Look Like a ‘Sockcess,’ Thanks to This Monthly Sock Subscription Service

Sockcess Socks. / Image Provided

“We’re used to having everything delivered to us nowadays.”

Mo Abdo is right. Between Dollar Shave Club, Birchbox, and Trunk Club alone, razors, beauty, grooming products, and even new wardrobes are being dropped on our doorsteps, without that dreaded trip to a packed mall.

So, why can’t the same be said for our socks?

Abdo, Tali Oppenheimer, and Donal O’Sullivan are cofounders of Sockcess, a monthly sock subscription service that recently launched in Boston. For a $2 shipping fee, you can sign up to receive your first random style of “fresh, bold” socks. If you don’t like the pair, you’ll get your money back. If you do, you can expect “one awesome pair of socks” on your doorstep for $9.99 per month.

The idea for Sockcess originated in May 2014, after Abdo complimented Oppenheimer on his socks. “We started talking about how nice it feels to be wearing a new pair of socks,” Abdo says, “and how annoying it was to go into store after store looking for socks in cool styles.”

Inspired by companies like Dollar Shave Club and Trunk Club, the cofounders decided to see how “sockcessful” a monthly sock subscription could be, confident they had the right synergy to handle the rollercoaster ride that is starting a new business.

Over the last year, the trio has worked on building their website, selecting a manufacturer, and attracting a list of early subscribers. With the site now running, samples in from China and Turkey, and growing buzz, the team is prepared to launch.

“Right now, we’re using patterns the manufacturers designed exclusively for us,” Abdo says, adding that, once they figure out what model works best, they’ll start leveraging their friends’ design skills. “We feel like, if we have the opportunity to have a say on the patterns, it will give us the opportunity to inject our style into the brand.”

Creating a strong brand and relatable voice is important to the startup. In hopes of better showing that off, the team has been working on creating a video they hope goes viral.

“What Dollar Shave Club does well, they show off their personality,” Abdo says. “It almost feels like their client is buying from a friend. We want to show we can relate to our target demographic. It’s not a customer-business relationship.”

And the team doesn’t have plans to be solely in the sock business. Abdo envisions Sockcess offering a wide range of apparel items based on subscribers’ “unique stylistic preferences,” similar to Trunk Club. The company decided to start with socks, because they saw it providing the right niche and platform to launch into other areas of apparel.

“There’s a lot of room for disruption in terms of fashion,” Abdo says. “We’ve noticed more and more folks making a conscious effort to make bold decisions when choosing what to wear—from top to bottom.”

Speaking specifically to Boston, he adds, “In a fast-paced city where people are balancing school, work, and other duties, that may add a bit more unwanted stress in their lives. We believe bold clothing choices give individuals an opportunity to positively impact the way they feel about themselves, and also gain a little extra confidence.”

What do your socks say about you?