As new parents, we became hyper-aware of everything we brought into our home, from the food our son ate to the clothes he wore. From the start, we wanted to give him an abundant appreciation for the outdoors and the natural world around him here in our home base of Chattanooga. But this new focus on creating a healthy environment for him led us to discover a hidden problem, not out on the trail, but right in our own sock drawer.
The Plastic in Our Socks: A Problem Hiding in Plain Sight
Like most families, our drawer was full of polyester, nylon, and acrylic, the standard materials for athletic socks. We learned that these synthetic fabrics are, essentially, plastic. And with every wear and wash, they shed thousands of invisible threats: microplastics. These fibers don't just get released in the wash. Through daily friction, they break off and settle into the dust and air inside our homes. The problem is then supercharged when these garments are washed. Did you know that, according to a study from Plymouth University, a single wash load can release over 700,000 microscopic plastic fibers? These fibers bypass water treatment plants, pollute our rivers and oceans, and wind up in the food chain. We felt that this happening in our own home, along with the unknown health effects of long-term exposure, was something we could no longer ignore.
Why Recycled Plastic Isn't Enough
Our first instinct was to look for better alternatives. We found many well-intentioned brands making clothing from recycled plastic bottles (rPET). Using recycled materials is a fantastic and necessary step to combat waste, and we applaud those efforts.
However, we realized this was an incomplete solution to the problem we were most concerned about. A sock made from recycled plastic is still, fundamentally, a plastic sock. It will still shed microplastics with every wash and wear, contributing to the pollution we were so desperate to eliminate from our home and environment. We didn't want to just manage the plastic problem; we wanted to design it out of the equation entirely.
Our Solution: Performance from Nature, Not Plastic
If the problem was plastic-based synthetics, the solution had to be natural fiber socks that could perform just as well, if not better. We knew we needed materials that were renewable, biodegradable, and free from the risk of microplastic shedding.
Our mission became a deep dive into material science, exploring the world of natural fibers to find the perfect combination of comfort, performance, and durability. Our goal is to create a performance sock made almost entirely from renewable and plant-based sources, completely eliminating the risk of microplastic pollution. This is the foundation of our commitment to plastic-free clothing.
More Than a Sock, It's a Step Forward
This journey is the reason FearKnot exists. It’s about having the courage to look closer at the products we use every day and to demand a better, healthier alternative for our families. It’s about untying ourselves from a dependency on petroleum-based fabrics and tying a new knot, one that connects us to natural materials, our community, and a healthier planet for our children.
This journal will be a place for us to share that journey. Thank you for being here at the start.
Welcome to FearKnot,
Chase