A rogue one always seems to go missing when you’re doing a wash and you may not give them much thought when you’re getting dressed in the morning but the humble sock can actually help save the planet. And they will if Dom Desmond has any say in it. After he saw the effects of deforestation on the orangutan population in Borneo, Dom founded Critically Endangered Socks to help protect threatened animals across the world. The company donates 10% of the sales of each of their socks to charities that focus on endangered species and also helps to raise awareness of the plight of these animals.
Critically Endangered Socks partners with different charities on different designs, so if there’s a specific animal close to your heart you can choose which organisation you’d like to support. The Giant Panda and Snow Leopard socks are in partnership with WWF, with 10% of the sale price going to support their work protecting those habitats; the Borneo Orangutan striped socks are done with Friends of the National Parks Foundation to help the NGO safeguard the rainforest from palm oil plantations and illegal logging; and the Amur Leopard design is in collaboration with The WildCats Conservation Alliance, with the money supporting their anti-poaching initiatives. Critically Endangered Socks also works with World Land Trust, a conservation charity dedicated to the preservation of the world’s most threatened habitats, so with each sock purchase you’re helping to protect 20 metres squared of rainforest.
Of course the socks themselves have to be easy on the environment too – they’re designed to be long lasting, made from GOTS certified cotton and delivered in FSC certified, recyclable cardboard packaging. Forget about wearing your heart on your sleeve, wear it on your feet instead.