Performance Socks
Cushioned technical socks knitted in merino, recycled polyester and nylon blends for hiking, trail and everyday performance ranges.
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One-Stop Outdoor Sourcing Since 2009
Performance Socks Gloves and Seamless Base Layers For Outdoor Brands
HICON develops and manufactures merino wool socks, ski socks, snow gloves and seamless activewear for outdoor brands in Europe and the Americas, through a vetted network of GRS and RWS certified partner factories.
2009Focused on Knitted Performance Wear Since
5Product Categories Supported
2Inspections Per Order
GRS RWS BSCICertified Standards
What We Make
Performance socks, merino wool ski socks, kids snow gloves and mittens, seamless sportswear and merino wool base layers, knitted to your specification and labelled with your brand.
Who We Serve
Outdoor apparel brands, ski and snowsports brands, and retail private label buyers in Europe and the Americas who need a supplier that can carry several knitted categories at once.
What We Solve
Splitting socks, gloves and base layers across three or four small factories means three quality standards, three shipping schedules and no single point of accountability. HICON runs the development, the audits and the inspections for all of them.
Why HICON
Working since 2009 in performance socks and underwear, with a partner factory network audited to BSCI and certified to GRS 4.0 and RWS 2.2 under Intertek scope certificates, and mandatory mid-term and final inspection before every shipment.
What We Make
Five Knitted Categories Under One Development Team
Each category sits with a partner factory already vetted for that technology, and all of them run through the same technical pack approval and the same two inspections.
Merino Wool Socks
Year-round merino crew and boot socks for hiking, work and outdoor lifestyle ranges, available on an RWS certified wool route.
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Ski Socks
Over-the-calf merino ski socks for adults and children with shin and footbed padding engineered for stiff boots.
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Snow Gloves
Waterproof insulated snow gloves and mittens for children, built around the fact that a small child has to get them on alone.
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Seamless Underwear
Circular-knitted seamless sports bras and base layer pieces with no side seams to rub under a pack strap.
Explore Seamless UnderwearProduct Range
Socks Gloves Mittens And Seamless Base Layers
Every style below is in current production. Click through for composition, construction, quality control and the questions buyers actually ask before they order.
Ski Socks
Merino Wool Ski Socks
Midweight over-the-calf merino ski socks with cushioning, arch support and reinforced heel and toe.
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Merino Wool Socks
Merino Wool Socks
Year-round merino boot socks in a 75% merino wool, 23% nylon and 2% elastane blend for men and women.
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Ski Socks
Kid Ski Socks
Over-the-calf kids ski socks in 35% merino wool with full terry padding at footbed and shin.
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Snow Gloves
Kids Snow Gloves
Fully waterproof five-finger kids snow gloves with thermal insulation, one-pull wrist buckle and a 2.5 inch knit cuff.
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Snow Gloves
Kids Snow Mitten
Insulated kids snow mittens with a durable water repellent shell, side zip opening and elastic strap for one-handed use.
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Seamless Underwear
Seamless Sports Bra
Seamless double layer support bra with wide shoulder straps, racerback construction and removable pads.
View Seamless Sports BraIn Production
Real Product From Current Programs
Colourways, patterning and construction from styles running now. Shell colour, jacquard artwork and blend percentage are all development variables on a private label order.
Who We Serve
Built For Brands That Buy Accessories In Several Categories
Outdoor Apparel Brands
Outdoor brands rarely have a sourcing problem with their shells and hardware. The problem is the accessories tail: socks, base layers and gloves, each too small to interest a large factory a
Outdoor Apparel Brands Sourcing
Ski And Snowsports Brands
Snowsports ranges are seasonal, which means a missed delivery window is a missed year. It also means socks, gloves and mittens all have to arrive together, in the same colour story, from sup
Ski And Snowsports Brands Sourcing
Retail Private Label
A private label program is judged on repeatability. The second delivery has to be identical to the first, the certificate has to survive a compliance audit, and the margin has to hold. Those
Retail Private Label SourcingWhy Choose Us
What A Buyer Actually Gets From HICON
Certified Material Chain
GRS 4.0 and RWS 2.2 Intertek scope certificates cover socks and hosiery, so recycled polyester and responsible wool content can be traced and labelled.
