Shoppers love these patterned, colorful socks, but are they worth the money?
Now you can showcase your personality, all with a pair of socks.
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It’s safe to say that feet tend to get a bad rap. From people thinking they stink or that they’re icky, or just the fact that we don’t want to stand on them all day but have to, feet just don’t get it easy. And while we’re all constantly on the hunt for the perfect pair of shoes to keep our feet comfortable and well supported, people don’t often stop and ask, “What are the best socks I can buy for my feet?”
When it comes to socks, there are plenty of types of to choose from, like compression socks designed to help improve blood circulation to products that are trying to replace socks all together. But luckily for feet there’s one company out there trying to make our feet smile like they deserve to: Happy Socks.
What are Happy Socks?
Happy Socks carries tons of funky designs and fun patterns.
As the name suggests, the Happy Socks brand creates socks with a fun flair. As the company puts it, Happy Socks creates “a high-quality sock that combines unique designs and craftsmanship,” created by Mikael Söderlindh and Viktor Tell in 2008. They even take it one step further, arguing that Happy Socks is “probably the world’s most comfortable and colorful tool for spreading happiness…”
Today the company offers a wide range of products for adults and children, ranging from dress socks to crew socks, and everything in between. With a frequently rotating array of styles and designs, Happy Socks can be found in over 10,000 boutiques around the country, and has created exclusive collections featuring The Beatles, Snoop Dogg, and Andy Warhol, among many others.
Where can you buy Happy Socks?
There are two ways you can buy Happy Socks: online or in person. Happy Socks has storefronts open in 19 countries, including the United States—but since all eight of its US stores are located in New York or Los Angeles, and we are located in neither, we had ours shipped.
Happy Socks has frequent sales—and if you’re a student, you’re eligible to get 20% off and free shipping on all orders. You can find more information about shipping and delivery times on the Happy Socks website.
How we tested Happy Socks
Our readers love Happy Socks, especially around the holidays. We decided to have two writers order and test several pairs of Happy Socks to get the full experience from two perspectives. Tanner Saunders tested the men’s line of socks, while Tessa Bahoosh tested out the women’s. Here’s how our experience went.
Happy Socks review: Men’s line
Find the socks that fit your personality.
Living in New York, I spend a lot of time walking. In fact, nearly every weekend I make my way around Brooklyn and Manhattan taking my Corgi, Splenda, to different dog parks. To test my two pairs of socks I did exactly that: wore them until I basically couldn’t walk anymore (or until I could find a place to sit down and have a drink!). But besides wearing my socks with my shoes as a test, I also spent time wearing them at home in my pajamas being lazy, because socks are just as important being cozy at home as they are being functional on the go. Additionally, I gave both sets of socks a run through the washer and dryer to test if they would shrink up the way some socks tend to do.
Scanning the men’s products at Happy Socks can be a little overwhelming because they have so many fun and colorful options to choose from. After spending too much time debating over which ones were my favorite, I narrowed it down to two pairs to try: the Disney Face It, Micky Sock and these fun Dressed Stripes and Squares socks in blue.
For guys, especially with dress clothes, socks are one of the only ways to express yourself, and the blue pair really fit my personality. Dress socks are typically thinner than everyday socks and have some sort of seam around the heel — these are no exception, but they felt much more comfy than the standard black or navy dress socks I keep ready in my closet. One day I wore them out with my favorite loafers, which were notoriously painful to break in and continue to cause soreness even after the fact. After walking a few miles around my favorite park and back, my feet felt totally fine, though, like many dress socks I’ve encountered, I thought that the heel was a little too thin and had the potential to start wearing out after a few wears.
Most people, realistically, probably wouldn’t be wearing them on the sort of walk I did, but if you bought them for a wedding or formal where there was dancing, you might encounter the same thing. Luckily, though, after a few more walks and a handful of cycles in the washer and dryer, they’re still holding up strong.
These rocked our socks off.
The Mickey Mouse pair have won a special place in my heart. First, they’re totally adorable. But equally important, they’re a truly comfortable and livable pair of socks. Since they’re 86% cotton, they’re ultra soft and cozy — the kind of socks you want to leave on after you get home or put on after a long day of work to cuddle up on the couch. Pairing them with my favorite white sneakers doesn’t scream for attention but, like many of Happy Socks’ more subtle pairs, they just feel fun. This pair was also thick enough that I never felt like there was any slip, whether wearing shoes or walking across my hardwood floors. And three times being worn outside and being washed and dried, they didn’t shrink or stretch, nor were there any signs of holes or rips.
