Friday Sock Co

Socially Conscious Companies – Friday Sock Co.

Adam Thompson has been an Employee of the Month for 74 consecutive months at Friday Sock Co. He lists one of his skills as napping, and his roles are Floor Sweeper and Matchmaker on his LinkedIn profile.

Growing up in Henderson, Ontario, Adam remembers seeing people helping one another in the small town, often through the church. He was raised to do your best and give back to your community. 

A self-taught professional, Adam always knew he wanted to run his own company one day. After working internationally in finance and trading, Adam relocated to Calgary to work in recruiting for Robert Half. Working as a full-time recruiter, he started Friday Sock Co. as a side business in 2015.

Why socks?

Adam was always known as the guy who wore fun socks. Adam picked socks because he haddesign ideas he wanted to explore. Teaching himself how to use graphic design programs, those ideas turned into products. Working nights and weekends, he was often packaging throughout the night to meet orders.

Adam remembers keeping track of sock sales at home with a status thermometer on the wall, waiting to hit his goal to make Friday Sock Co. his full-time job. The goal was to be wholesaling to 50 stores, and he hit that milestone in 2017.

Moving into its first warehouse in 2017, FSC had 1,500 square feet of space for distribution. Initially sourcing from China, 2017 was also the year FSC pivoted to exclusively sourcing from Italy. Custom orders became an option at the same time.

Sourcing from Northern Italy, FSC works with three-generation family-owned sock mills. These manufacturers use material from eco-friendly sources that are certified OEKOTEX®. On annual trips to Italy, Adam visits suppliers, often spending time with the families in their homes. These families take great pride in the quality of their work, and continue to uphold the ethical and sustainable standards passed down through the generations.

Today the six original sock designs are framed and displayed when you walk into the store. As they continue to grow, Friday Sock Co will always be focused on quality, sustainability, and giving back. 

Giving Back

Giving back has always been a part of the fabric of FSC. Over the past 10 years, FSC has supported more organizations and causes than they can keep track of! Adam estimates that FSC has donated over $150,000 and 50,000 pairs of socks.

As local businesses struggled through the pandemic, FSC continued recognizing and giving back to those in need. The organizations and causes the company has supported are: 

• Ukraine Relief Efforts
• Good Neighbour YYC
• Calgary Drop-in Centre
• Calgary Mustard Seed
• Hope Mission
• The Invisible Sock Project
• Kidsport
• Urban Society for Aboriginal Youth
• Calgary Food Bank
• Aly Global
• Canadian Down Syndrome Society 
• Neurosurgery kids to Camp Everest South
• Calgary Reads
• Mamas for Mamas
• Cause Canada
• Ronald McDonald House of Southern Alberta

Beyond Socks

Alongside Friday Sock Co., Adam is also growing several other initiatives with the same approach to being socially conscious. Made by a Potato is a greeting card company that makes greeting cards using potato designs. More than greeting cards, Made by Potato works with Action Against Hunger to provide a meal for a child in need EACH time a card is sold.

Today the six original sock designs are framed and displayed when you walk into the store. As they continue to grow, Friday Sock Co will always be focused on quality, sustainability, and giving back. From small, local beginnings, FSC is an example of a socially conscious company that has punched above its weight class when it comes to giving back.