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I challenge you to purchase a product from one or two of these brands and compare it to the Walmart/China version. They are not the same. From my experience, th

by soared 4y ago

I challenge you to purchase a product from one or two of these brands and compare it to the Walmart/China version. They are not the same. From my experience, the quality has been better than brands I’d usually get at Nordstrom rack.

bko 4y ago
You have a lot of faith in these brands. Bombas was founded in 2019 by an MBA grad and a marketing graduate. They have no reputation. These aren't like hand crafted sock makers doing this for decades in Italy. They're advertising companies and they sold you. As to where they're made its unclear: > Where are your socks made? We produce our products all over the world, including the US, Taiwan, China, and Peru at the most technical and highest-rated manufacturers. > We're proud to report that all have passed audits with very strict standards for health, safety, and social compliance. And to note I have both Bombas and Fruit of the Loom currently in my drawer. The difference is negligible in my opinion. You can ask me in a few years if my Bombas held up, but I can tell you my cheap Walmart brand stuff has held up. [EDIT] Bombas was founded in 2013, not 2019. 2019 was the date they started selling t-shirts. Point still holds that they don't exactly have a track record compared to a legacy player and I still doubt they'll exist in 20 years
- rdtwo 4y ago
  Idk my kid has bombas and Walmart socks and there is a significant difference in quality. Maybe only 2-3x better but still difference is there
  - endisneigh 4y ago
    In what way is it twice as good? Even if it were somehow objectively twice as good, is it really a good value to pay 12X for something 2X as good?
    - rdtwo 4y ago
      Yes it is because I can only wear one pair of socks and if he 1x price socks don’t cut it then 10x it is until we get to an acceptable level of comfort. Paying 1x for socks my kid won’t wear provides me 0 value where as paying 10x but having the kid wear them just means that this is how much socks cost. As to why they are better the toe knit eliminated the seam and hard spot where cheap socks terminate. The fabric wicks moisture better and get material is less abrasive. The knit and fabric all add significant additional cost to the fabrication process. Look up some videos on you tube on how socks are made.
    - johnatwork 4y ago
      I've had many brands of socks, because I'm so picky. Some brands are objectively much better, since they support my feet better, have no seams around the toe area that drives me nuts, wears better (my cheaper socks get holes in them in about a year), it breathes better, it reacts to moisture better, it stays up on my ankle better and doesn't slide down, it doesn't twist on my feet because it holds the shape better, and it's cushioned better among other things.
  - karmakaze 4y ago
    Good socks are exceedingly difficult to find. I'm particular in what I want, something like diabetes socks that breathe and doesn't restrict blood-flow while looking fine to wear with dress shoes. I'd totally pay 3x and buy in bulk.
    - flappyeagle 4y ago
      You are looking for a premium product, fit for purpose. You probably don’t care what the label says. You have a spec and you need something that fits it.
    - fmajid 4y ago
      Falke Sensitive
- mr_cyborg 4y ago
  Bombas was founded in 2013. They’ve definitely been around a while at this point.
- nouveaux 4y ago
  Is your only assessment of quality based on the founders' degrees? There is no reason to believe that two business guys cannot source high quality socks. When it comes to consumer goods, it is very possible to source all sorts of quality from China. Whether or not they succeed or their product is "worth it" is another story. I would not assess a company's quality based solely on the founder's degrees or their marketing.
  - bko 4y ago
    By their price being 10x what I'm currently paying for my goods, they're making the claim that their product is 10x better or will last 10x longer. I find it hard to believe any sock can be 10x better than what I've been wearing for decades. Couple in the fact that this is a startup that consists of mainly MBA types and entire job board is marketing and sales, then that raises a red flag. They're not hiring sock experts, just marketing people. I have some of the products mentioned in the ad, but some are out of reach (I'm not going to shell out $2,500 for a mattress or $36 for a pair of underwear), so I have to go by my gut. And my gut tells me its BS. I could be wrong and I'm sure to some people they are 10x better than the alternative and I'm happy for them and the start up that sells them these socks. I just find it weird that people in these comments are so trusting and loyal to this company that has exceptional PR and somehow dismissive of the brands that they have used their entire lives.
    - lobocinza 4y ago
      Intrinsic quality isn't linear.
- pc86 4y ago
  I grew up wearing walmart socks well into college. Bombas are much more comfortable. I don't know that they're worth the price, but they're definitely worth more than the socks I'm used to wearing.
- em_te 4y ago
  > You have a lot of faith in these brands. Bombas was founded in 2019 by an MBA grad and a marketing graduate. They have no reputation. These aren't like hand crafted sock makers doing this for decades in Italy. They're advertising companies and they sold you. Usually the story goes: 1. Bob is unhappy with his socks, can't find better quality socks anywhere. 2. Bob creates a company with the sole purpose of creating better socks. 3. Bob find a factory in China and asks them to use the best materials to create the ultimate socks. 4. Bob is super happy with the product and happily pads his advertising materials. 5. Bob finds a customer and places an order with the factory and is shocked at the price. 6. Bob tells factory to do whatever it can to lower price to competitors' levels without compromising quality. 7. Socks turn out shit, because price is too low and no economies of scale because order quantity is low. 8. Bob sells shit socks with original marketing materials and secretly vows to restore the quality in some distant future. 9. Bob sells company to an investor.
jnsaff2 4y ago
> I challenge you to purchase a product from one or two of these brands Nice try!
philliphaydon 4y ago
I buy uniglo which is a Japanese brand. Underwear made in Vietnam. It’s cheap. Hands down 1000% better than any expensive brand I’ve bought over the years.
robjan 4y ago
They are still usually made in China, possibly by the same factory who makes the Walmart ones. The difference is usually in the compromises that were made to achieve the target margin.
__app_dev__ 4y ago
Lol, premium brands and non-premium will often come from the same factory in China. Source to back up - none! But I do work at a clothing company where we do this and markup is much higher for "premium" - 20x.

