The Beginning of Sock Making

The sock industry in Koryo Town began in 1910, when Taijiro Yoshii from Hikisou in Umami Village, established a factory that introduced hand-powered knitting machines.
Initially, sock making was a side job for farmers. However, as modernization progressed with the introduction of new machinery, the industry continually embraced the latest technologies. By 1917, production had reached 280,000 pairs annually, and by 1989, it had grown to over 100 million pairs, making Koryo the leader in sock production in Japan.

Koryo Socks That
Took the World by Storm

During the Meiji, Taisho, and early Showa periods, Western-style clothing was predominantly worn as uniforms. Sock artisans honed their craft by creating socks for student and military uniforms. In the post-war economic boom, buyers from all over the world sought Koryo Town’s high-level craftsmanship and consistently excellent quality.

Meeting Customer Needs

As Western-style clothing became mainstream during the Showa era, new fashion trends emerged, and sock designs evolved to match the latest styles. Socks sometimes even led fashion trends, with styles like triple-fold socks, navy high socks, loose socks, and leggings becoming iconic.
More recently, Koryo Town has produced socks to address a variety of customer needs, including sports socks, medical socks, thermal socks, toe socks, and compression socks. Each new demand has challenged artisans to refine and elevate their technical skills.

Building a Community
That Supports Your Feet

For over 100 years, Koryo Town has protected the feet of people around the world through its sock-making expertise. Today, the town aims to become a “Zero Fracture Town” by promoting fall prevention through collaboration between industry, government, and academia.
Initiatives include measuring and analyzing the arch development and foot grip strength of children during their growth stages in public elementary and middle schools. These findings are shared through research publications and lectures and are also utilized as foundational data for creating safe and reliable socks.

The Birth of Koryo Socks

As low-cost sock production shifted to other parts of Asia, Koryo Town began leveraging its expertise to focus on producing high-quality, original socks. Factories in the town established their own brands, creating carefully crafted socks that cater to the needs of wearers. These socks are brought to life daily by highly skilled artisans with extensive expertise.
Koryo Socks is a regional brand that certifies socks meeting unique standards, ensuring customers can confidently choose reliable, high-quality products from this origin-focused brand.