Has anyone else noticed socks are getting worse?

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Carl-Newchat25@reddit

I always know when my socks are getting worse. They develop holes in them 😆

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The_AJR@reddit

You're probably noticing M&S getting worse rather than socks specifically. My sock drawer pretty much exclusively consists of Nike Socks and they last for ages.

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Sad-Nectarine-7855@reddit

M&S helped destroy the UK's clothing manufacturing sector, they can fold any day now and I would celebrate.

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Pleasant_Jim@reddit

Was this because they moved their manufacturing overseas? Are they now in financial trouble?

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Cruelly ended contracts with hundreds of very large and very small manufacturers right across the country in the space of a year or two, all of those manufacturers made for various places but M&S were their main customers, M&S refused final orders from factories leaving them out of pocket, most of them closed, overnight tens of thousands of people lost their jobs and importantly we lost the meaningful ability to make clothes here now.

They've been in and out of trouble for years.

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gentleframework@reddit (OP)

Interesting — I used to trust M&S for basics, so this surprised me.

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Fresh_Distribution13@reddit

I used the way back machine and a 7pack of socks in 2015 cost £12. The same pack today cost £14. With inflation the original pair would be close to £17.

The reason they’ve declined is to keep prices low - people won’t pay more for quality. If you want decent socks you just need to pay more.

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ParticularGiraffe174@reddit

I was the same but a couple of years ago I shifted that to next, though I bought some white socks about 6 months ago and they are getting holes in them now

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gentleframework@reddit (OP)

i might try Nike socks then

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WoodSteelStone@reddit

Not any old Nike socks. You need the ones belonging to u/The_AJR because Nike could have gone to shit since he bought them, same as OP's M&S ones.

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oilfax@reddit

They do last although be aware of different versions of the product. I prefer the everyday max

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raccoon-overlord@reddit

I used to always ask for 'happy socks' for Xmas and birthday presents as their socks have been so good for years. However all the pairs I got this Xmas have been really cheap quality and have holes in already. Now they seem like not so happy socks

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Sad-Nectarine-7855@reddit

Yes they used to be really good!

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raccoon-overlord@reddit

Very sad about how they've changed now, the ones I've had for years are still doing better than the ones I got a few months ago

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tszewski@reddit

Genuinely, is there anything that isn't getting worse? Every product, every service, every industry seems to be on a race to the bottom to maximise short term profits at the expense of everything else

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Timoth_Hutchinson@reddit

The answer to that in this case; we all stop wearing socks.

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handtoglandwombat@reddit

I know this is tangential, but yes, this. It’s no longer seen as good business to just make a… well… a good business. The idea is to make growing business and then sell it at its peak valuation. Whether you’re a brand new startup or a 100 year old family owned company with owners looking to retire, everything has become a pump and dump. And that means cost cutting.

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Sad-Nectarine-7855@reddit

There was a guy in the small business reddit who told me I needed to stop 'hosting' my own companies social media reels, to stop doing charity work in the community, stop employing family, incase it reduced the value of when I came to sell the business 🤤🤤🤤🤤 its only had my name above the door since the 80s 😅 not everyone is in for the churn.

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tszewski@reddit

"everyone wants the view but no-one wants the climb"

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BenBo92@reddit

Tunnocks are still really good. That's all I've got.

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SavageRabbitX@reddit

Boxer shorts are much better now than in the 90s

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mattjimf@reddit

I got some from TX Maxx that are 100% bamboo, I'm hoping they may be a bit more robust than the polyester and elastane ones (also polyester upsets my feet).

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Extreme-Dream-2759@reddit

Its not just socks, its most clothes. They are full of plastics

Jumpers that look like they are made of wool - on the label they are mostly made of acrylic

Socks / Trousers / T-shirts - they all seem to be mostly or partially some plastic blend.

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Revolutionary_West56@reddit

Womens too, and underwear, especially M&S which has gone massively downhill. They used to use a lot more cotton, maybe that’s why.. how much cotton were your socks ?

