Winter socks matter. A lot.

It’s almost officially winter. What feels the cold sting of the season in the morning more than our delicate little toes?

We need socks. Winter socks. Slipping them on over icy feet can transform a moment.

Curled up on the couch under a blanket with a warm cup of cocoa is such a delightful winter experience. But only if your feet are toasty warm in a pair of winter socks. They’re like foot hugs from Santa or your Grandma or Ryan Gosling (that one’s a total guess).

The right pair of winter socks makes boots and shoes feel less like rubber-soled ice packs and more like…cozy heat insulators.

Sure, you can wear any old socks in winter, but it’s not the same. Those short little ankle socks are better than nothing. But they won’t give you that same feeling as knee-high, fuzzy and fab winter socks.

Slip on a pair of warm, winter socks first thing in the morning and see if your mood isn’t elevated. Keep a pair at your desk to slip over stockings. Double up and wear two pairs of socks just because you can.

Looking for the perfect pair of winter socks? Try these:

Cozy up in PACT’s organic cotton Confetti Stripe socks. Just looking at them makes me wish it would snow in Los Angeles.

These patchwork socks, also from PACT, are organic and scream “toasty toes!” Why can’t every winter day be a cold, snowy Sunday afternoon?

Cable-knit organic crew socks are like the boyfriend jeans for toes. Comfy, cozy and make you feel like he’s around even when he’s gone skiing for the weekend.

Lorenzo Uomo’s organic striped socks are so adorable they’ll make you wish wearing socks as shoes was socially acceptable.

Ted Baker’s color block socks are on trend and made with organic cotton.

Keep your toes warm and give your knees a little love with these over-the-knee socks from PACT, made with organic cotton.

You can check out all of the cozy socks here too:

Find Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

Related on EcoSalon

16 Ways to Survive the Cold When You Hate Winter

From Upcycled to Vegan Leather: Gorgeous Jackets for Fall and Winter

9 Stylishly Cool Leggings to Keep You Warm All Winter Long

Image: paul codington

The post An Ode to Winter Socks   appeared first on EcoSalon.

Dutch company Star Sock to produce socks made out of recycled fishing nets.

Star Sock, the company that manufactures sportswear and performance socks for labels such as Lotto, Dakar and New Balance, will soon be making socks with yarn made out of recovered fishing nets. The recently launched Healthy Seas Initiative is a cooperative effort between Star Sock, Aquafil (producer of the recycled yarn) and the ECNC Land & Sea Group non-profit to create more awareness of marine waste issues among consumers, companies and policymakers. Although recycled fishing nets have been utilized in the B2B sector for carpeting, Star Socks’ venture marks the first fishing net recycling scheme for consumer products.

The Healthy Seas Initiative is focusing on removing waste litter from our oceans and re-utilizing it in cost-effective and sustainable ways. Abandoned fishing nets make up to 640,000 tons of waste in the oceans, accounting for nearly one-tenth of all marine litter.  Often made out of nylon and polyester, these nets remain in the marine ecosystems for hundreds of years and can easily capture and cause the deaths of animals such as dolphins, turtles and marine birds.

Star Sock became fascinated by Aquafil’s recycled yarn when looking for more sustainable production practices, and so brought them in contact with the ECNC biodiversity restoration group to develop a collaborative biodiversity project. Since discarded fishing nets are an impending issue in nearly all bodies of water, the project is applicable worldwide. However, the company has decided to initially test pilot the initiative in Europe, eventually hoping to create a recycling system where nets are delivered directly to the recycling facility.  This would cut out all of the harm caused by dumping waste into the oceans and dramatically cut the costs of obtaining material for recycling.

Star Sock’s goal is to produce half of all their socks with minimal negative ecological and social impact by the end of 2015, and with no negative impact by 2020. The ambition will hopefully be implemented into the manufacturing of each product line by the third decade of the 21^st century. Although small, the company is very dedicated to developing a sustainable approach for their entire supply chain. Star Sock is efficiently working towards creating sustainable solutions to offer the “best possible socks for all consumers, both for your feet and our entire environment”. Keep an eye out for socks, swimwear and underwear made out of recycled fishing nets in the coming year.

Images: Star Sock

The post Star Socks’ Healthy Seas Initiative Cleans Up Oceans One Sock at a Time appeared first on EcoSalon.