Our Choice
Figs
Overview
Figs is a medical apparel brand focused on transforming the industry with fashionable designs. They utilize FIONTechnology in their products, which makes them durable and comfortable. Figs is founded by two practitioner's with an intimate base of knowledge regarding the challenges of the medical profession. They sought out to find solutions for the unique needs of medical professionals. Figs received attention from major publications such as Forbes, Inc., Vox, Entrepreneur and WSJ.
Price
$38 - $88
Highlight
Figs is a medical apparel brand focused on transforming the industry with fashionable designs. They utilize FIONTechnology in their products, which makes them durable and comfortable. Figs is founded by two practitioner's with an intimate base of knowledge regarding the challenges of the medical profession. They sought out to find solutions for the unique needs of medical professionals. Figs received attention from major publications such as Forbes, Inc., Vox, Entrepreneur and WSJ.
Figs Co-CEO and co-founder, Heather Hasson found herself fixated on her nurse practitioner uniform. It was very uncomfortable. Heather had a background in fashion and set out to revolutionize the world of medical apparel and provide comfortable options for medical professionals. Heather brought this idea to Trina Spear, now the Co-CEO and co-founder of figs. Due to their understanding of the long hours and grueling stress of medical jobs, they were determined to produce medical apparel that made their jobs easier. The company was founded in 2013. Figs is more than just a fashion-friendly medical wear line. It is made with proprietary fabric that is engineered to meet the work demands of medical professionals. Figs explored the same fabrics used for athletic wear for their designs. The company is based in Los Angeles.
The company is global. This decision to be international stemmed from the brand’s belief that the world of medical healthcare workers all deserve quality apparel. They have a ‘Threads for Threads’ initiative that donates medical apparel to healthcare professionals worldwide.
The company has committed itself to the Black Lives Matter movement. Figs donated $100,000 to the National Black Nurses Association and the Student National Medical Association. Figs stated, “We pledge to do our part to support both the long term advancement of the Black community and to protect those who are bravely making their voices heard at demonstrations and marches around the country.”
Pros & Cons
Pros:
Figs logo is well designed. When crafting a brand logo it is important to design something that is both eye-catching and simple. Figs accomplish just that. Their logo is a white plus sign with a gray oval around it and the word FIGS next to it. It says something about the brand and is appealing to the eye.
Figs uses Proprietary FIONTechnology™ that provides ultimate comfort and durability in their products. Medical professionals work long hours and stressful days. Figs attention to providing a strong yet comfortable garment is a plus.
Gives back to the black lives matter movement. They pledged $100,000 to The National Black Nurses Association and the Student National Medical Association. The company put out this statement, “At FIGS we believe in humanity’s immense capacity for compassion and love. We pledge as a company and as humans to stand in solidarity against systemic racism and oppression and to make these efforts enduring. Let’s right the wrongs of history. Let’s create the world we want to live in. Let’s do it together.”
The founders of the company are women with a medical background. It is always refreshing to see women leading the charge. Heather Hassan and Trina Spear provide a relatable story for their brand and provide a great presence for their company.
Cons:
Figs has terrible customer service reviews. Many customers complain that their helplines and email services are unresponsive to customer inquiries. Customer service is a tool that customers rely on to correct errors or answer questions about their purchases. If there is no one to answer the phone or email for the company users might feel ripped off and disregarded. It would be a shame if someone ordered Figs scrubs that didn’t fit and they couldn’t return them because of the poor customer service. That would leave a bad taste in any customer's mouth.
Customers of Figs complain about the long waits on the delivery of products. Long wait times for shipment and deliveries is a big deterrent for potential returning customers. Standard deliveries are said to take from 3-7 business days. Some customers have complained that their standard delivery order did not arrive for three whole weeks. If the products don’t arrive within a reasonable time frame, customers may lose trust in the company.
The size chart Figs provides on its website may not be very accurate. Trustpilot reviews claim that the sizing of the products was an issue upon receiving them. Accurate size charts are essential and if customer service is not present to deal with returns, the company can be deemed scammy. When shopping online, there is only one thing available to provide correct size information; the size chart. If that is not accurate customers will constantly be exchanging items or returning them. Those types of transactions waste time and money for all parties involved. Why not get it right the first time and implement more innovative or accurate online sizing services?
Despite its options to ship internationally and global initiative, Figs does not ship world wide yet. The company is working towards international delivery.
