Inside the factory
How grip socks are made
The grip is not glued on and it does not come out of a mould. It is silicone, printed onto the sole of a finished sock one pass at a time. We filmed the room where that happens.
What happens in this video
- The printed sole, up close
- The sock has to exist first: knitting, linking, boarding
- The silicone, mixed by hand
- The carousel and the screen
- Loading the plates, curing, the result
- What actually drives your quote
- Who we are
Full transcript
The printed sole
This glossy black grid is the whole point of a grip sock. It is not glued on, and it does not come out of a mould. It is printed onto the sock, one pass at a time, in this room. This is how grip socks are made.
The sock has to exist first
First you need the sock itself. It is knitted in the hall next door, one sock per machine, cuff to toe. The toe seam is closed by hand, the socks are washed. Heated foot forms set the final shape and size. At that point it is a finished sock. Just not a grip sock yet.
The silicone
The grip starts in these buckets. Liquid silicone, thick as fresh paint, mixed by hand, batch by batch. Once it cures, it turns into a rubber that flexes with the sock and bites into the floor. And it takes pigment, so the studs can match any colour a brand asks for.
The carousel and the screen
The printing happens on a carousel. Each sock is stretched over a metal plate shaped like a foot, so the sole sits perfectly flat. The plate rotates under a fine mesh screen, a blade sweeps across and silicone is pushed through the open parts of the stencil onto the fabric.
Loading, curing, the result
Loading the plates is hand work, pair after pair, all day. The stretch has to be even, or the pattern lands crooked. Heat then locks the studs into the knit. And this is what comes off the line.
What drives your quote
If you are planning grip socks for a brand, this room sets most of your quote. Stud shape, coverage, colour count. Every extra colour is an extra screen and an extra pass, and every screen has to exist before your first sample does.
Who we are
We are Votano Asia. We find factories like this one, we stand on the floor while your order runs, and we handle samples, quality control and shipping to your door. Grip socks, or any sock this building can knit. Votano Asia. So you never have to hope.
Common questions
Is the grip glued onto the sock?
No. The grip is liquid silicone printed through a fine mesh screen directly onto the sole of a finished sock, then cured with heat so the studs lock into the knit.
Can the grip studs match a brand colour?
Yes. The silicone takes pigment, so the studs can be mixed to match the colour a brand asks for.
Why does every extra colour raise the price of a grip sock?
Each colour needs its own screen and its own pass on the carousel, and every screen has to exist before your first sample does.
What sets the quote for a grip sock?
Mostly the printing room: stud shape, coverage and colour count. The knitting side prices like a normal sock.
More from the factory floor
Planning grip socks?
We can get these made for your brand.
Stud pattern, coverage and colours to your spec. Tell us the product and the quantity and we come back with a real factory quote. See what we produce, or talk to us directly.