Custom Grip Socks in Small Quantities: Start From 20 Pairs

Most custom grip sock suppliers are set up for large production runs. KORRHAUS can produce from 20 pairs per design, but the smallest possible order is not automatically the smartest order.

There are two different starting points:

• Add your logo to an existing KORRHAUS style. The sock and proven KORRHAUS grip sole already exist. This is normally the best route when a studio wants to test whether clients will buy a branded sock.
• Develop a fully custom sock. This gives you control over the yarn, pattern, cuff, branding, sole and packaging. If you also want your own grip-sole artwork, a custom grip plate must be made and charged as a separate, one-time tooling cost.

That tooling cost has a much greater effect when it is spread across 20 pairs than when it is spread across a larger production run. A fully custom 20-pair order is possible, but it makes most sense when the design itself matters more than achieving the lowest cost per pair.

Design custom grip socks online and save your work before applying for studio pricing.

The practical route for a first studio test

If you have not sold branded socks before, start with an existing KORRHAUS style and add your studio logo. You can test the product at reception without paying to develop every component or commission a custom grip plate.

Twenty pairs can then be a useful first order when you want to:

• test one design at reception;
• make socks for instructors and front-desk staff;
• include a branded item in a small member welcome campaign;
• prepare for a retreat, opening or anniversary with a known number of guests;
• assess the product and client response before ordering more.

If the first edition sells and clients respond well to it, the next order can be larger or move to a more distinctive private-label design. That sequence gives you evidence before you spend money on custom tooling.

A fully custom sock can still be the right first choice when the studio needs a specific brand colour, cuff, sole or packaging for a launch, franchise, event or established retail range. In that case, judge the project as a branded product rather than as a cheap 20-pair test.

Whatever route you choose, start with a real use case rather than an arbitrary quantity. Count committed pairs first, then add the number you expect to sell during the initial sales period and a small operational reserve.

Planned quantity = committed use + realistic first-period sales + reserve

For example, a studio might allocate a first run of 20 pairs as follows:

This is a planning example, not a sales forecast. It is most relevant to the existing-style route. A studio commissioning custom components should also consider how each one-time development cost is distributed across the order.

What counts as one custom sock design?

The minimum applies per design. One design is one approved combination of the sock and its branding.

Suppose you create a cream sock with a burgundy studio logo. You can order 20 pairs of that version. A black version is a second design and must meet its own minimum.

If you add your logo to an existing KORRHAUS style, the original sock design and KORRHAUS grip sole remain in place. There is no separate grip-plate tooling cost. A fully custom route gives you control over the complete sock, but your own grip-sole artwork requires separate tooling and technical review. The differences are explained in our guide to designing custom grip socks for a Pilates studio.

Can the order be divided between sizes?

A size breakdown is recorded as part of the production specification. Dividing one design between its available sizes does not by itself create a second colourway or design.

The available size options depend on the sock selected. KORRHAUS confirms the final size split during the technical review, and the quantities across all sizes must add up to the total number of pairs ordered.

Before requesting a quote, use your existing retail sales or member profile to estimate the split. If you do not yet have that information, avoid presenting a guess as demand: ask a small group of instructors or regular clients which size they would choose.

How studios actually order

Twenty pairs are possible, but they are mainly useful for a controlled test, a small team edition or a specific event. For a first retail test, adding your logo to an existing KORRHAUS sock will normally give you a more sensible cost structure than developing a custom grip plate for such a small run.

In practice, KORRHAUS studios usually order between 100 and 300 pairs. At that volume, the socks can form a proper retail range rather than a limited test. The larger quantity also distributes any one-time development or tooling costs across more pairs.

Why studios move beyond one colour

Studios ordering more than 100 pairs often choose multiple colours. This gives clients a real choice at reception and reduces the risk of relying on a single colour for the entire range.

Each colourway is treated as a separate design and must meet its own 20-pair minimum. A 120-pair order could therefore consist of three colourways of 40 pairs, while a 200-pair order might use four colourways of 50 pairs. Those are examples, not required combinations.

The right split depends on the colours your clients already buy, the available sizes and how much choice you want to display. Core or neutral colours will often support a larger allocation, while a more seasonal colour can be introduced in a smaller quantity.

Avoid spreading the order too thinly. Every colourway also needs a workable size allocation. Offering many colours is not useful if each colour sells out in an important size after only a few purchases.

Combine your own design with KORRHAUS styles

Some studios sell their own branded design alongside selected KORRHAUS socks. This is a practical way to offer clients more colours and styles without developing several custom designs at once.

The studio edition becomes the recognisable branded option, while the KORRHAUS collection adds variety around it. It also gives the studio useful sales information: the colours and styles clients choose from the wider assortment can guide a future custom order.

For a first retail range, this can be more sensible than dividing the custom order across too many colourways. Start with one strong studio design, then add KORRHAUS styles that complement it.

The 100–300 pair range is based on how studios generally order from KORRHAUS, not a target every studio needs to reach. Existing retail performance, membership size, size demand and the number of colourways should determine the final quantity.

Work out the commercial case before ordering

Custom socks can be sold, included in a membership package or used as a studio expense. Decide which of those roles the product needs to perform.

For retail, use a simple calculation:

Gross profit per pair = selling price excluding tax - landed cost per pair

The landed cost should include the socks, selected custom options, any one-time tooling and shipping. It should not be based only on the production price.

Then ask:

• How many pairs need to sell before the project recovers its fixed costs?
• Is the proposed retail price realistic for your clients?
• Will any pairs be reserved for staff, gifting or content rather than sold?
• Does a larger volume tier improve the economics enough to justify the additional stock?
• If you selected a custom grip plate, how much does its one-time tooling cost add per pair at the chosen quantity?

Approved wholesale partners see their exact customer-specific price in the designer and can generate a quote immediately. New studios can complete and save a design while studio partnership access is reviewed.

What should you prepare before designing?

You do not need a finished production file, but a few decisions will make the process faster:

A simple logo with clear contrast usually remains more legible at sock size than fine lettering or a detailed emblem. KORRHAUS reviews the artwork and confirms the suitable production method before manufacturing.

From online design to production

The online designer replaces the first round of forms and email mock-ups. You can build the sock, inspect the live preview and save the project before requesting a quote.

The production process then follows four steps:

1. Create the design. Choose the sock route, branding, quantity and other specifications.
2. Generate the quote. Approved partners see exact pricing; new studios can save their project while access is reviewed.
3. Complete technical review. KORRHAUS checks the artwork, logo method, materials, grip sole and production specification.
4. Approve the final proof and deposit. Manufacturing begins only after approval and the required deposit.

The current production time is 12–14 weeks after deposit and final proof approval. Shipping is calculated separately for the confirmed destination.

If the socks are needed for an opening, retreat or campaign, work backwards from that date. Allow time for design decisions and technical approval before the production period begins.

Frequently asked questions

Start with a quantity you can explain

The advantage of a 20-pair minimum is not simply that it is smaller. It allows a studio to connect its first order to a real audience, assess the result and make the next decision with evidence.

Choose one clear design, decide where every pair is likely to go and check the commercial case before increasing the quantity.

Create your custom Pilates grip socks from 20 pairs.