Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Fall Fashionista Giveaway Event Sponsor Spolight: Zkano Organic Cotton Socks Review


I'd like to share with you my latest organic find! They're from Zkano, a small family-owned business, and they responsibly produce and sell organic cotton socks. Yes, I said socks! I LOVE socks. I confess. I have this crazy, almost absurd obsession love for socks, and yet I live in flip flops or go sock-less in ballet flats most the year. I do, however, love to wear cozy socks on cold winter nights or when I happen to put on some tennis shoes (which I hope to be doing a lot more once I recover in a few weeks!). Since these are organic socks we're talking about, I think I love these socks I'm going to share with you about a hundred times more than usual. 

Zkano has been owned and operated by the Locklears since 1991. They are located in Fort Payne, Alabama, which was once called "The Sock Capital of the World" before outsourcing became more common about 10 years ago. They are committed to staying true to their values of country, family, and environment which is extremely admirable. Their socks are made using Certified Organic Cotton, produced according to NOP standards and spun at a GOTS certified facility. They are also dyed with custom low-impact dyes instead of harmful, heavy metal dyes. All manufacturing of their organic socks are done in-house at their family mill, Emi-G Knitting, in small batches. By not outsourcing production of their socks like most other companies, they're proving jobs for Americans, something that Zkano is very passionate about. Packaging is also noticeably minimal, and packaging materials are generated and printed locally as well.

Socks are one of those clothing items that I cringe about most when I think of the chemicals in the materials and all the preservatives used. Your feet absorb more than you think. As you're walking, I'm inclined to think that the constant contact of conventionally-grown cotton socks on the bottom of your feet can't be good for you. Especially since cotton is know as "the world's dirtiest crop." Yikes! I don't think I'd be able to tell for sure if these socks were organic if I didn't already know. However, there is something almost raw and REAL about the feel of these socks. Almost like I can tell they are different and better for you. The great thing is that they are. Zkano takes simple, functional socks to the next level by using only the best organic cotton and production practices.
I received 5 pairs of organic socks from Zkano to test out on my family. The "fun" socks I chose for me are two pairs of women's Vivid Knee Highs. They are so cute and sassy I can hardly stand it, and certainly make a fashion statement!

First up, the "Shelby" Pinstripe in the Olive/Grey are right up my alley with...stripes!! Half the socks in my collection are striped (much to my hubby's dismay). I have a thing for stripes I guess. I like that the heel, toe, and cuff are all grey. These go up about mid-calf.

I also received the "Emma" Cable Knit socks in Olive/Natural. These actually go up a little past my knee, but look great a little lower and slouched down a bit. So much fun! I'm actually looking forward to the cold nights ahead! Both pairs have just the perfect amount of stretch and no bulging seams. Seams bug me, so I'm loving the flat seams at the toes, and angled seams at the heel for an optimum fit. They're designed very well and to me, they are the ultimate in sock comfort for a fashionable sock. 
The Kids - Flat Knit socks for the little guy are the perfect basic sock. I only wish they came in black or gray too! Anyway, these are great little socks for your kiddo. They're super soft with flat seams, clear labeling of the size on the bottom of each sock (so sorting is easy), and they even have have an "L" or "R" on the top of the toes to help your kiddo learn to distinguish between their right and left feet. Buddy kept telling me that he had letters on his socks! He was pretty excited about that.

I recently started to notice that seams at the toes of socks were bothering Buddy. OH NO. Apparently I was obsessive about uncomfortable socks when I was a young girl, so I'm crossing my fingers, hoping he won't have a major issue with seams like I did growing up. With his ZKano pair though, he didn't pick at his toes, and was really excited about all the photos we were taking instead! I think we have a major winner with this brand for Buddy.

One more thing. Buddy wears a size 10 1/2 shoe already and isn't even 3 years old yet. These socks are a size 6-8, and should fit up to a size 13 shoe. They fit him just perfect right now, so I'm hoping we get enough wear out of them! ZKano's next size would be adults for him, so I'm so sad about that. I'm hoping they come out with a larger kids size soon, because the style and fit are great, and they're super comfy!

My husband and I both loved the thickness and comfort from the Ridge "No Show" style. He got a black pair, and I got a white pair. They are so comfortable and warm that I could easily wear them around the house in place of slippers on cold days! However, they're actually an active wear style that are perfect for wearing with athletic shoes. The little heel tab keeps them from slipping into your shoe while walking. I found this feature to be quite clever and really effective at keeping the socks in place. Once again, the incredible softness and cozy terry cotton you feel when you slip these on is just amazing. One could almost get away with calling this a "yummy" sock. Yep, they're that great. These, like all Zkano socks we've reviewed, wash like a dream and didn't shrink up at all.

