The buying guide: how to start a sock range without over-committing

Q: Can you handle a small trial order?

Yes. From 500 pairs per design is designed for first orders and test runs. A typical first order is three to five designs at 500–1,000 pairs each, consolidated into one shipment. Once the style is proven, repeats move into the volume pricing tiers.

Written for buyers placing a first order — including the parts that are usually only learned by getting them wrong.

The short answer

Start with three designs across different price points, not one deep buy.
Choose the construction from the wearing condition and the price point, in that order.
Decide packaging on the trial order so the reorder needs no change.
Plan on 6–8 weeks from brief to dispatch for a first order.
The three things that sink a first range: a mismatched size grade, a target price that cannot carry the construction, and packaging decided late.

Reviewed by the SOXMILL sourcing teamUpdated 8 October 2026Reading time: 6–8 minutes

Step 1 — decide what the product has to do

Before construction, yarn or price, write one sentence: what is this sock for, and who wears it? "Everyday crew for a mid-market supermarket in the Gulf" and "technical trail sock for an outdoor brand in Scandinavia" are completely different products, and almost every subsequent decision follows from that sentence.

If you cannot write the sentence, you are not ready to order — you are ready to look at a catalog. That is fine, and it is a cheaper stage to be in.

Step 2 — work backwards from the price point

Set the retail price you need, subtract retail margin, subtract your own margin, subtract freight and duty. What is left is your FOB target. Now check it against the indicative ranges: knitted logo crew US$0.55–1.30, cushioned terry US$0.80–1.60, merino hiking US$1.20–2.60, compression US$1.10–2.20.

If your target lands below the range for the construction you want, you have three honest options: change the construction, change the quantity, or change the price point. What you should not do is accept a quotation below the range and assume the product will be the same — it will not be.

Step 3 — choose the construction

Match the construction to the wearing condition before you think about cost:

Everyday retail: combed cotton crew, 144N, light or no cushioning.
Sports and gym: terry cushioning, mesh zones, arch band, 144N.
Cold climate: merino blend or fleece-lined, 84–108N.
Health and travel: graduated compression, 200N, polyamide and elastane.
Premium menswear: mercerized cotton, 168–200N, hand-linked toe.
Kids: combed cotton, 144N, Class I dyes, non-skid option.

Step 4 — decide the size grade early

The size grade is the biggest returns lever in the whole product, and it is also the cheapest thing to get right. Decide the market, decide the size chart you will publish, and tell your supplier before the pattern is graded. It costs nothing at the specification stage and a season's worth of returns if it is wrong.

Step 5 — decide packaging on the trial order

Packaging is where schedules die, because it has to be printed and prepared before packing, and packing is at the end of the line. Decide it during the trial: peg-board card, belly band, hook box, multipack, or gift box. Then the reorder is genuinely a document rather than a redesign.

Be honest about what packaging is worth. A rigid gift box can cost more than the sock inside it. On a gifting range that is a rational purchase; on a supermarket value line it is margin given away.

Step 6 — structure the first order

If your budget is 1,500 pairs, order three designs at 500 pairs rather than one design at 1,500. You will learn which construction sells, which colourway is wrong, and what customers actually complain about — with data rather than opinion. The second order is then an informed decision rather than a repetition.

Two refinements: span the price points across the three designs (entry, mid, premium), and pick at least one style you expect to become a repeat rather than a one-off novelty.

Step 7 — plan the timeline backwards

Plan 6–8 weeks from brief to dispatch, then add shipping and inland transport. If you need stock on a shelf for a season start, work backwards and start early. Then protect the date by approving quickly at each gate: the mock-up, the sample, the packaging and the label copy. Nearly all delays are late inputs, not slow production.

Step 8 — compare landed cost, not FOB

Two suppliers quoting FOB can be 20% apart on landed cost, because freight, mode and consolidation differ. Ask for FOB and DDP from everyone you are comparing. It is the only like-for-like number.

The five mistakes that cost a season

A size grade that does not match the published size chart. The single most expensive avoidable error.
A target price that cannot carry the construction. Leads to a silent yarn substitution and a product that does not repeat.
Packaging decided late. Delays the whole order by a week or more, every time.
Approving a sample you are not sure about. The sample is the cheapest place in the process to find a mistake.
Ordering too deep on the first run. Converts a learning exercise into an inventory problem.

A first-order plan you can copy

Stage	What to do	Typical time
Define	Write the one-sentence product brief and the price point	1–2 days
Price	Get indicative quotes at two quantities	48 hours
Specify	Agree construction, yarn, gauge and size chart	2–3 days
Mock-up	Approve the digital mock-up	1 day
Sample	Receive and assess the physical sample	7–10 days
Revise	One revision round is normal	5–7 days
Approve	Approve the sample and the packaging in writing	2–3 days
Produce	Bulk production with weekly reporting	18–28 days
Ship	Inspection, documents and dispatch	3–5 days

Total: 6–8 weeks from brief to dispatch, before shipping transit.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to start a sock brand?

The minimum viable first order with us is 500 pairs of one design, which at indicative FOB rates is a few hundred US dollars of product — plus the sample fee, which is refunded when the bulk order is placed. The real investment is your time in getting the specification and the size grade right.

What is the single most important decision?

The size grade. It is the cheapest thing to get right and the most expensive thing to get wrong, because a half-size error is not an obvious defect — it is a return, or a sock that quietly stops being worn.

Do I need a tech pack?

No. Roughly 70% of our buyers start without one. A reference sock or a clear photo plus a price point is enough for us to build the specification with you at no charge.

What is your MOQ?

500 pairs per design & colourway for knitted styles and 1,000 pairs for sublimation-printed styles. Mixed sizes count towards the same design. Volume basics such as a combed cotton everyday crew sit at 3,000 pairs per colour because the price point needs a longer run.

How fast are samples and what do they cost?

Pre-production samples ship 7–10 days after tech-pack approval, by express, with a spec sheet. The sample fee is quoted per style and refunded in full once the bulk order is placed. Revisions are free until you approve the sample.

Can you handle a small trial order?

Yes. From 500 pairs per design is designed for first orders and test runs. A typical first order is three to five designs at 500–1,000 pairs each, consolidated into one shipment. Once the style is proven, repeats move into the volume pricing tiers.

Keep reading

MOQ guide→ Cost breakdown guide→ Sampling & lead times→ Startup & new brand solutions→ Low MOQ programs→ Product catalog→

Send your brief and a price point.

We will tell you which construction that budget actually buys — before you spend anything.

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