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gentleframework@reddit (OP)

That's the thing, the M&S packaging no longer mentions the proportion of cotton in the socks, so I can't tell if its got anything to do with that. I bet that was deliberate from M&S to exclude this info

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Revolutionary_West56@reddit

Oh damn ! Yeah that’s gotta be it then. On the underwear they do, they used to do 100% cotton but not anymore

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ArrowPresby@reddit

Clothes in general are getting worse. My old M & S short sleeve shirts have longer cut sleeve and don't ride up and show your armpits off when you move and stretch. I suppose everything is made in the same overseas sweat shops using poorer quality fabrics, slimmer and shorter cuts of fabric no matter where you buy them from! St Michael was the best and mainly British made. If you look at the fabric content often of new clothing you'll see lots of synthetic fibres which isn't great on socks unless you want sweaty feet.

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Disastrous_Bad0103@reddit

Might not be a popular opinion but I go for Darn Tough socks. They’re pricy but have a lifetime guarantee, so when you put a hole in them they’ll send you another code for a replacement pair. They occasionally run offers of socks for life… 5 pairs. But they’re really comfortable and the guarantee is amazing!

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TawnyTeaTowel@reddit

No. It’s just you.

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AutomaticInitiative@reddit

Darn tough, they're kind of expensive for socks but I swear they're bulletproof. I am slowly replacing worn out socks with them.

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WorhummerWoy@reddit

I've replaced all my old socks with them too. Was bloody expensive, but apparently they hold to their lifetime guarantee, so the way I see it, you're paying 30-odd quid for socks for life.

They're warm, comfortable and hard wearing. And I once wore a pair for three days without washing or changing them and they had barely any odour at all at the end of the three days. I was camping at the time, so I figured that would be a good time to carry out that particular test.

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stepsmcgee@reddit

Can confirm warranty is awesome. I don’t even want to count how much I’ve spent replacing mine with them!

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stepsmcgee@reddit

Darn tough. Buy once and you’ll never need to replace them. If they’re ever defective or die, r/darntoughsocks will replace them for free.

I’ve worn them for four years now and will never buy any other brand of sock for the rest of my life.

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Pleasant_Jim@reddit

HJ hall have a 6 month guarantee on all socks

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worldworn@reddit

Not really no, I buy the same socks from the same place and they last about as well as they ever have done.

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oscarx-ray@reddit

Which place?

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gentleframework@reddit (OP)

I’m jealous — maybe I’ve just hit a bad batch

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EmergencyGoggles@reddit

I still wear >10 year old Danish Endurance merino wool socks. Can’t comment on recent quality because I’ve never needed to replace them.

Uniqlo socks all had heel holes within months. Basic white Nike socks also barely last a year, but bought a 10+ pack of plain white sport socks with the crosshatch cushioning on the sole from Temu for about a fiver and the quality is unreal. Much thicker/comfier than branded white sport socks, always come out bright white after a wash and can get >20 socks for the cost of 3 Nike socks.

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smellyfeet25@reddit

yes . they don't seem to last long

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zamoflo@reddit

I felt like I was only getting a few wears out of cheaper socks before they went off colour/got holes/started thinning or bobbling (I do wear boots a lot though so that could be a reason!)

But I switched to adidas and vans ones a few months ago and they’re so much better - deffo worth spending a few extra quid upfront, feel like I’ve saved so much money on not having to keep buying new socks every few weeks haha

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External-Praline-451@reddit

I bought my husband some bamboo socks from Socktopus.

They're a UK family-owned company and they seem really good quality. I haven't put them in the dryer though, as reckon that could ruin them.

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Karl-Pilkinghorn@reddit

Yes. Bought some Nike socks that were NOT cheap and within weeks they had holes in. Got some Puma ones for half the price and they also now have holes in.

Had never spent that amount of money on socks before and shan’t be doing so again. Was sick of going through socks like nobody’s business and assumed if I spent a bit more and used a brand, I’d get better quality. How wrong I was.

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Bayff@reddit

Tf are you doing with your feet 🤣 I’ve had the same pack of Nike socks for 2 years that I wear almost daily and they are almost the same as when I bought them 🤣

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Karl-Pilkinghorn@reddit

I have no idea! I work from home so it’s not like I’m pushing them to their limits! I even tried sizing up but it made no difference. I’m clearly just a sock gremlin!

