 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Knitwear |
| Founded | 1980 in Statesville, North Carolina, United States |
| Founder | Jim Throneburg |
| Products | Padded-socks |
| Brands | Thorlos, Experia, Health Padds, Smiles, Medds |
| Website | www |
Thorlo Inc. is a family-owned padded-sock manufacturing company based in Statesville, North Carolina. The socks produced by the company commands about 1.1% of the total market of the United States.[1][2]
Overview[edit]
The technology of engineered padded socks was invented by Jim Throneburg in 1953 and he founded Thorlo Inc. in 1980.[3] During the early years of the company they manufactured socks specially for runners. They later started manufacturing socks with cushy heel padding and low-friction fibers for other activities. Since then, the company expanded its production to 32 different types of socks, specifically designed for sports like basketball, tennis and golf; and other activities like the military training and Western boots. The company also has a production line of casual socks, and lighter-weight socks for performance athletes.[4][5] The company claims to reduce foot pain by 51% based on peer-reviewed clinical research compared to regular cotton socks, that limits both the number and size of sports-related blisters.[1][6]
References[edit]
- ^ a b "Free Socks? For Thorlos, Sampling Beats Advertising".
- ^ Walsh, Mel (18 March 2012). "Is There Life After Stilettos? What to Wear After 50 and Before Orthotics". HuffPost.
- ^ Buhayar, Noah; Bunn, Elizabeth (20 March 2013). "Sock Maker Hack Shows Small-Business Risk Chased by AIG". Bloomberg.com.
- ^ "Thorlo owner wants to knit together $1B business in Statesville - Charlotte Business Journal".
- ^ "Engineered padded technology".
- ^ "The Use of Specially Padded Hosiery in the Painful Rheumatoid Foot - Institute for Preventive Foothealth (IPFH)".