluesign ®-approved, meaning their manufacturing is free from tons of harmful chemicals.
Their online resale platform, Outerworn, helps keep clothing in circulation for longer.
You can read about further steps they are taking towards a sustainable future in their 2030 Sustainability Strategy and Commitment to Circularity.
Community & charitable giving:
Outerknown regularly gives back to Ocean Conservancy through collaborative give-backs and campaigns to protect the oceans.
9. Boody
About Boody
Price Range: $9—$15
Are bamboo socks eco-friendly?
They certainly can be if they’re from Certified B Corp Boody.
Even though Boody might sound like an -underwear-exclusive brand, their sustainable fashion offerings are a bit more bodacious than that: sustainable basics, activewear, baby clothing, sustainable sleepwear, and more.
That means men’s and women’s sustainable no-show socks, sports socks, ankle socks, and ethical cushioned socks for lounging around in.
If you’re looking for sustainable socks in Australia, this originally Australian brand is the place to go, but they also have a US branch for USA sustainable socks.
Boody’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Boody’s main material squeeze is bamboo viscose, manufactured in a certifiably sustainable way.
The bamboo is grown organically in China before being processed in a closed-loop system that uses non-toxic solvents. It’s certified by Ecocert, OEKO-TEX, FSC, and ISO 9001, and is PETA-approved vegan.
For their inexpensive eco-friendly socks, the bamboo viscose is blended with organic cotton, nylon, and lycra.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Boody is certified by WRAP, which promotes safe and healthy working environments and prohibits forced labor, child labor, harassment, and abuse.
They’re also ISO 14001-compliant.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
They use SGS testing to ensure that their finished products are totally non-toxic and free of azo dyes, heavy metals, and formaldehyde.
They even SGS test their packaging, which consists of recycled paper boxes printed with vegetable inks.
Community & charitable giving:
Giving back is a big focus for Boody. They’re part of 1% for the Planet and support several organizations including the Chris O’Brien Lifehouse and Thread Together.
Also available on Boody Australia
10. Patagonia
About Patagonia
Price Range: $18—$32
Sustainable fashion old-timer Patagonia has been operating consciously—even before it was cool.
Now, they combine sports, stories, and activism with their long-lasting sustainable t-shirts, ethical leggings, and so much more.
While they do have a selection of crew and quarter ethical socks that are ideal for daily wear, Patagonia is all about sustainable high quality socks for the outdoors, from ethical trainer socks to sustainable ski socks.
Patagonia’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
For thick sustainable socks made from recycled materials, have a look at their hemp socks made from 35% recycled cotton, 35% recycled polyester, and 30% hemp.
Other eco-friendly materials include responsibly sourced merino wool, 100% of which is RWS-certified
It’s blended with nylon, most of which now comes from recycled sources. But if you’re wondering, “Are wool socks compostable?”, these aren’t because the percentage of nylon (41%) is too high to qualify as compostable socks.
All of the dyes are PVC-free and phthalate-free.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Patagonia works with Fair Trade certified factories for 87% of their goods, including an American-owned one for their made-in-the-USA sustainable wool socks
The Footprint Chronicles on the bottom of each product page show what factory and what country each item was made in.
No wonder Patagonia consistently ranks in the top tier of Fashion Revolution’s Fashion Transparency Index.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
This brand recycles chemicals and uses bluesign®-approved processes, along with 87% recycled, eco-friendly materials..
They also offer a buyback and resale program (Worn Wear Initiative), offer lifetime repairs, and are currently in the process of creating a certificate for regenerative agriculture.
Community & charitable giving:
Patagonia is a founding member of 1% for the Planet.
They’ve taken corporate responsibility to a new level, working to spread awareness about environmental and social issues and getting people involved through their Patagonia Action Works program.
Since selling the company to two environmental nonprofits, “Earth is [Patagonia’s] only shareholder”.
11. Kotn
About Kotn
Price Range: $10—$18
Certified B Corp Kotn has the fourth-highest B Impact Score of apparel brands in North America.
This Canadian brand works directly with cotton farming families in Egypt, specializing in a farm-to-table-esque system that directly supports the farmers and provides customers with long-lasting wardrobe staples.
As for your feet, Kotn keeps it basic with dress, crew, and sustainable ankle socks. Check them out if you’re looking for sustainable socks in Canada.
Kotn’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Kotn’s Egyptian Giza “white gold” cotton, (the main material in their ethical sustainable socks, t-shirts, and pajamas), is stronger than regular cotton and will last longer.
It’s grown in nutrient-rich soils on farms that will be 100% certified organic within the next five years.
