← Go back Oct 10, 2023
Forbes Business SportsMoney Thorlo Embracing Tennis-Specific Performance Socks In Fresh Way Tim Newcomb Contributor Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. I cover stadiums, sneakers and tennis Following Oct 4, 2023, 09:41am EDT | Press play to listen to this article! Got it! Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Thorlo signed J.J. Wolf to help promote the brand's tennis-specific socks designs. Thorlo From Martina Navratilova to J.J. Wolf, Thorlo has had quite the following in tennis. The first brand to create socks specific to the sport hasn’t let up, now with three distinct lines of tennis-specific socks, a new partnership with Wolf and plans to continue pushing forward in the sport. “We are very serious about socks,” Ani Basmacioglu, Thorlo merchandise and brand director, tells me. “The people who wear Thorlo are really serious about their sport. Tennis has been a niche market for a long time, but it is getting more exposure.” When Wolf debuted his sponsorship with Thorlo ahead of the U.S. Open, it was a natural fit for the two. The World No. 51 was looking for something to ease his foot issues and Thorlo was ready to help—and ready to promote the fact the brand has known and served tennis since the 1990s. J.J. Wolf signed with Thorlo ahead of the U.S. Open in 2023. Thorlo “It was easy with J.J.,” Johnny Russo, the brand’s chief digital officer, tells me. “He was a big fan of Thorlo before we started working with him.” Wolf, who uses the Maximum cushion crew sock, says having the right socks is crucial. “Tennis players’ feet go through so much during a match that it’s essential to have the best equipment that makes them comfortable to perform at the highest level,” Wolf tells me. “Equipment for tennis players is basically our lifeblood to succeed in the sport.” MORE FOR YOU ‘Shocking’ Leak Blows Up Mystery Of Bitcoin Creator Satoshi Nakamoto Ahsoka Season 1 Finale Review The Jedi The Witch And The Warlord Biomaterials Firm Bolt Threads Formerly A Unicorn Plans SPAC Deal At A 250 Million Valuation The history of Thorlo dates to 1980 when Jim Throneburg founded the company in North Carolina out of a hosiery mill. On a mission to make walking more comfortable, the son of the hosiery mill owner added padding to socks and launched Thorlo. Soon he was creating sport-specific varieties to help athletes reduce foot pain and blisters. In the ‘90s tennis joined the mix with a variable-density padded sock. Throneburg studied tennis movements to understand pressure points, pivoting, lateral movements and placed padding accordingly to prevent injury, blisters and hot spots. That launched the tennis-specific movement and soon Navratilova was calling asking to sponsor the brad. The two partnered until she retired from the game. In 2023, the focus on tennis hasn’t wavered. The brand has a mixture of tennis-specific products, with a classic Maximum line featuring maximum padding and five silhouettes, a Light line with a more lightweight mix of padding and moisture wicking in three silhouettes and the brand-new Experia line with technical grip and enhanced moisture wicking. The new line features a breathable mesh, arch support, anatomical right and left socks and a smooth toe seem. The most popular Thorlo tennis sock is the maximum cushioning crew design. The roll top and ankle ...
Read more: forbescrypto
