Top 10 UK-made Sock Brands
From sturdy walking socks, warm and cosy merino wool socks, to luxury patterned or plain, our top 10 list of UK-made sock brands feature something for everyone.
Socks are often an afterthought when pulling together your outfit, but they can make or break your look. Whether you want them for warmth, comfort, performance or to make a statement, this list of UK-made socks will have you wishing you were wearing them now!
[Updated January 2021]
Pantherella
Pantherella Socks have never shied away from setting precedents. When others have turned to cheaper alternatives, Pantherella has held firm in their beliefs, still today making all of Pantherella’s fine English socks at the family-owned factory in Leicester, England. Pantherella’s philosophy of ‘Provenance, Design & Quality’ still rings true today, however, Pantherella’s collections have advanced in leaps and bounds since the early days of Louis Goldschmidt’s basic ribbed socks to create socks for the discerning gentleman and lady in the 21st Century.
Blackshore Coastal Clothing
Blackshore alpaca walking socks are knitted in England and come with a beautifully constructed cushion sole to offer extra protection when worn for walking with boots. They provide all-round warmth, but they’re also breathable and kind to skin.
HebTroCo
HebTroCo offers a variety of UK-made socks knitted for them in Bradford, West Yorkshire using British wool. With a seamless construction, you won’t get blisters. Especially good if you like to hike, bike, go running or even if you just spend all day on your feet.Only soft quality fibres used for all-day comfort without being itchy.
Teddy Edward
Teddy Edward support British craftsmanship by selecting and working in partnership with the very best UK manufacturers. Try their UK-made socks Brocklesby, Cheshire and Dartmoor luxury Alpaca blend with hand-linked toe seams.
Corrymoor Mohair Socks
Made from the luxurious and hardwearing fleece of Corrymoor Angora Goats farmed in Devon. For 25 years Corrymore has been breeding organic Angora Goats and perfecting their mohair socks. Mohair is naturally strong and highly resistant to abrasion so Corrymoor Socks are durable and last longer.
Genevieve Sweeney
The story of the Solline sock began when Genevieve discovered a beautiful yarn that was, unfortunately, too fine to knit a jumper with. Undeterred, she travelled to Derbyshire, yarn in hand, to learn the art of knitting socks. The result is the Solline, a luxurious sock crafted from a cotton viscose lurex blend with silk tweeds. Plated with lycra, the socks are beautifully soft against the skin, and seamless toes ensure ultimate comfort. Complete with a colour block heel, toe and cuff, these socks can be machine washed without losing stretch or shape.
Jennifer Kent
Jennifer Kent cashmere socks are the ultimate luxury, combining extreme warmth and delicate softness. They are knitted and hand-finished in the town of Hawick in the Scottish Borders at a mill with over 200 years of tradition and expertise in textile manufacturing.
John Smedley
John Smedley specialises in men’s mid-calf socks; the perfect accompaniment to both office and casual attire. They design, create and produce all their men’s UK-made socks in our factory in Lea Mills, Derbyshire. Whilst socks are often an afterthought, John Smedley ensure that quality is embedded into every stitch.
Peper Harow
Founded in 2013, Peper Harow is a small quintessentially British brand supplying customers across the globe with the highest quality cotton socks and exquisite gifts. Their designs are unique, fashionable and created to complement the modern lifestyle of both men and women.
Their luxury socks are made in a state-of-the-art factory in West Sussex from Supima cotton, Egyptian cotton or Organic cotton. All of their packaging is FSC approved recycled and recyclable and any plastic we use is recycled and biodegradable.
PITTCH Merino Wool Socks
PITTCH is a Great British brand offering Great British design in the form of vibrant, exceptionally styled luxury merino wool socks of the highest quality and fit for all seasons. Discover the warmth and comfort of PITTCH merino wool socks, beautifully designed and popping with colour, to carry you effortlessly through every day, every adventure, every season, never failing to perform no matter what life throws at them.
Socko
Socko is on a mission to extend the active life of clothing by re-teaching the lost art of darning. Each pair of Socko socks comes with a swatch of yarn, a darning needle and step by step instructions to promote the idea of reinforcing and repairing rather than throwing away.
Their new Recycled Range is made from 50% pre-consumer garment cutting waste cotton, such as t-shirts offcuts, which is colour sorted and spun with 33% polyester from recycled plastic bottles to create an innovative, high quality yarn.
I live near Poole in Dorset. Please can you advise shops in Dorset
where the British made socks can be bought.
Thank you,
Eileen Thurston
Desperately trying to get hold of an old sock knitting machine (one sock at a time). Made from cast iron with steel needles – often American. I am looking for the older versions dating from the early 1900s.
Great article
Great article – nice to see sock manufacturing is alive and well in the UK. Thanks.
Love this site Make it British. I am trying to do a China free Christmas and only buy made in Britain, just imagine if the entire population of Britain bought from GB !
Support our manufacturers and small businesses, also helps the carbon foot print.
Needed some socks as a Christmas present, this was my first port of call. Spoilt for choice!
Graham Cashmere is Scotland’s premium sock brand. Specialising in both men’s and women’s cashmere socks manufactured and finished by hand in the town of Hawick.
What about HJ Hall of Leicester
Unfortunately the HJ Hall factory in Leicester closed down Ian 🙁
HJ Hall are now owned by Pantherella. Their range is still available.
Yes, it is. But they no longer make the HJ Hall socks in the UK.
Great article, always great to supports British brands, we also run a brand, cocks on socks, based in Tottenham.
“Unfortunately the HJ Hall factory in Leicester closed down”
Maybe, but HJ Hall Socks still exist as a company selling socks online at http://www.hj.co.uk. and their “about us” page details that they acquired Pantherella socks (still manufactured in Leicester) in 2001 and Scott Nichol socks (now made by Pantherella) in 2007. Since their website is “© 1882-2020 HJ Hall Socks – part of Pantherella International Group. All Rights Reserved. HJ Hall Socks – LE2 8QY” it looks like they decided to trade mainly under the Pantherella name but not completely lose their own either. All very confusing.
Wolsey, dating back to 1755 and holders of a Royal Warrant, seemingly as British as roast beef, became part of Courtaulds in the 60s then Matalan in 2002 and, although still based in Leicester, I wonder if anything is still made there.
Perhaps a few more could be added to the list!
How about Bradford Socks:- https://www.thebradfordsockcompany.co.uk/ ‘The yarn is spun in Huddersfield, we then select our own range of colours. Once we have prepared the yarn for dyeing, it is dyed in Holmfirth before it is returned to us for knitting in our mill in Bradford‘.
Also Wooly Knit (in Diggle Saddleworth):- https://woolyknit.com/product/100-wool-socks/ “we specialise in our own-brand 100% British wool products”.
Tenderfoot:- https://www.tenderfootsocks.co.uk/ “ Producer of quality gent’s and ladies socks made at our own factory here in the UK. From concept through to design, development and manufacture, our products are guaranteed British-made from the start, all the way through to the finished product”.
That will have expanded the list somewhat,, and as the links unequivocally demonstrate they are UK made!
J. Alex Swift in Loughborough knit fabulous socks! They knit for Laura’s Loom, producing my ‘Salted Wool’ and ‘Howgill’ walking/hiking socks, which are all knitted from British wool sourced from farms within a 30 mile radius of Sedbergh in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. I think you’re missing a trick by not including all the brands producing homegrown socks! http://www.laurasloom.co.uk (MIB Member)