Socks for the Natural Fiber Cause

Wear the Cotton Revolution On Your Feet

We have a new product, both online and in store, and we are SO EXCITED about it! It’s a little hard to believe a humble pair of socks could cause such excitement, but as you’ll find out, these aren’t your ordinary everyday socks.

At first glance, they appear to be typical cotton crew socks. But get this—the colors come not from fabric dyes, which can be a polluting and toxic part of the fabric-making process, but straight from the fiber of the cotton itself. That’s right, these colors are the natural hue of the cotton.

When it comes to natural fibers, doing it right is often a labor of love. These systems rely upon the devotion of very few people, and they thrive on our support. So what’s special about these socks? Let’s learn more.

Meet Sally Fox & Organic Threads

Sally Fox is a woman with a mission—to grow organic, naturally-colored, heirloom cotton in the United States. This is not an easy feat in an industry that prizes genetically-modified, bleached white cotton. Additionally, the US cotton industry has taken a sizable hit with a large share of the market coming from overseas.

She planted her first crops in 1982, and by 1995 was supplying over 38 spinning mills all around the world with her wonderful, naturally-colored cotton. Fox Fibre® Colorganic® cotton was born! This was in a time before there was much of a market for organic clothing. It was not uncommon to be clothing ourselves in synthetics and other fabrics grown and processed with harmful chemicals. But then the US textile manufacturing collapse struck in the late 1990s, seeing the closure of many mills and factories, especially those working hard to produce eco-friendly fabrics. Much of the market departed for cheaper overseas production with fewer labor and environmental restrictions.

Enter Gail and Lonnie, owners of Organic Threads socks. They had been designing and shipping their socks from a small town on the Oregon Coast at the mouth of the Rogue River called Gold Beach (just a few hours from us!), and producing the socks in North Carolina. In 2015, when Sally got down to her last bales of brown cotton, she hit a crossroads—she must find a way to produce more cotton to meet the cotton gin’s minimum requirement, or…no more socks.

Gail and Lonnie helped Sally forge ahead, as she took a risk with a loan to plant 40 acres in New Mexico. With the help of numerous people working hard together, Organic Threads was able to make more socks, and now you can have some too!

Now Meet the Socks

These socks are legendary! In the early days, Sally Fox noticed a particular segment of the population seeking them out—Vietnam veterans. Apparently, many of them had developed skin sensitivities and were experiencing issues like skin rashes with fabrics dyed conventionally. Shepherd’s Dream also has many people seeking us out for this very reason because our products are handmade with undyed fabrics and materials.

If we think about it, our skin is our largest organ. Feet in particular tend to get sweaty, which is one of the ways our bodies release toxins from our body. Conversely, they are also vulnerable to the absorption of chemicals because our feet are wrapped in socks and encased in shoes all day. When we think about it this way, it really pays to have good, nontoxic socks on our feet.

First off, these socks are incredibly soft, already feeling different in the hand. They are available in a subtle array of colors ranging from creamy off-white to rusty brown to flaxen green, and several shades in between. Fun fact: those colors will continue to develop over time! With washing, the colors develop further and, in the case of the green cotton, even morph into a deeper green shade.

Not only will these socks help your feet feel great, but your overall karma will improve because you’re doing something wonderful for your health, the American textile industry, the ecosystem of our planet, and small businesses. These are mighty socks, indeed!

Changing the World, One Sock at a Time

Truly, the values that inform the little everyday decisions we make can result in big impacts. We share the story of these socks as a humble example. If we can give some thought to what we put on our feet and bodies, that awareness will ripple out into everything we do and empower others around us to align their values with their pocketbooks too. We hope you’ve been inspired to consider adding some Organic Threads socks to your wardrobe.

If you’re eager to learn more about the natural fiber revolution, check out these Counting Sheep blog posts:

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