As skirts shortened, bell bottoms widened, hair lengthened and self-expression through style became the norm, founders Gary and Sarah Wolkowitz, and her sister and brother-in-law, crammed into a sports car for a Sunday ride back to New York from Cape Cod. Fueled by their Massachusetts friends' successful side business selling appliquéd t-shirts, the creative foursome began to brainstorm. Shoes didn't stick. Ties were tired. But hot pants were, well... hot. So when someone said, "Hot Sox" it sounded just right. And the idea that would go on to break the conventions of American hosiery was born. 24 hours later, the crew headed to New York's Lower East Side and bought their first batch of bright opaque socks to silkscreen.

Hot Sox debuted at the New York National Boutique Show in 1971, showing silkscreened socks featuring iconic faces of Mae West, Fred Astaire and Mother Nature. "We knew nothing about the fashion industry," says Gary. "We put a sock on a leg form, put it on a record player, and it rotated. This was our display - it fell off a couple of times." But this was only the beginning. Soon they were off to London where the swingin' vibrancy on Carnaby Street inspired Gary's designs further. They developed rainbow, argyle, checkerboard and striped hosiery to complement the time's leggy looks. Reactions were sensational.

By 1976, disco-fever contagiously spread as did the grooviest gals' and guys' desire for the latest Lurex and metallic Hot Sox styles, igniting international recognition for the brand's boundless creativity. "Hot Sox created an industry," states Sarah. "There was no category of fashion hosiery before us."
With the world watching, Hot Sox pushed legwear limits even further in the late 1970's as the first American manufacturer to work with innovative electronic Japanese computer pattern machinery. After experimenting with a glove manufacturer, the Toe Sock was launched just as open-toed shoes were becoming trendy. They sold millions of pairs of this exciting design in the first year, confirming that Hot Sox's spot in the forefront of fashion was here to stay.

In the 1980's, Hot Sox again created a design that would prove to define a fashion era. Formerly reserved for dancers, they took leg warmers off the ballerina and into the wardrobes of style-setters everywhere. Women's Wear Daily was infatuated with the accessibility of the fun, colorful, patterned knitwear, and featured Hot Sox on their cover in 1981.
As the eighties progressed, Hot Sox received a special Coty Award for its achievements in men's hosiery as the licensee of Polo/Ralph Lauren Hosiery. Hot Sox divisions include Polo/Ralph Lauren Hosiery for men, women and children.

The brand's recognition as the legwear leader continued into 1992 when the prestigious Council of Fashion Designers of America elected Hot Sox President and Design Director Gary Wolkowitz to its membership. CFDA status was only a facet of Hot Sox's unstoppable nineties' momentum.
Amidst the decade's mix of stretchy, supermodel-chic, grunge and denim fashion fads, Hot Sox made a lasting mark on the urban fashion scene in 1995 using cutting-edge cut-and-sew techniques for leggings which featured images as diverse as Marilyn Monroe, sexy laces and flower-power florals.

Hot Sox has continued to evolve with the millennium, gathering inspiration everywhere to keep design concepts fresh and unexpected. And the Sox-clad are certainly receptive. Spring 2003's sushi trouser sock from the Hot Sox Silver Label Collection is still adored today; 2006's Hot Sox Comfort Collection's incomparable softness remains a hosiery must-have; Hot Sox Naturals Collection features bamboo, soy, flax, linen and organic cotton fibers to engage the environmentally-conscious and beyond.

Nearly 40 years after their start, Renfro Corporation, the world's largest hosiery company, acquired Hot Sox in 2007, forming an exciting partnership between manufacturing muscle and top design. That same year, Hot Sox released a sock starring a finely rendered knit portrait of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo to honor her 100th birthday, reflecting both the original, artistic foundations of the company and the ongoing influence that artists and their work have on Hot Sox designs.

Now, 2009's Lace Up Capris, which can be worn for an eclectic elegance, gladiator-glam or downtown-bondage look, reaffirm Hot Sox's commitment and strength in developing styles that work for every wearer's individuality. The Hot Sox Company remains a stride ahead of all others, and is sold in thousands of department and specialty stores worldwide.