Vim Vigr
Overview
Vim & Vigr designs therapeutic compression socks for men and women, built for comfort and style. Their socks are made using medical-grade technological machinery and a circular-knitting method to manufacture their socks. This process integrates compression with functionality. The products are versatile and suit all ways of life. The company was founded in 2013. The company is incredibly well researched in the engineering of their socks. Their medical expertise as a company is impressive. The brand has done research with vascular surgeons and vein clinics to ensure their product is high-quality. Vim & Vigr partners with a Taiwanese manufacturing company that has been producing graduated compression socks for almost 50 years. Rigorous quality control measures are taken to ensure product consistency. Each shipment of products that arrive at Vim & Vigr’s HQ gets hand-tested for size and compression levels. Vim & Vigr socks are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). They offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee. If a customer is not satisfied, they can get a refund hassle-free.
Price
$32 - $54
Highlight
Vim & Vigr designs therapeutic compression socks for men and women, built for comfort and style. Their socks are made using medical-grade technological machinery and a circular-knitting method to manufacture their socks. This process integrates compression with functionality. The products are versatile and suit all ways of life. The company was founded in 2013. The company is incredibly well researched in the engineering of their socks. Their medical expertise as a company is impressive. The brand has done research with vascular surgeons and vein clinics to ensure their product is high-quality. Vim & Vigr partners with a Taiwanese manufacturing company that has been producing graduated compression socks for almost 50 years. Rigorous quality control measures are taken to ensure product consistency. Each shipment of products that arrive at Vim & Vigr’s HQ gets hand-tested for size and compression levels. Vim & Vigr socks are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). They offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee. If a customer is not satisfied, they can get a refund hassle-free.
Beginning at the ankle and moving upwards, Vim & Vigr socks apply therapeutic pressure. They work by squeezing the leg from the bottom up. The company’s legwear helps increase the circulation of oxygenated blood within the legs. They come in cotton, nylon, moisture-wicking nylon, and merino wool. The array of fabrics lends itself to customer preference. The cotton uses a unique-weave and 200-needle count, which makes the fabric breathable. The nylon fabric has a 400-needle count.
The socks are great for travel, work, running, and general exercise. Frequent travelers are at higher risk for developing deep vein thrombosis. This medical condition can occur after long periods of sitting. Vim & Vigr socks provide relief from this condition and make traveling more comfortable in general.
If your job requires you to sit all ask or be on your feet constantly, can compression socks help you just the same? Sitting for long periods of time can decrease blood flow beneath the knee, and continued standing puts a strain on the circulatory system. These conditions cause fatigue and soreness. For people that run often, Vim & Vigr’s socks aid immensely in minimizing muscle fatigue and recover the muscles more quickly from soreness. For maximum benefit, runners should wear compression socks during and after runs. They decrease lactic acid build-up, prevent cramps, and increase oxygen levels. Compression legwear is an awesome tool for athletes in all manner of activity. Anything from weight lifting to bike riding to HIIT workouts to yoga, compression socks positively affects all forms of exercise. This is because they improve blood flow and decrease leg fatigue.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
The company’s founder is a female. It is always refreshing to see a strong woman behind a company, especially when oftentimes there is not enough representation within workplaces especially when it comes to high-up positions. Michelle Huie is an Asian-American, which brings diversity to the business as well. These two factors show that the company is contemporary and paving the way for diverse female CEOs.
Founder, Michelle Huie has a background in healthcare, which gives her socks more validity. Compression socks deal with the health and well-being of peoples legs and feet. Having an educated health care professional creating socks that deal with health issues is good for the brand. This can assure customers that the products are trustworthy. A company with a founder who has a background in health care could be a determining factor in a customer’s choice between VIM&VIGR and competitors.
As a thank you to health care workers on the front lines of the pandemic, VIM&VIGR has set up a donation service to support the health care heroes. The company has raised over $135,000 for health care professionals. Seventy-seven hospitals have received socks for front line units fighting COVID-19. The method of donation functions under a “buy a sock give a sock” method. For every purchase through May 10th, VIM & VIGR donated compression socks to healthcare professionals. This initiative illustrates VIM&VIGR’s efforts to give back to the community. It also demonstrates the moral values they exhibit.
The attention and information given about pregnant women and compression socks are extensive and useful. VIM&VIGR’s website provides an entire tab about the benefits of using compression socks during pregnancy. Along with a detailed article, the page provides
Cons:
VIM&VGR’s website provides a size chart for customers to determine the right fit. Many modern companies are now providing diagrams and more interacting and precise ways of measuring. VIM&VIGR’s method of measuring is very traditional and not innovative.
The website displays its products under the ‘shop’ tab. Items are categorized under the following keywords; new arrivals, women, men, 15-20mmHg, 20-30mmHg, 30-40mmHg, sale, tights, sleeves, cotton, nylon, Merino wool, and moisture-wick nylon. Between these categories, a lot of the products overlap, which can make browsing confusing.
International shipping can take as long as three weeks to arrive. Timely shipment is essential, especially during the holidays.
