Chaco

“A core principle in sustainable design is to make a high-quality, functional, and durable product. If the most environmentally friendly materials and low energy techniques are used to make a product that doesn’t work well and doesn’t last, then those materials and energy were 100% wasted.”

“After we had the concept for what would make the best performing, most comfortable, most durable sock, we went to work on applying sustainable principles to its design and production.”

“Teko buys renewable energy from American Wind for all the energy used to create our socks.”

“We feel good about our packaging because it’s made from 100% recycled chipboard, and a single soy ink. No gloss, finishes, plastic, or adhesives. The simplicity reduces the energy required to produce it. And functionally, it’s unique and really highlights the socks.”

Teko Socks

A Matter of Design

Teko Socks, a tiny 2004 startup headquartered in Boulder, has made a significant outdoor industry splash over the past twelve months, taking an often overlooked piece of athletic apparel and elevating it to an art form with an authentic sustainability story. At Teko, owner Jim Heiden and VP of Operations Owen Hammond share a passion not only for creating a superior product, but also a sustainable business model. There are clear advantages to starting with a blank slate, unhindered by entrenched values, culture, and ways of thinking about product. And as Hammond will tell you, it’s really a matter of design. A recent graduate of the product design program at Stanford, he talks about Teko’s approach.

General Design

“In the making of any product, the choices of greatest consequence to the environment are frequently made in the design phase, so excellent design is fundamental to the idea of sustainability. A core principle in sustainable design is to make a high-quality, functional, and durable product. If the most environmentally friendly materials and low energy techniques are used to make a product that doesn’t work well and doesn’t last, then those materials and energy were 100% wasted. Arguably an ‘un-environmental’ product that is functional and durable is preferable, because the materials and energy expended at least created value. With this concept in mind, the design phase will determine just how sustainable a product can be. To do this successfully requires a lot of research and brainstorming. Especially with our existing industrial infrastructure, the most common and expedient solution is unlikely to fulfill both ecological and quality concerns. The extra time and energy we apply to design on the front end is what makes it possible for a product, and a company, to get closer to true sustainability. If we think we see a way to improve function and/or make it more ecological, then we’ll try it out; most of the time we’ll find a positive gain. So much of design is just common sense.”

Designing Teko Socks

“Here’s how this all relates to the making of Teko Socks. The primary design focus of our socks was to make them the best performing socks available. Our owner Jim Heiden, who has extensive experience with socks, looked at every sock available and learned more about the different constructions and processes.

This started with the idea of doing a seamless toe, using technology much like that of Bemis. In the R&D, he found that using seamless technology actually wasn’t any better than the Lin-toe seam, and was for more expensive. From the Lin-toe seam, the best performing socks would also need a Lycra skeleton to allow them to stretch and maintain their original form, reinforced arch and cuff bands to provide comfort and keep the socks from bunching, and air vents on the top of the foot to increase breathability. The toe and heel are also the highest points of wear, so these areas also need to be reinforced. Typically nylon is used for this, but Teko chose polyester for its strength and lower moisture retention. The socks are also ‘sandwich plaited’, meaning the body yarn—in our cwool, cotton, or Ecopoly™—is on the inside and outside of the sock. The alternative, and cheaper, method is nylon plaiting, where the outside yarn is nylon and the inside is the body yarn. Teko then chose to work with fine denier yarns. At this point I believe we have the finest denier merino performance sock in the marketplace with a 21 micron fiber. The finer denier and long staple creates a softer, more durable sock.

“After we had the concept for what would make the best performing, most comfortable, most durable sock, we went to work on applying sustainable principles to its design and production, which leads us to the selection of materials and supplier sourcing.

“The key to our material selection is experience, research, and testing. Jim is extremely knowledgeable about outdoor related materials thanks to his 35 years in the industry working with manufacturers, retailers, and sourcing companies. Jim’s incredible base-knowledge helped Teko set its initial material direction of organic cotton, recycled polyester, and ecological wool.

“Once a basic material is selected, the key is to research potential suppliers and then test their product. It is only after Teko has found a supplier that can provide a material that meets both our ecological and performance standards that we consider making it into socks. The principal really is pretty basic and follows commonsense. The challenge was actually the commitment to take the time and energy to properly select our materials, which is truly what helps separate us from other companies. Manufacturers often take a short-sighted bottom line focus and select the first and cheapest material that meets their requirements, to get on to the next step as quickly as possible. Teko views material selection as part of the design process and taking the time to select the right material is essential to our long-term success.

“As for our dyes, we worked with our material suppliers to make the selections. A good supplier will know of, or be willing to find, ecologically friendly dyes. Since dyes can act differently with different materials, we worked with each supplier to find the right dye. Teko’s complete Spring 05 line met the Oeko-Tex 100 standard, a strict European standard that guarantees there are no harmful or toxic substances next to the skin.

“When it came time to choose a factory, we wanted to have our socks made in the USA. We narrowed down the list of possibilities based on some initial quality and reputation research. We eventually chose Nester, a factory located in North Carolina, for a number of reasons. Nester was willing to work with new, unique materials. They also demonstrated interest in the environment and in working with Teko to reduce their overall ecological impact. We’re a small company and we don’t have a tremendous amount of influence at this point, but they are receptive to the conversation. The final selling point is that the company is run by great people. We're confident in their abilities and ethics.

“Nester, which is pursuing LEED certification, uses a low water and energy process for the necessary washing of the socks, and they use only biodegradable detergent. Teko buys renewable energy from American Wind for all the energy used to create our socks. As with everything viewed from a sustainability perspective, we’re continually looking at other ways to reduce our energy use and improve our production.

“This brings us to packaging, which is always a dilemma! It’s an element that is difficult to design with both planet and profit in mind. Thus far we’ve spent countless hours and tried many different ideas to achieve this fine balance. Primarily, we didn’t want to make packaging that uses adhesives, plastic tabs, or glossy materials, which are fairly typical. We discussed and tested packaging concepts with local retailers here in Boulder and got their feedback. The most common package design for socks is the wrap-around board with the tabs and slots to hold it together. The retailers we talked with really didn’t like this design because the tabs tend to break when customers take the socks out to look at them. The package is as narrow (in terms of width) as it can be without creasing and tearing near the sock slot. The height allows us enough space for product information and marketing, which we have to provide in order to be competitive. Our design is a bit larger than we would like, and we will continue to revise and reduce our packaging. Overall though, we feel good about our packaging because it’s made from 100% recycled chipboard, and a single soy ink. No gloss, finishes, plastic, or adhesives. The simplicity reduces the energy required to produce it. And functionally, it’s unique and really highlights the socks. We’re not exactly where we want to be yet, although the packaging design recently won an award from Communication Arts Magazine.

“While I don’t want to overstate our level of attainment, I believe we are on the path. So much of this is just good common sense. How can we improve? What can we do better? With that mindset, we’ll always be getting closer to the ideal of sustainability.”

(For more information on Teko socks, go to www.tekosocks.com. James Heiden can be reached by phone at 800/450-5784, or via e-mail at sales@tekosocks.com. Owen Hammond can be reached at owen@tekosocks.com.)