Two Inspections On Every Order
The HICON team runs a mandatory mid-term inspection during production and a final inspection before shipment. No order leaves on the factory's word alone.
Five Categories One Supplier
Performance socks, ski socks, snow gloves, seamless sportswear and merino base layers are developed by one team against one set of quality documents.
Technical Yarn Specialists
Merino wool, hemp and recycled fibres are our working materials, not an add-on line. Blends are specified to the exact percentage on every style.
Factories Open To Audit
Partner factories are vetted for long-term work and are open to third-party social and technical audits, including BSCI.
Built For Export Programs
We work with outdoor brands in Europe and the Americas and understand the documentation, labelling and inspection expectations of those markets.
Solutions
How We Run A Program End To End
One Stop Outdoor Accessory Sourcing
Most brands end up with one factory for socks, another for gloves and a third for base layers, and then spend the season reconciling three quality standards and three shipping schedules. HICON manages a network
Read One Stop Outdoor Accessory Sourcing
Certified Sustainable Material Programs
A recycled content claim on a hangtag is only worth what the paperwork behind it is worth. This is the route we run for brands that need recycled polyester or responsible wool content to survive a retailer comp
Read Certified Sustainable Material ProgramsTrust Center
Where The Product Is Actually Made And Checked
The scope certificates published here were issued by Intertek on 2024-11-07 and carry a stated validity date of 2025-11-06. Ask us for the current certificate before you rely on a certified content claim in a retail compliance submission.
Technical Pack Approval
Blend, gauge, construction and tolerances written down and signed off before yarn is booked.
Production Sample
A sample from the actual production line, not a handmade prototype, is approved before bulk runs.
Mid-Term Inspection
Mandatory on every order. Carried out by the HICON team while the line is still running so corrections are still cheap.
Final Inspection
Mandatory on every order. Carried out by the HICON team before the goods ship, against the approved pack.
Documentation
Scope and transaction documentation prepared per shipment for certified content.
Knowledge Center
Guides For People Specifying Knitted Accessories
Material Guide
Why Merino Wool Works In Performance Socks
What merino actually does in a sock, why it is always blended, and how to read a composition label.
Buying Guide
How To Choose A Ski Sock That Works In A Hard Boot
Thickness, height, padding placement and the one mistake that causes most cold feet on the mountain.
Product Guide
Choosing Between Kids Snow Gloves And Mittens
When a mitten beats a glove, what a child can fasten alone, and why cuff length decides the whole thing.
Industry Article
GRS And RWS Certification Explained For Sock Buyers
What each standard covers, what a scope certificate proves, and the documents a compliance team will ask for.
FAQ
Questions Buyers Ask Before The First Order
What products does HICON manufacture?
Performance socks, merino wool ski socks, merino wool base layers, seamless sportswear, kids snow gloves and mittens, and knitted headwear. Our published range covers socks, gloves, mittens and seamless underwear.
Are you a factory or a trading company?
Neither description fits exactly. HICON manages a network of long-term partner factories, all vetted and certified to BSCI, GRS and RWS standards, and runs development, certification and inspection across them. The inspections are carried out by our own team.
What certifications do you hold?
Intertek GRS 4.0 scope certificate ITS-TE-00027792-GRS-02591200 and Intertek RWS 2.2 scope certificate ITS-TE-00027792-RAF-00038200, both held by Shanghai Hicon Industrial Co., Ltd. Partner factories are audited to BSCI.
How is quality controlled?
Every single order undergoes a mandatory mid-term inspection during production and a mandatory final inspection before shipment, both carried out by the HICON team rather than by the factory.
Which markets do you supply?
We work with outdoor brands in Europe and the Americas.
Can you produce under our own brand?
Yes. Private label and OEM development against your technical pack is the normal way we work, including your own labels, hangtags and retail packaging.
How long have you been doing this?
Since 2009, focused on performance socks and underwear from the start.
How do I start a project?
Email [email protected] with the categories, target blends and volumes, or call +86-21-50459779 during Shanghai business hours. Every page on this site has a prefilled email link for the product you are looking at.
Send Us Your Category List
Tell us the categories, the target blends and the volumes. We will tell you which partner factory carries the right machinery and what is realistic at your quantity.