According to Trustpilot, a company review website, a customer complained that socks were difficult to put on. The user mentioned that this is especially disappointing for people with arthritis.
Bombas
Overview
Bombas is a very popular and crowd-pleasing sock company. It was founded by David Heath and Randy Goldberg. The pair had a social mission when they decided to embark on Bombas. They realized that homeless shelters were struggling to provide sanitary, durable socks. Heath and Goldberg began to research the market and found there was an opportunity to supply an in-between sock product. Something that wasn’t cheaply made or high-end and expensive, but a middle ground product. In 2013, Bombas was born. It took two years of development and research, and an appearance on ABC’s Shark Tank to put their socks on the market.
Price
$12 - $162
Highlight
Bombas is a very popular and crowd-pleasing sock company. It was founded by David Heath and Randy Goldberg. The pair had a social mission when they decided to embark on Bombas. They realized that homeless shelters were struggling to provide sanitary, durable socks. Heath and Goldberg began to research the market and found there was an opportunity to supply an in-between sock product. Something that wasn’t cheaply made or high-end and expensive, but a middle ground product. In 2013, Bombas was born. It took two years of development and research, and an appearance on ABC’s Shark Tank to put their socks on the market.
The sock styles provided by Bombas are innovative and different from everyday socks. Their designs include blister tabs. This is a genius modification to socks. Blister tabs are a tiny ankle cushion that sits where your shoe hits your leg to prevent blisters or chafing. They also have calf socks with “stay-up technology” and no show socks. These products utilize a mixture of heel grips and contoured seaming to stay and place and not cause a fuss. The fabric and composition of the socks are made to mirror the structure of a strong honeycomb across the midfoot. This design choice makes the socks more durable and long-lasting. Materials are at the forefront of their company’s mind. They use moisture-wicking and temperature-regulating merino wool in their products.
From the get-go, Bombas was conscious of the need to supply homeless shelters with more long-lasting socks. Here is where that comes into play. For every pair of socks purchased by a customer, Bombas donates another pair to someone in need. The company has donated over 42.8 million pairs of socks. All of their socks are engineered to be affordable, long-lasting, and comfortable. Goldberg, one of the founders of Bombas, commented on this initiative. He stated, "We put as much thought and care into the production of the donation sock as [the originals]. In working with giving partners to engineer a sock that would specifically meet the needs of the homeless, we designed the sock to be darker to avoid less visible wear and tear, added an antimicrobial treatment to prevent the growth of odor and fungus since these socks are not washed as frequently, and added reinforced seams for great durability, ensuring a longer lifespan."
The brand argues that although their prices may be more expensive than a pack you can pick up at Walmart or Target, Bombas socks will last you longer. Their ankle socks start at $12 and worth every penny. There is also the added bonus of knowing that when you buy a pair of Bombas socks, you benefit another living, breathing person in need.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
Bombas stands for something. Their brand is having a positive impact on the world. They offer to give back and not just take what they get. In a capitalistic society, Bombas's brand initiative is impressive and refreshing. Homelessness is on the rise, especially due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now more than ever we need more companies like Bombas to offer cost-effective solutions to help those in need.
Customers really respond to their products with positivity. Trustpilot.com gives Bombas a 4.7 out of 5 star review from customers. This includes over 8,000 reviews from customers. Users commented about the company's willingness to replace products that wore out for free. They also noted the quality and comfort the socks provide.
The production of socks is creative and thinks outside of the box. They use a honeycomb structure design to ensure a longer-lasting sock. That choice is smart and innovative. The company also designed the genius ‘blister tab’ which prevents blisters and chafing from shoes. Often, when wearing ankle socks or no-show socks one can be prone to blisters. This kind of ingenuity prevents a very painful experience for its customers by simply implementing a blister tab into their design.
Bombas is able to provide replacement socks within a year of purchase upon request. Since the socks are a little bit more expensive than most, this factor is a huge plus. This generous gesture sets the company apart from competitors and leaves customers happy.
Cons:
The company has a limited number of patterns available. Some customers like variety and if they cannot get it at Bombas they will surely go somewhere else for it. Expanding upon patterns and textures would likely open up more sales for the business.
Bombas sock designs are a little bit ‘busy’ especially because they put the logo on the socks. The ankle sock has a honeycomb pattern, logo, and color. Offering a simpler design could be beneficial.
Bombas’ prices are higher than its competitors. Although the company claims their socks last longer, some people are just going to go with the cheaper competitors no matter what.
Bombas offers a T-shirt collection. The amount of styles and patterns within the line is lacking. They could expand upon what goes on the shirt. The company puts its logos on their socks, but not on their T-shirts. A T-shirt is a better opportunity to display their logo. It would also bring about more brand exposure in doing so.