As for the sizing, I found both pairs to fit well and be pretty true to size. I have a smaller foot, which can be difficult since men’s socks are generally bigger. Luckily, Happy Socks makes two different sizes for men: 9-11 or 10-13. In full transparency, I typically wear a size 8 in mens, but the 9-11 still fit fine. I do wish, however, that all socks came in multiple sizes so that it was easier for people to find the pair that really, really feels comfortable. Ultimately, I really enjoyed both pairs and will definitely order more — especially as they launch fun new collaborations and designs. Just remember, socks are not something you should become overly attached to. With so many styles and designs being regularly released from Happy Socks, know when it’s time to let one pair go and replace them with something fresh.
Happy Socks review: Women’s line
So eye-catching.
Checking out Happy Socks’s line, I knew I wanted something bright and unique, but not excessively attention-grabbing. I wound up with the Disney Minnie-Time Crew Sock and the Daniela Ankle Sock, hoping the different cuts would mean I’d get more use out of the pairs collectively.
When I took my socks out of their packaging, I was thrilled—they really are just as vibrant and fun in person. Each pair featured a unique, non-repeating pattern, meaning I could show off different splashes of color depending on whether I was wearing my favorite boots, flats, or open-toed clogs. As someone who tends to shy away from instantly recognizable graphic designs, I loved that the Minnie Mouse sock didn’t immediately stick out as Disney merchandise. I scrolled through literally hundreds of socks before picking these pairs, and from an aesthetic standpoint, they were both pretty perfect for me. I was really happy with how they looked peeking over my boots and I had no regrets about the pairs I’d picked.
More importantly, though—how was the experience of actually wearing them?
The two pairs of Happy Socks I tried were different in design, cut, and material—and it definitely showed. Both socks were made of a cotton, polyamide, and elastane blend, but where the Minnie Mouse socks were 86% cotton, the cotton in the Daniela socks was only 75%. In other words, the Daniela contained less cotton, and, therefore, contained more polyamide. Polyamide (also known as nylon) is a synthetic material that’s often used to make stockings and exercise clothes—which makes sense, since it's super stretchy and resistant to moisture.
That extra cotton made a huge difference to how the socks felt on my feet. The Minnie Mouse pair felt fairly similar to other socks in my drawer. They were lightweight, but thick enough to stay warm on a brisk autumn day, and they did an admirable job of staying in place all day. The Daniela ankle socks, on the other hand, felt noticeably thinner. This might be a good thing in the summertime, when I’d be more likely to appreciate a lightweight, moisture-wicking material. I found this pair of socks pretty slippery (think: the texture of a nylon stocking), and they repeatedly slunk down and bunched around my ankles. By the second time I wore the Daniela socks, a number of threads had visibly come loose, and I suspect they’ll depreciate much more quickly than socks with a higher percentage of natural fibers. That’s sort of annoying for a pair of socks that usually costs $20.
The Minnie Mouse socks, on the other hand, were a total win for me. I loved their weight, their colors, and their soft, stretchy cotton. They’re not about to replace my beloved Bombas, but they did win a place of honor in my drawer immediately.
Should you buy Happy Socks?
These socks are totally worth showing off.
Happy Socks lived up to its name. We loved getting the opportunity to pick out super distinct styles that matched our personalities—and we can confirm they’re just as vibrant in person as they look online. We really appreciated that they came in two sizes, and only wished that the sizing options were more extensive. That being said, they definitely run pricey for socks, and it should be clear that you’re paying for the fun designs rather than really remarkable material or construction.
We found our socks comfy and appealing, with just a few caveats. A thinner dress sock might be appropriate for a certain shoe or environment, but we agreed that the socks with greater amounts of cotton were ultimately more enjoyable to wear. Although we would both buy Happy Socks again, we would think carefully about whether to prioritize material or design. In either case, if you want to add a subtle flash of color to your wardrobe, Happy Socks will absolutely do the trick.