Bulk Custom Socks: Minimums, Pricing and Lead Times
Buying bulk custom socks is a different purchase to buying one personalised pair, and the questions are different too. Nobody ordering 400 pairs for a conference cares about gift wrapping. They care about minimum order quantity, per-unit price, lead time, and what happens if the artwork is wrong.
This guide answers those questions directly, and explains when wholesale pricing is worth it and when it is not.
Minimum order quantity
Wholesale pricing on this site starts at 100 pairs per design. Below that, the retail price applies and you can order any quantity, including one.
The word "per design" is the part that catches people out. A hundred pairs split across four different embroidered names is four separate runs of twenty-five, not one run of a hundred, and it is priced as retail. The minimum applies to a single product in a single configuration.
Personalised names are the exception that proves this. If every pair carries a different employee's name, the setup work scales with the number of names rather than the number of pairs — so tell us the structure of the order before you assume the tier.
Wholesale pricing
Wholesale is 35% below the retail price. On a $10 pair, that is $6.50 per pair at 100 or more.
| Quantity | Price per pair | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| 1 – 99 | $10.00 | Individual gifts, wedding parties, small teams |
| 100 + | $6.50 | Corporate gifting, conferences, retail stockists, event favours |
There is no account application and no login. The wholesale range is simply listed separately — every product in Wholesale & Bulk is the same sock as its retail twin, priced at the bulk rate, with the 100-pair minimum built into the quantity selector.
If you are buying fewer than 100, buy from the retail range. It is the identical product.
Who bulk orders are actually for
Corporate gifting
The most common bulk order we see. Socks work as a company gift for the same reason they work at weddings: one size covers almost everyone, and nobody has to submit a measurement to HR. Corporate gift socks are usually ordered with the company name or a short phrase rather than individual names, which keeps the order to a single design and inside the wholesale tier.
Conferences and events
Branded socks outperform branded pens because they get taken home rather than left on the table. For an event, order one design, one colour, and a quantity 10% above your expected attendance.
Retail stockists
Boutiques buying to resell should order across colourways rather than a single one, since the colour split is what drives sell-through. Note that each colourway counts toward the 100-pair minimum within the same product.
Large weddings and multi-event celebrations
Most wedding parties do not reach 100 pairs — a party of eight does not qualify, and should not try to. Where weddings do reach the tier is favours: a hundred guests, one embroidered word, one colour. See the bridesmaid proposal guide for the party itself and keep favours as a separate order.
Lead times
Every pair is embroidered after the order is placed. Nothing is pulled off a shelf, which means lead time is production time and it scales with quantity.
Plan backwards from the date you need them in hand, not the date of the event:
- Under 100 pairs: standard production plus shipping
- 100 – 500 pairs: allow additional production time and confirm the date before you order
- Over 500 pairs, or a fixed event date: contact us first so the run can be scheduled rather than queued
The single most common failure in bulk orders is not production — it is approval. Artwork sent for approval on a Friday and approved on Wednesday has lost five working days from a timeline that was already tight. Nominate one person who can approve, before you order.
What to put on a bulk order
The decision that most affects how many of your socks get worn.
A company logo reads as corporate and is worn to work, at the gym, and nowhere else. Keep it small and single-colour — a logo reproduced in five thread colours on a sock cuff looks worse than the same logo in one.
A short phrase — an internal joke, a team name, a project codename — is worn more than a logo, because it means something to the person wearing it and nothing to anyone else.
Individual names produce the highest wear rate of anything we make, and the highest setup cost. For a leadership team of thirty, it is worth it. For a conference of four hundred, it is not.
Whatever you choose, keep the character count low. Embroidery on a cuff has a fixed area, and a long phrase is a small phrase.
Colour, sizing and specification
Size. One size, EU 42–46 (UK 8–11 / US 9–12), which covers the overwhelming majority of adults. This is the reason socks work at scale where clothing does not.
Fibre. A 90% bamboo blend — breathable and naturally odour-resistant, which matters more on a conference day than on a wedding day.
Colour. For corporate orders, dark neutrals are worn most: charcoal, navy, black. Bright colours photograph well in the unboxing and are worn less. If you want both, split the order.
Embroidered, not printed. Print cracks. Stitching is part of the knit and outlasts the sock, which is what you want when the item is carrying a company name.
How to place a bulk order
- Choose the design from Wholesale & Bulk — each one is a retail product at the 100-pair rate.
- Pick the colour.
- Open the designer, add your text or logo, and confirm how it looks in the chosen typeface.
- Set the quantity — it starts at 100 and will not go lower.
- Approve the proof before production starts.
For anything unusual — a fixed event date, several designs in one shipment, a colour not in the range, or an order large enough to need scheduling — get in touch before ordering rather than after.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum order for wholesale custom socks?
100 pairs per design. Below 100, retail pricing applies and you can order any quantity, including a single pair.
How much cheaper is bulk pricing?
35% below retail. A pair that is $10 individually is $6.50 at 100 or more.
Do I need a wholesale account or a login?
No. There is no application and no account. The wholesale range is listed separately and the bulk price is shown on the product page.
Can I mix colours within the 100-pair minimum?
Colourways within the same product count toward the minimum. Different products are separate orders with their own minimums.
Can every pair have a different name?
Yes, but it changes the economics. Individual names scale setup work with the number of names rather than the number of pairs, so tell us the structure of the order before assuming the wholesale tier applies.
How long does a bulk order take?
Everything is embroidered after ordering, so lead time scales with quantity. For orders over 500 pairs, or anything tied to a fixed event date, contact us first so the run can be scheduled.
Can you embroider a company logo?
Yes. Keep it small and single-colour — a logo reproduced in several thread colours on a sock cuff reads worse than the same logo in one.
Start here
Browse Wholesale & Bulk for the 100-pair range, or the retail range if you need fewer. For a corporate order specifically, start with corporate gift socks.