Comrad Socks
Overview
Comrad Socks is a compression sock company for energy, comfort, and support. Their products supply the comfort of a dress sock, the support of an athletic sock, and the perks of compression -- triple threat sock! The company has been reviewed by Popular Science, Refiner29, Self, Esquire, The Washington Post, Traveler, Forbes, BuzzFeed, and Business Insider. Conrad socks give copious benefits to its customer base. Their compression socks prevent swelling and pain, energize legs and feet, provide all-day comfort, and even speed up recovery from an injury or workout. The company makes the case that average socks do not do enough for people, but their socks work hard for their customers.
Price
$16 - $118
Highlight
Comrad Socks is a compression sock company for energy, comfort, and support. Their products supply the comfort of a dress sock, the support of an athletic sock, and the perks of compression -- triple threat sock! The company has been reviewed by Popular Science, Refiner29, Self, Esquire, The Washington Post, Traveler, Forbes, BuzzFeed, and Business Insider. Conrad socks give copious benefits to its customer base. Their compression socks prevent swelling and pain, energize legs and feet, provide all-day comfort, and even speed up recovery from an injury or workout. The company makes the case that average socks do not do enough for people, but their socks work hard for their customers.
The brand has supermodel, Karlie Kloss’ approval! The model commented on the brand's quality in stating, “On a flight, before and after a sweat sesh, in between meetings and whenever I’m on the go, Comrad socks are a must. These compression socks are a game-changer and come with me everywhere (really, they’ve flown around the world with me). They help with overall blood circulation, reduce swelling, prevent blood clots, and are a must for travel.” What a remarkable review from a well-respected individual.
The socks are made with True Graduated Compression, meaning the amount of compression strength decreases as the distance to the heart decreases. In other words, one will find less compression at the top of the sock than at the toe. This design factor allows for comfort and support within the sock to be balanced. Their socks are medically proven to reduce swelling and boost circulation.
The company was founded by Andrew Ferenci, an entrepreneur. The idea for Comrad socks stemmed from Ferenci’s aching, tired and swollen feet. Due to his busy work schedule and frequent travel, Andrew’s feet were in pain to say the least. His doctor recommended compression socks for a quick fix to his problem and suddenly his foot problems vanished upon wearing the socks. The only problem, the socks were ugly, expensive and uncomfortable. From this experience, Andrew worked hard to create Comrad Socks to provide the market with more fashionable and comfortable compression sock options.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
Comrad Socks is a modern company within a market that is not very cutting-edge. Bringing style and variety to compression socks is a simple and straight-forward mission. The brand gives off an essence of a contemporary brand.
The website is broken up into four tabs and a homepage. The tabs are; shop, learn, account, and cart. If a user hovers his mouse over the learn tab he comes to find a journal section of the website. Once clicked, the user is brought to the company’s journal which is used as an informational blog about how to get the best use out their products. It’s also a tool to flesh out answers to frequently asked questions. The site provides a series of very educational articles about different topics regarding socks. For example, one article is about if compression socks for men influence performance and recovery. This aspect of their brand and website shows that they care about their customers enough to educate them on the products in a thorough and well-thought-out manner.
Comrad Socks provides six different way to utilize compression socks on their website. The uses they note are sitting & standing, recovery, exercise, pregnancy, edema and travel. If a user clicks on any of these links he is brought to a brief article about the specific use he is inquiring about. The brand is very informative on their website. It seems that every box is checked on their end. Their articles are educational and help the brand be even more transparent.
Comrad Socks’ use of photography and design to show off their products is interesting and unique. The images are quirky and colorful. They include elements of production design and props. It is evident that there were creative minds at play in the branding, marketing and advertising of their products. The creative way in which Comrad displays its products provides the brand with a seemingly cohesive overall image. All of the elements have come together to portray a decisive look for the brand.
Cons:
Comrad Socks does not provide a lot of information about the materials used to make the socks. It talks about the graduated compression within the design, but does not mention the exact type of fabrics that make up the sock on their website. It would be nice to know what kind of fabric they are made of and how the texture feels.
Although the brand takes the time to explain who their founder is, the story that is shared about Andrew Ferenci is brief and not very personal. If customers can personally connect to a founder’s interests, background and values they will be more likely to buy their products over competitors. The description is mostly about the founder in relation to socks, not about who the founder actually is as a person.
Comrad Socks was able to be very creative with their visuals for the brand, except when it came to the logo. The logo is simply a red C with a blue background. It’s not a logo that truly and easily identifies the brand. The C could stand for any brand.
Comrad Socks’ Instagram page only has 129 posts and averages about 250 likes per post. Their Instagram page has been active since 2017, they should have more posts on it. As a business, it is important to take social media presence seriously. The brand could gain a customer base if they posted more often. In doing so, sales for the brand could potentially increase.