How boldSOCKS Designs Custom Socks for a Cause With BeFunky
Michigan-based sock brand boldSOCKS lives up to its name with one-of-a-kind, standout designs. What began eight years ago as a retail store curating the boldest socks they could find soon shifted when the market became oversaturated with cheaply made products. In 2014, they launched their own brand, Statement Sockwear, to compete with custom, ethically made designs – and to do it with a mission.
“We hope to be a great resource for people looking for great socks whether that be for a wedding, a gift for dad or for a trade show. We have all the customization options one could want in a sock store and are always excited to share that with the world,” said Ryan Roff, CEO and creative director at boldSOCKS.
From Bold Style to Bold Impact
Named one of Michigan's Top 50 Companies to Watch in 2018, boldSOCKS has proven there’s more to socks than style. From the beginning, Statement Sockwear has been tied to a deeper cause: providing clean water with every purchase. What started as a pledge of 100 days of clean water per order has grown into something extraordinary.
Today, Statement Sockwear represents over 75% of products sold on boldSOCKS.com. With more than 300 original designs created so far, their mission has delivered 50 million days of clean water to nearly 50,000 people – and the number grows each month.
The reason they chose clean water as an initiative?
“We longed for something more sustainable. Something that could multiply. Something that could grow economies versus shrinking them. After a fair amount of investigation, we landed on clean water. On average, clean water provides a seven-fold return on investment. Dirty water continues to be one of the greatest crises of our time and while statistics are getting better, people still lack basic access to clean water. We now provide 100 days of clean water for every purchase of Statement Sockwear through our partnership with 20 Liters that provides community and household water filtration solutions”
Designing Socks With BeFunky
To bring their bold ideas to life, boldSOCKS relies on BeFunky’s Photo Editor. Their design process often starts with a customer photo – using the Cutout tool to isolate key elements like a face, then transforming it into a graphic with the Cartoonizer DLX. These custom graphics are arranged on pre-sized sock templates, turning everyday photos into wearable works of art.
“We use BeFunky to customize the socks for every order. With the Cutout tool, we are able to quickly remove the background from every photo, adjust the lighting and contrast, and if the design calls for it, we cartoonize many of the faces to match our sock templates. The Cartoonizer DLX is worth the premium subscription.”
Beyond product design, BeFunky helps the team create high-quality marketing materials. The Background Remover is used to refine mannequin shots, while BeFunky's creative suite powers everything from email visuals and social posts to website collages.
“We have just scratched the surface of the potential of BeFunky. It is a quick, easy tool that anyone could use to make high quality graphics, even without a background in graphic design.”
Standing for More Than Socks
BoldSOCKS isn’t just in the business of apparel – they’re in the business of creating meaningful change. Their dedication to ethically made products, authentic storytelling, and social responsibility is what sets them apart.
“We believe it is our role as advertisers and marketers of our products to stand with integrity and offer transparency about the products we sell. For businesses to properly support organizations, it needs to be authentic and it needs to be sustainable. We never want social responsibility to be a trend so we need to adequately support our message with thoughtful storytelling, adequate vetting, and accessible information. boldSOCKS.com continues to change as Statement Sockwear grows and it is our goal, over the next few years, to be the best curator of socially or environmentally focused socks.”
More Than Socks, More Than Design
BoldSOCKS proves that creativity can be more than eye-catching – it can drive real change. By pairing their design vision with BeFunky’s creative tools, they’ve been able to turn custom socks into a platform for impact, delivering clean water to thousands while growing a thriving business.
If you’re inspired to make your own designs stand out – or to support a cause with your creativity – start exploring what’s possible with BeFunky.