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coleslawontoast@reddit

Everything is crap now

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F2097@reddit

Community clothing have the best socks the price is similar to a mid range M&S type store but the quality is way beyond anything you can buy from a shop. Made in the UK too.

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bahumat42@reddit

Maybe store bought. But online there are plenty of good choices.

Nordic socks or hexee are my current favourites.

But BAM or stand4socks have also maintained quality.

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James_White21@reddit

There was a time when buying M&S socks had some sort of unspoken guarantee that they would be decent. Now you are playing sock roulette with the odds stacked against you.

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mattscazza@reddit

Darn Tough. I replaced all my socks with 6 pairs of them. Cost a lot but 3 years later, only 1 pair developed a hole and they're currently replacing them under their lifetime guarantee. I never have to worry about buying socks ever again.

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Jacktheforkie@reddit

I find they lose their elasticity pretty quickly so I can’t get the fuckers on

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DeifniteProfessional@reddit

I always get socks from Tesco and frankly they've not changed in years. But I have some oddball socks that are nice to wear

However I got some recently from Trago Mills of all places, and they're horrible. But I think they were like £6 for 5 pairs which is a good enough deal just to own more socks

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gentleframework@reddit (OP)

I might give Tesco a go next time then — a few people have mentioned them now.

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PretendPop8930@reddit

Stance socks are awesome. I fully recommend!

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baggageofballs@reddit

Darn Tough socks are awesome. They are merino wool and come in different "models". Expensive yes, but they offer a lifetime warranty. This stands for everything as long as it isn't loss of one sock.... I've had 3 pairs go through warranty now. I just have 8 pairs of socks on cycle instead of a sock drawer full of odds and sods.

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ysc1@reddit

Community Clothing socks last. I've had a bunch of pairs for 3+ years and they are still going strong. I expect to get another 3 years from them at least.

Unfortunately if you want decent quality now you have to spend a bit more.

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Polz34@reddit

Can officially state women's socks have gotten worse, I bought some from Sainsbury's recently and two of them have already worn through, one was after ONE day of wear.

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e817kenley@reddit

I buy another 2 packs of plain black m&s women’s socks every time my current ones wear out.

This time I’m noticing major quality differences and some feel much thicker than others in the same pack.

Also to save you a click into my post history, yes I am autistic.

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Opening_Succotash_95@reddit

I like the ones in Uniqlo.

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TheTjalian@reddit

Careful though, the delivery driver will likely chuck your order in the food waste bin.

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AvinItLarge123@reddit

Every single post about clothes on here and someone pipes up about fucking uniqlo.

Has to be a paid promotion at this point.

Comfiest socks I've found are some Ralph Lauren ones I bought at the outlet store in quinta do lago

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arenaross@reddit

I mean, clearly Unilqo is a more helpful suggestion than OP heading off to the Ralph Lauren outlet in Quinta Do Lago.

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AvinItLarge123@reddit

Very true.

There's a few other decent shops in that outlet, should OP ever find himself there

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ClickerKnocker@reddit

Can vouch for Ralph Lauren socks. Pricey but comfortable and they last.

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Pacopicopiedra66@reddit

Came here to say how bad they are! Three pairs of the argyle print ones, all had holes in the feet within a couple of months.

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CommonSpecialist4269@reddit

I’ve had socks go for years without getting holes in. Maybe you walk with a bit of a shuffle or have long toenails? lol

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Opening_Succotash_95@reddit

Those ones I've not tried!

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zinbwoy@reddit

They look great, but are shit quality, holes appear within a couple of months

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theegrimrobe@reddit

like everything its enshitifaction to maximise short term profit over everything else ... short termism is killing quaility and the race to the bottom is a huge issue

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Jahcurs@reddit

Yes they absolutely are, I got sick and tired of socks becoming baggy and thin decided to try some expensive ones, now I only buy point 6 socks. They are about £15/£20 a pair but they haven't changed at all since buying them two years ago. They do a whole range from trainer socks to thick winter walking socks and I can't recommend them enough. Wash them on a cold or delicate setting and they will last you a lot longer.