My husband was (surprisingly) very impressed with this style as well. He normally doesn't stop to say anything at all about a new product when he tries something on, but he was noticeably exciting and "wow-ed" by his new organic socks. He's a workout guru and wears athletic socks everyday so I was pleasantly surprised by his reaction! That definitely means I'll be ordering some more "Ridge" socks in the future.

Connect with Zkano on Facebook and Twitter!

Price: Individual sock pairs and pairs vary in price starting at $5.50/pair for "Slack" Everyday socks.

The Verdict:
Super fun, so cute, and very comfortable. They're beautifully designed socks are the result of extensive research and are better for your body, the environment and the smartest choice you can make when buying socks. Shop for your whole family and order over $25 to qualify for free shipping. Heck, everyone needs socks, so invest in your feet and buy organic socks from Zkano!

Buy It:  Check out Zkano.com today!


**Come back to my blog during the Fall Fashionista Giveaway Event from October 14-19 and enter to win a 3-pack of "Ridge" socks and a 3-pack of Vivid Knee Highs from Zkano!!**




Disclosure: I received the above mentioned product(s) to facilitate this review. No other compensation was received. This is my completely honest opinion above and may be different from yours. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook.

34 comments:

Unknown said...

One of my favorite reviews of yours so far! I really loved all the pictures, too! I didn't know how much chemicals went into making normal socks :/ Eeek! These look super comfy though!

Jess said...

Great info, and the socks look SO comfy!

Alex Liz R. said...

Thanks for the review. These socks look so comfortable.

MamaNYC [Nicole H.] said...

These look so comfy! Would love to own a pair myself! :)

Julie Lynn Bickham said...

They look comfy and warm! Would love to try these!

jill24295 said...

It's nice to see a company pay special attention to preserving the important things as well being environmentally aware. They look like they make a wonderful product!
jill24295@yahoo.com

Melissa said...

They look nice and comfy! I love that they don't outsource, too, and I like that little ridge feature on the no-show socks. The slipping always gets me!

Shay said...

Great photos and the socks look so comfortable and no bothersome sock seams :)

LiliumHigh said...

These socks look so comfortable and I love the L and the R on the socks. The "No Show" socks, those would be excellent for my mom.

LeighSabey said...

Those look so comfy, perfect for lounging around the house on a snowy day :)

polly said...

awesome review...i need to tryout these socks...thanks!
pkeintz@gmail.com

Stacy Fields said...

I'm a sock fanatic! The sillier the better!

Anonymous said...

I love it that they are organic and great for our feet. They have a wonderful variety of colors and styles. Fantastic socks!

Maryann D.
twinkle at optonline dot net

hendy said...

Love the concept behind this great company, I support companies that support the enviornment.

Amanda said...

Those ridge socks look really comfy!!!
tvpg at aol dot com

bloggymommy said...

I absolutely love these socks! Can't wait to try and win some :-)!

Adrienne said...

Great review
mail2ahayes@gmail.com

Sarah Hull said...

What cute socks! I love that the kids socks have a "L" and a "R" on them! so clever :)

SHull2319 at gmail dot com

Unknown said...

I absolutely love the L and R! That is so cool. Thank you for the info. I'm definitely going to check these out for my kiddos :)

Holly Hennessy Swint said...

I love that these socks are organics, come in fun colors and look so cozy! astroqueen67@hotmail.com

kmogilevski said...

First of all, I absolutely love that the socks are organic! They look really warm and like they would go great with winter boots!

all natural katie
allnaturalkatie at gmail dot com

shirley said...

Nice review, I believe you sold me on them, and the pictures show them so good.

Unknown said...

great...breathable socks!

John said...

My daughter is a complete socks freak - she LOVES them. Thanks for the great review!
~Wendy

david said...

I was excited to see some great organic threads coming out of AL & have ordered some for my wife. I know she's going to love them. :)

Ashley Jewell said...

LOVE the socks so comfy!!

Juana said...

These socks sound and look very comfortable. I agree with you I don't like seams either.

jmesparza821(at)gmail(dot)com

Krista said...

I have a soft spot for socks too and these look amazing! Thanks for a great review =)

Kathy said...

Thanks for the review. I really want to try them.

Lori Thomas said...

These all look sooo comfy!!!

Becca said...

Those socks are too cute! Reading your review just made me want to win them that much more!

jenzen69 said...

Im so excited for this awesome giveaway, socks are one of my favorite things to collect. I dont yet own a pair of these, but hope to soon. btw great pics. cute sock feetsies :)
jenzen69atyahoodotcom

Mimi Hayden said...

I love that they're a small, family owned business. I started a walking program and didn't realize how important good socks were. Thanks for making me aware of what looks like a great product!

daniel healey said...

Great info, and the socks look really comfy!

dhealey123@yahoo.com