Our Story

The thing about socks is that they are a necessary part of day to day life. But we’ve let an air of discomfort and disposal creep in without stopping to think; surely our immediate lifestyle could be enhanced as we tread through life and surely we could find a way to ease off the cotton market?

Well that’s exactly the thought process that Alice presented to Anna back at the beginning of 2020. At this time both of them were living in rural Perthshire, having moved from their ‘grown up’ jobs Edinburgh, in finance and marketing respectively, and had accrued a troop of young children and dogs. As Alice and Anna got to know each other over a relatively short time they appreciated that it was the little things in life that brought them joy - like a cup of coffee in the sunshine or a cold gin with jangling ice cubes in the bath; a walk in the crisp winter air or toes on hot sand; a catch up with an old friend or making new ones. And these new friends were ready for their next challenge in life.

It had never occurred to Anna that socks didn’t have to be made of cotton (destined to become holey and sure to keep your feet cold and damp)  or thick, scratchy wool socks for your welly boots. But on a cold, damp day in February Alice presented an intriguingly soft and warm mohair sock to Anna with an idea to revamp everyone’s socks drawers with these unexpectedly joyful socks.

They set to and found a family-run mill in the Midlands and embarked on their first collection of mohair socks. Alpaca socks immediately followed and when they found their mill in the borders of Scotland to make cashmere socks as well, it was the perfect cherry on top.

Their capsule sock collections, made from sustainable fibres are the cornerstone of their business. From the outset it was important to them to source the finest fibres from their native environments, in order to support indigenousness jobs and a way of life. Everything had to be sourced responsibly, be recycled and/or be recyclable, right down to the packaging and nylon, used to give shape to the sock.

The sock collections are inspired by the Highland landscape and the ebb and flow of the seasons. Alice and Anna love Unexpectedly Joyful things at PAIRS, and that's why they stick by this motto in everything they do.