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gentleframework@reddit (OP)

I just wash them on the standard mixed wash/dry cycle on my Hotpoint. Nothing unusual

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LordTwaticus@reddit

Probably the fact a lot of organisations are turning away from natural fabrics.

I would consider if you are washing them well though if it is happening. I'm not sure I've had a hole in a sock I've had (regardless of quality) since I have been an adult.

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Sad-Nectarine-7855@reddit

The rise in polyester is an interesting one.

It's driven to reduce production cost and improve returns (and dividends)

I gave up polyester and polyblend clothes a fair few years ago and now most people, especially women are exclusively wearing polyester clothes I can't help by notice how bad people smell because of it 🙈

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AutomaticInitiative@reddit

Now that I don't have a tumble dryer my socks are much more hard-wearing which has been an interesting discovery.

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LordTwaticus@reddit

What a coincidence!

It is so much better for them.

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Fit-Obligation4962@reddit

Definitely ! I must throw a pair away most weeks. Underwear as well. I find it hard to bring myself to spend a lot on socks and underwear as they’re cheap enough to replace every few months.

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Sad-Nectarine-7855@reddit

Reject modern sockery and embrace tradition.

I've worn wool socks, almost exclusively for over a decade. Good wool socks will last years, Merino wool is fine year round, lambswool for super cold days. Your feet will also smell less.

Avoid cheap ones, they're usually just polyester with a smidgen of merino, expect to pay £20+ a pair, but expect that pair to last you 3 or more years

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Boogaaa@reddit

100%! I was only thinking about this the other day. Needed some new socks, so I bought some just after Christmas and somw of them already have holes on the soles. Everything os shut these days

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Bayff@reddit

Stop buying your socks from supermarkets maybe?

Get nicer socks and surprisingly they last longer.

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Dark_Akarin@reddit

I started buying thick sports socks for my office job because they last longer. Everlast are pretty good.

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Imfamous_Wolf7695@reddit

I'm split between blaming the socks and blaming my feet for somehow mutating into growing nails like claws within what seems like days. I also seem to need a haircut every couple of weeks too.

Am I just turning into a werewolf? Should I see a doctor or a priest about this?

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Material_Angle2922@reddit

Finally someone took noticed. I bought several pairs of RL at an outlet and it was appalling, false economy.

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Swimming_Crow_9853@reddit

I bought some Marks and Spencer socks recently and they lated less than a year before the holes appeared. I bought Next socks nine years ago and none of them have holes in them. It is an M&S issue.

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Consult-SR88@reddit

Yes. I noticed my M&S socks are very worn after a year but the cheaper ones from Tesco F&F seem fine.

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ButterscotchSure6589@reddit

I once bought 3 pairs from M&S back in the 80s. I'm not quite sure how long I had them, but I do remember telling my sons 22yr old girlfriend that I had socks older than her.

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txe4@reddit

Sainsburys Tu stuff is mostly very decent for the money. Try to only ever buy it when it's 25% off as those sales come round very regularly.

And no, I don't think socks have got any worse.

I do keep getting people buy me bamboo ones, which are holed after 5 washes, but typical "80% cotton 20% synthetics made-in-china" ones from any normal retailer seem fine to me.

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TheRiddlerTHFC@reddit

I get my socks and boxers from Odd Balls

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goosebreaker@reddit

I think it is clothing containing elastine. It breaks down in the wash.

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jesus-is-my-dad@reddit

if you are a wearer of sports socks (although they do other styles), then may i suggest stance socks. i pretty much exclusively wear them, have about 25 pairs now that i've picked up over the last 5ish years, not worn through a single one.

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ActionBirbie@reddit

Oh look, more random moan bait.

Sub is lost, abandon ship :(

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marcdk217@reddit

I have some from Next that are several years old, which are in better condition than the ones I bought from Next a year ago so yes, the quality has definitely gone downhill.

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longtermbrit@reddit

Everything's getting worse.

That said, I get socks from wherever and they last for a while.

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