The Thorlos® Story
Over forty years, ago my father and I decided we wanted to make socks that people liked so much they would remember the name of the company that made them. That company became THOR•LO, Inc. Today people all over the world ask for Thorlos® sock products by name. We not only created a superior sock knitting technology, we became the first company to create different sock products for different sports and today we are the undisputed leader in the world of activity specific socks.
But THOR•LO is not just a company that makes socks products. THOR•LO is a company with a vision; a company that dreams about improving your health, wellness and enjoyment of life by protecting and enhancing the health and well being of your feet. You see, we believe that healthy feet are a cornerstone of a healthy life.
How do we know our sock products have that kind of impact? From actual scientific studies that have been done with our products, as well as from the thousands of letters, phone calls and emails we've received from customers all over the world.
So, in addition to creating superior sock products with innovative designs, Thorlos® proprietary knitting technology also provide your feet with ultimate comfort and protection, no matter what your activity, age or shoe size. We want to be someone you can turn to for state-of-the-art information on foot health and comfort, because we know that healthy, pain-free feet naturally lead to more activity, which leads to increased wellness: physically, mentally and spiritually...something I like to call more life.
The Thorlos® Difference
So let me explain a bit about just what makes our products so effective....
Everyone is born with thick pads of fatty tissue on the bottoms of their feet that protect the bones, blood vessels and nerves commonly called "fat pads;" it's the only fat you don't want to lose. But by the time many of us have reached the age of 40, we've lost as much as 50% of those fat pads due to the effects of walking and running. This fat loss is primarily due to the shearing forces that come from walking and running on smooth, unyielding man-made surfaces. And itŐs compounded by wearing poorly designed and fitted shoes and socks.
Thorlos® protect the fat pads by providing exclusive, protective, cushioning fabric under the plantar (bottom) surface of the foot. The shearing force is then transferred from the foot, to the sock. If your socks break down over time, you can get a new pair. But you can't replace those natural fat pads. If the fat pads are already broken down, Thorlos® specially engineered cushioned fabric helps to replace the function of the natural, fat pads. The result is better protection and better feeling feet.
The Benefits of Synthetic Fabrics for Foot Health
Many people love the look and feel, and the idea, of using natural fabrics. Natural fabrics, like cotton, wool and silk, absorb moisture. And they tend to hold on to it. Natural fabrics work okay in apparel or outerwear because they are constantly exposed to the air and can breathe by releasing moisture directly into the air through evaporation.
But inside a shoe, there are different dynamics. Without the ability to wick (transmit) moisture to the air, natural fibers, trapped inside the dark, airless environment of a shoe, stay wet and lose resiliency and any protective capacity they had when dry. Saturation and collapse of the natural fibers creates an unforgiving surface that can lead to blisters, shearing and trauma to the foot. Plus, the dark, warm, moist environment becomes a breeding ground for bacteria, promoting odor and disease.
By contrast, 100% man-made cushion fabrics, called acrylics, (or acrylic blended with natural fibers) when properly designed, will wick away moisture from the foot and transfer it to the lining of the shoe, which then transfers it to the outside environment. The man-made fabric maintains its resiliency and protective characteristics, providing a more natural, forgiving, dynamic environment for the foot, which is actually more like walking barefoot in grass or sand.
So, the irony is that the best way to create a more natural, healthful environment for your feet is to put a man-made fabric inside a man-made shoe for walking on man-made surfaces. Published, peer-reviewed research, as well as 25 years of anecdotal evidence, have proven this fact. At THOR•LO, we apply that knowledge to all of our products, so that you don't have to worry about foot pain and poor foot health.
Knowing that acrylic fibers are a better sock material than natural fibers, it's also important to know that not all acrylic yarns are created equal.
At THOR•LO, we know about a lot of fibers and how they perform in footwear. We work closely with our suppliers to optimize our yarn's characteristics. Once we've refined a yarn and defined its specifications, it is supplied only to us. THOR•LON® is an example of this. It's an acrylic yarn that will out perform ordinary acrylic yarns found in other sock products today.
Thorlos® sock products are also created by customized machines that are required to make our exclusive "cushion fabric padding". Our knitting machines ensure that our products last longer, make the terry loops higher and more resilient, reduce shearing and impact forces, and improve the stretch and fit of the product.
We're also experts at blending fibers. We know how to take the best of natural fibers and blend them with our superior acrylic yarns, like THOR•LON®. For instance, wool is a natural fiber that is an excellent insulator - meaning it keeps you warm even when wet. But it also absorbs moisture and loses its shape and strength. We combine wool and THOR•LON® to create a sock product that's perfect for cold weather activities. The wool keeps you warm, and the THOR•LON® adds additional loft and resilience for sheer and impact reduction, along with superior wicking action to keep your feet dry - a winning combination!
Made in Statesville, North Carolina, USA
Most textiles are now made offshore. Without getting on a soapbox, I'll simply say the owners and managers of those companies lacked the creativity and commitment at the top and all the way down to the bottom to figure out how to stay competitive while keeping the jobs here. Thorlos® are made right here in the USA by skilled knitters. While there is a lot of technology, the difference - I feel - is in the craftsmanship and, may I say, the LOVE that the knitters put into every single pair of Thorlos®. I am confident that their spirit, creativity and dedication to knitting sock products that provide people with more life will ensure Thorlos® will always be made here in Statesville, North Carolina forever.
Thank you for a taking the time to get to know us a little bit better,
Jim Throneburg
Inventor Owner
Thorlo, Inc.
Statesville, NC 28687