5 Million Pairs Later: How Custom Lab Became the Industry Benchmark for Custom Socks

When Custom Lab launched in 2016 as Outway’s private-label division, the pitch was simple: give brands access to the same materials, manufacturing, and design expertise behind one of North America’s fastest-growing performance sock companies — not another promotional merch reseller slapping a logo on a cheap blank.

Nearly a decade later, that pitch has become a track record. Here’s how we got here, and what it means for brands considering custom socks for their next project.

The Milestones That Got Us Here

2018 — Our First Major Partnership

We produced custom socks for Red Bull’s global Red Bull 400 event series, one of the first signals that premium brands were willing to trust a private-label sock program with their name on it.

2020 — Going Global

We crossed 250,000 pairs produced and started shipping worldwide, building out a growing roster of enterprise clients along the way.

2022 — Scaling Independently

Custom Lab took on dedicated leadership of its own, while keeping full access to Outway’s supply chain, manufacturing, and R&D. This is also the year we first started getting attention as a genuine alternative to the swag industry’s usual t-shirts and tote bags.

2026 — Where We Stand Today

Custom Lab has now produced more than 5 million pairs of custom socks for over 10,000 brands — including Disney, Red Bull, Spotify, Best Buy, Mondelez, CCM, and Shopify — with an 85% client reorder rate and a 21-day turnaround from approved design to delivery.

Why the Reorder Rate Matters More Than the Pair Count

Anyone can print a logo on a sock once. What’s harder is getting a brand to come back and order again and again. Our 85% repeat rate is the number we’re proudest of, because it means the socks aren’t sitting in a drawer after one wear. They’re being requested for the next onboarding kit, the next sales kickoff, the next event.

That’s the difference between a promotional item and a product people actually want to keep wearing — and it’s the whole reason Custom Lab exists as a real sock brand offering this as a service, rather than a marketing company that happens to sell socks.

What Hasn’t Changed

Growth aside, the core process is the same one we started with:

• Free, unlimited digital designs with a dedicated designer
• A 30-pair minimum per design — no massive upfront commitment
• No generic blanks — every sock is custom-knit from the yarn up to perfectly reflect your brand.
• Delivery in 21 business days or less
• Transparent, all-in pricing with no hidden fees

Frequently Asked Questions

How many pairs has Custom Lab actually produced?

More than 5 million pairs for over 10,000 brands, including Disney, Red Bull, Spotify, Best Buy, Mondelez, CCM, and Shopify.

Why does the 85% reorder rate matter?

It shows the product holds up after the first order. Clients come back because the socks get worn, not shelved — which is the outcome a private-label product is supposed to deliver.

‍

Thinking about adding custom socks to your lineup? Get your free custom design: it takes about a minute, and there’s no obligation to order.