Patty and Peter Duke are at it again with the merino wool sock market. The Dukes are the original founders of Smartwool, and after many years of hiatus, they started Point 6 socks out of a need they saw in the market for performance oriented socks. One would think that the merino wool sock market is saturated with no room for any new innovations but they proved otherwise with Point 6 socks which keeps not only the athlete in mind but also the environment. It’s a combined win-win situation for all.
Point 6 socks are made in the USA from responsibly sourced wool in New Zealand. The wool comes from multi-generation family farms that hold the highest standards for animal welfare and environmental protection. They also use Naturetexx Plasma treatment to make the wool machine washable and super soft as opposed to many competitors who use a process called superwashing that uses chlorine and loads of water to process the wool. On the contrary, Naturetexx is chemical free and uses only air and plasma, powered by renewable resources to process their wool fibers. In addition, Point 6 uses “37.5” a dynamic nylon technology to make the socks perform better by maximizing evaporative cooling, accelerating dry time and enhancing breathability. If that’s not enough, Point 6 also compact spins their wool versus ring spun to make each fiber softer, less bulky and more durable. In fact, the folks at Point 6 are so confident that you’ll love their socks, they offer a hassle free lifetime guarantee.
Point 6 also gives back to communities at large. They use recycled socks and scrap wool from manufacturing to produce blankets that are used for disaster relief worldwide. When mishaps happen during manufacturing, those irregular socks are donated to under-resourced or underprivileged communities. Point 6 has a Wild Playground sock series that donates 25% of proceeds to multiple outdoor organizations to help protect the environment.
It is obvious that the folks at Point 6 are passionate about their merino wool socks. They have managed to combine the science behind athletic performance with the artistry of merino wool to create a lifestyle brand that performs well and is good for the planet. All the more reason to be excited for their base layer apparel when it comes out in 2019.