I challenge you to purchase a product from one or two of these brands and compare it to the Walmart/China version. They are not the same. From my experience, the quality has been better than brands I’d usually get at Nordstrom rack.
As to where they're made its unclear:
> Where are your socks made? We produce our products all over the world, including the US, Taiwan, China, and Peru at the most technical and highest-rated manufacturers.
> We're proud to report that all have passed audits with very strict standards for health, safety, and social compliance.
And to note I have both Bombas and Fruit of the Loom currently in my drawer. The difference is negligible in my opinion. You can ask me in a few years if my Bombas held up, but I can tell you my cheap Walmart brand stuff has held up.
[EDIT] Bombas was founded in 2013, not 2019. 2019 was the date they started selling t-shirts. Point still holds that they don't exactly have a track record compared to a legacy player and I still doubt they'll exist in 20 years
Whether or not they succeed or their product is "worth it" is another story. I would not assess a company's quality based solely on the founder's degrees or their marketing.
I have some of the products mentioned in the ad, but some are out of reach (I'm not going to shell out $2,500 for a mattress or $36 for a pair of underwear), so I have to go by my gut. And my gut tells me its BS.
I could be wrong and I'm sure to some people they are 10x better than the alternative and I'm happy for them and the start up that sells them these socks.
I just find it weird that people in these comments are so trusting and loyal to this company that has exceptional PR and somehow dismissive of the brands that they have used their entire lives.
As to why they are better the toe knit eliminated the seam and hard spot where cheap socks terminate. The fabric wicks moisture better and get material is less abrasive. The knit and fabric all add significant additional cost to the fabrication process. Look up some videos on you tube on how socks are made.
Some brands are objectively much better, since they support my feet better, have no seams around the toe area that drives me nuts, wears better (my cheaper socks get holes in them in about a year), it breathes better, it reacts to moisture better, it stays up on my ankle better and doesn't slide down, it doesn't twist on my feet because it holds the shape better, and it's cushioned better among other things.
Usually the story goes:
1. Bob is unhappy with his socks, can't find better quality socks anywhere.
2. Bob creates a company with the sole purpose of creating better socks.
3. Bob find a factory in China and asks them to use the best materials to create the ultimate socks.
4. Bob is super happy with the product and happily pads his advertising materials.
5. Bob finds a customer and places an order with the factory and is shocked at the price.
6. Bob tells factory to do whatever it can to lower price to competitors' levels without compromising quality.
7. Socks turn out shit, because price is too low and no economies of scale because order quantity is low.
8. Bob sells shit socks with original marketing materials and secretly vows to restore the quality in some distant future.
9. Bob sells company to an investor.
Nice try!
Source to back up - none! But I do work at a clothing company where we do this and markup is much higher for "premium" - 20x.