by soared 4y ago

bko 4y ago

You have a lot of faith in these brands. Bombas was founded in 2019 by an MBA grad and a marketing graduate. They have no reputation. These aren't like hand crafted sock makers doing this for decades in Italy. They're advertising companies and they sold you. As to where they're made its unclear: > Where are your socks made? We produce our products all over the world, including the US, Taiwan, China, and Peru at the most technical and highest-rated manufacturers. > We're proud to report that all have passed audits with very strict standards for health, safety, and social compliance. And to note I have both Bombas and Fruit of the Loom currently in my drawer. The difference is negligible in my opinion. You can ask me in a few years if my Bombas held up, but I can tell you my cheap Walmart brand stuff has held up. [EDIT] Bombas was founded in 2013, not 2019. 2019 was the date they started selling t-shirts. Point still holds that they don't exactly have a track record compared to a legacy player and I still doubt they'll exist in 20 years

rdtwo 4y ago
Idk my kid has bombas and Walmart socks and there is a significant difference in quality. Maybe only 2-3x better but still difference is there
- endisneigh 4y ago
  In what way is it twice as good? Even if it were somehow objectively twice as good, is it really a good value to pay 12X for something 2X as good?
  - rdtwo 4y ago
    Yes it is because I can only wear one pair of socks and if he 1x price socks don’t cut it then 10x it is until we get to an acceptable level of comfort. Paying 1x for socks my kid won’t wear provides me 0 value where as paying 10x but having the kid wear them just means that this is how much socks cost. As to why they are better the toe knit eliminated the seam and hard spot where cheap socks terminate. The fabric wicks moisture better and get material is less abrasive. The knit and fabric all add significant additional cost to the fabrication process. Look up some videos on you tube on how socks are made.
  - johnatwork 4y ago
    I've had many brands of socks, because I'm so picky. Some brands are objectively much better, since they support my feet better, have no seams around the toe area that drives me nuts, wears better (my cheaper socks get holes in them in about a year), it breathes better, it reacts to moisture better, it stays up on my ankle better and doesn't slide down, it doesn't twist on my feet because it holds the shape better, and it's cushioned better among other things.
- karmakaze 4y ago
  Good socks are exceedingly difficult to find. I'm particular in what I want, something like diabetes socks that breathe and doesn't restrict blood-flow while looking fine to wear with dress shoes. I'd totally pay 3x and buy in bulk.
  - flappyeagle 4y ago
    You are looking for a premium product, fit for purpose. You probably don’t care what the label says. You have a spec and you need something that fits it.
  - fmajid 4y ago
    Falke Sensitive
mr_cyborg 4y ago
Bombas was founded in 2013. They’ve definitely been around a while at this point.
nouveaux 4y ago
Is your only assessment of quality based on the founders' degrees? There is no reason to believe that two business guys cannot source high quality socks. When it comes to consumer goods, it is very possible to source all sorts of quality from China. Whether or not they succeed or their product is "worth it" is another story. I would not assess a company's quality based solely on the founder's degrees or their marketing.
- bko 4y ago
  By their price being 10x what I'm currently paying for my goods, they're making the claim that their product is 10x better or will last 10x longer. I find it hard to believe any sock can be 10x better than what I've been wearing for decades. Couple in the fact that this is a startup that consists of mainly MBA types and entire job board is marketing and sales, then that raises a red flag. They're not hiring sock experts, just marketing people. I have some of the products mentioned in the ad, but some are out of reach (I'm not going to shell out $2,500 for a mattress or $36 for a pair of underwear), so I have to go by my gut. And my gut tells me its BS. I could be wrong and I'm sure to some people they are 10x better than the alternative and I'm happy for them and the start up that sells them these socks. I just find it weird that people in these comments are so trusting and loyal to this company that has exceptional PR and somehow dismissive of the brands that they have used their entire lives.
  - lobocinza 4y ago
    Intrinsic quality isn't linear.
pc86 4y ago
I grew up wearing walmart socks well into college. Bombas are much more comfortable. I don't know that they're worth the price, but they're definitely worth more than the socks I'm used to wearing.
em_te 4y ago
> You have a lot of faith in these brands. Bombas was founded in 2019 by an MBA grad and a marketing graduate. They have no reputation. These aren't like hand crafted sock makers doing this for decades in Italy. They're advertising companies and they sold you. Usually the story goes: 1. Bob is unhappy with his socks, can't find better quality socks anywhere. 2. Bob creates a company with the sole purpose of creating better socks. 3. Bob find a factory in China and asks them to use the best materials to create the ultimate socks. 4. Bob is super happy with the product and happily pads his advertising materials. 5. Bob finds a customer and places an order with the factory and is shocked at the price. 6. Bob tells factory to do whatever it can to lower price to competitors' levels without compromising quality. 7. Socks turn out shit, because price is too low and no economies of scale because order quantity is low. 8. Bob sells shit socks with original marketing materials and secretly vows to restore the quality in some distant future. 9. Bob sells company to an investor.

jnsaff2 4y ago

> I challenge you to purchase a product from one or two of these brands Nice try!

philliphaydon 4y ago

I buy uniglo which is a Japanese brand. Underwear made in Vietnam. It’s cheap. Hands down 1000% better than any expensive brand I’ve bought over the years.

robjan 4y ago

They are still usually made in China, possibly by the same factory who makes the Walmart ones. The difference is usually in the compromises that were made to achieve the target margin.

__app_dev__ 4y ago

Lol, premium brands and non-premium will often come from the same factory in China. Source to back up - none! But I do work at a clothing company where we do this and markup is much higher for "premium" - 20x.