Our Fibers
Reduce
We reduce our impact on the environment by making conscious decisions to restrict our supply chain, use natural fiber, and source high-quality recycled fiber.
Reuse
We want our socks to last, so we prioritize durability great and make them last. We believe sustainability starts with durability. DeFeet socks have a nearly 30 year track record of being the most durable socks in their categories, worldwide.
Recycled
One pair of DeFeet socks made with recycled yarns uses approximately two post-consumer bottles. While we can’t make enough socks to offset the waste, we can make great products with it.
WOOL
When DeFeet got off the starting line in 1992, the use of wool as a performance fiber had almost faded from existence. Recalling the fantastic properties of wool, DeFeet set off to bring it back to the cycling world. By the mid 1990s, wool was making a comeback into the kit bags of professional riders worldwide, starting with DeFeet socks.
DeFeet wool is grown, washed, dyed, and knitted into socks entirely in North America. Our Merino wool is renewably sourced from the Rocky Mountain region and comes exclusively from ranches that prioritize humane growing conditions. Our wool is turned into yarn in the northeast before arriving at our factory in North Carolina. The raw materials we use and the yarns we create are of exceptional quality. Durability, performance, and sustainable supply chains are a priority in DeFeet manufacturing.
RECYCLED & MANMADE
1996 was the first year plastic bottle waste was counted. In the United States that year, 3.8 billion plastic bottles were used. By 2014, the number had grown to over 100 billion. Each person used more than 315 plastic bottles on average. More than 8 million tons of plastic enters the world’s oceans each year.
In 2016, DeFeet began testing new recycled fibers manufactured from recycled plastic bottles from a local company. Unifi is headquartered in North Carolina, where the environmentally friendly performance yarn production takes place. REPREVE is a brand of fibers made from recycled materials, including plastic water bottles, and SORBTEK is Unifi's moisture-management yarn. REPREVE with SORBTEK creates a performance yarn that combines cooling and moisture-wicking properties with recycled benefits.
In July of 2017, DeFeet socks with the new fibers were worn to victory in seven stages of the Tour de France.
DeFeet Wool Blend
USA GROWN WOOL + RECYCLED FIBER
Together these fibers create a stronger and more durable product with double the beneficial properties. Our unique performance blend increases the length and strength of the fibers, making a stronger product more resistant to wear and tear. Our wool blend products feel good against the skin and are comfortable in a wide temperature range, with easy-care and moisture-wicking properties as well as odor control.