It’s blended with 17% polyamide and 3% elastane, meaning they’re not biodegradable socks.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Using direct trade practices (like those in the coffee and tea industries), Kotn is able to directly support family-run farms and keep their prices stable and much higher than the average.
They carry out regular audits to ensure fair working conditions are maintained, provide farming subsidies, and practice equal opportunity employment.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Kotn’s Giza cotton is the rarest type of Egyptian cotton. It only grows on a 100km stretch of land in Egypt’s Nile Delta. Since they manufacture nearby, the whole supply chain is super local.
Kotn also handpicks their cotton, which preserves the integrity of the fibers, creates fewer emissions, and provides more jobs.
Community & charitable giving:
Partnering with a local Egyptian non-profit, Kotn helps prevent child labor by donating a portion of its proceeds to help fund and build primary schools.
Did you know we Have a Newsletter?
We cover the latest in sustainable living, fashion, zero waste, beauty, travel, finance and more…
How We Found The Best Eco-Friendly Socks
You know when you can’t find a sock?
You sift through the laundry, look in your closet, and check under the bed.
That’s kind of what we did here—to find the brands with the best ethical socks we had to do a bit of digging.
So what are sustainable socks?
Like some other garments, there’s a lot of intricacies knitted into warm woolies so we used our sustainable and ethical fashion guide to hunt down the most sustainable socks.
Materials:
What are eco socks made of, exactly?
We looked for brands that keep our toes toasty with some of the same fabrics that made our list of the most sustainable fabrics.
We look for socks made from GOTS certified organic cotton, recycled cotton, bamboo fabric, lyocell, TENCEL™ lyocell, recycled wool, and ethical wool socks.
However, for those wondering “Are socks compostable?”, the answer in terms of this list is pretty much always, “NO”, because most socks (especially sustainable athletic socks) are mixed with a percentage of synthetic fabric, namely polyester, nylon, and elastane for the stretch.
In order to qualify as compostable socks, they would need to be basically plastic free socks, or contain less than 10% of synthetic fibers (the smaller the better).
When it comes to these synthetics, we looked for socks made from recycled plastic—like recycled plastic bottle socks.
Hopefully, sustainable stretch fabrics like Eco LYCRA® and Roica yarn will take the sock and sustainable activewear world by storm soon. Until then we’ll try to stick with brands that use mostly natural materials, prioritize recycled socks, and minimize elastane and spandex.
- Certifications: bluesign®, Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), OEKO-TEX® 100, PETA, Responsible Wool Standard (RWS), Recycled Content Standard (RCS), ZQ Merino Standard, Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC), Ecocert
Supply chain & labor practices:
We also looked at what brands are doing from a social standpoint including employing fair labor practices, ensuring safe workplaces, living wages, protection from abuse and harassment, and general employee satisfaction.
While they can’t 100% guarantee no greenwashing, third party certifications provide a little extra assurance.
- Certifications: Fair trade, World Fair Trade Organization (WTFO), Fairtrade International, ISO 14001, ISO 9001, Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP), International Labor Organization (ILO)
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Brands that can prove their ethical running socks go the extra mile with practices such as carbon offsetting, plastic-free packaging, localized supply chains, take-back programs, and zero waste manufacturing, get a big thumb’s (err..toe’s?) up.
Community & charitable giving:
Do you know what keeps our toes extra toasty?
Knowing that all of the brands on this list are also brands that give back.
Whether through charity donations, environmental activism, supporting the communities that make their products, or finding a way to keep clothing out of landfills, we’re on board for any way companies positively use their profits and platforms.
Final Thoughts on Eco-Friendly Sock Brands
Clean socks, clean planet. That’s the aim of eco-friendly socks.
While they might not be the most stylish of fashion pieces, they are an essential part of any sustainable wardrobe.
Of course, you should only order a pair of these environmentally friendly socks if and when you need them.
You may have the skills to darn those holes but if you don’t, then put this list to good use and support brands trying to change the game.
Pop some affordable sustainable socks on your wish list along with a pair of ethical slippers and then have a read of our article on what to do with old socks.
Know someone in need of a sock drawer refresh?
Help them proudly pull on their cozy sustainable socks by sending them this list.
Pin these:
Really wish any of these brands offered socks that are actually plastic free!
Super hard to find given the stretch component. We’ll keep looking!
Thank you for writing this article. I have been trying to find compostable socks for ages. I didn’t realize they could have Any synthetic in them so finding out that they can have a little elastane is useful info! Thanks! 🙂 Btw, Housework has some 100% compostable cotton & wool socks. Alas, they are …not in most people’s budget. But hopefully they will become so popular that the price will come down a bit. 🙂
So helpful thanks for the brand recommendation Elinor!