How SoxsolS Got Their Name: The Story Behind Washable Shoe Inserts

If you've ever typed our name into a search bar and second-guessed yourself, you're in good company. We get asked how SoxsolS got their name more often than you might think. The spelling raises questions, and the story behind it is one of our favorites to tell.

Quick Answer

Here's the short version before we get into the details:

• SoxsolS is a portmanteau of "sock" and "insole"
• The informal spelling "sox" crept in early through founder correspondence and stuck
• The capitalized, reversed final S traces back to an original logo concept involving stylized feet
• A talented graphic artist wove that backward S into the logo we use today
• Yes, it gets misspelled a lot, and we've made peace with it

Where the Name Came From

The first SoxsolS didn't have a name. They were a dark blue prototype, described simply as a hybrid sock and insole. One side was grippy to hold in place inside shoes and sandals. The other was high-quality fabric to wick perspiration and cushion the foot. Machine washable, dryer-safe, and built to last.

Founders Stanley and Judson needed a word for this thing. "Sock" and "insole" were the two concepts at the center of it, so they combined them. Somewhere in the back-and-forth of early correspondence, "socks" became "sox," and just like that, SoxsolS appeared on the list of potential names.

It stayed on that list through a lot of meetings. Other names were considered. But nothing captured what the product actually was as simply or as directly. SoxsolS stuck.

The Backward S and the Logo

Here is where the story gets good. When Stanley and Judson were developing the brand identity, the plan was to use stylized S's as graphic feet, complete with little toes. That concept shaped how the trademark was written: the final S was capitalized and reversed.

Eventually, as early-stage companies tend to do, they went a different direction with the logo. But the reversed S was already part of the trademarked name. That left them with a choice: find a way to incorporate it, or go back and restart the trademark process.

Fortunately, a talented graphic artist was able to weave the backward S into the new design so naturally it looked like it had always been there. What came out of that is the SoxsolS logo you see today.

At tradeshows, on social media, in conversation, the logo consistently draws compliments and questions. From a marketing standpoint, a logo people ask about is exactly what you want.

The Misspelling Problem (We've Made Peace With It)

The unique spelling has a cost. Over the years, we've seen SoxsolS written as Soxsoles, Socksoles, Socksouls, Socksols, and plenty of other variations. We've also watched similar names appear in the market, which makes standing out in a growing product niche genuinely challenging.

It's the kind of thing that could make a small brand rethink everything. We've thought about it.

But we're proud of this name and how it came to be. The backward S is part of the trademark. The story behind it is real. And for what it's worth, a name people remember even when they can't quite spell it is still a name people remember.

For the record: S-o-x-s-o-l-S. That last one is capital, and yes, it's intentional.

Twelve Years and Still the Same Idea

SoxsolS has been around for 12 years now. The product has stayed close to the original concept: natural fabric on top to absorb perspiration and cushion the foot, patented SolSecure grip on the bottom to stay put on the footbed, machine washable and dryer-safe, and trim to fit without fraying.

Two cuts are available today. The Wide Cut for Sandals and Comfort Shoes is made for open footbeds like Birkenstocks, Keens, and Chacos. The Narrow Cut for Flats and Heels works in flats, heels, and narrow shoes. Both are $26, both carry the name that started as shorthand in an email between two founders figuring out what to call their prototype. [VERIFY BEFORE PUBLISHING: confirm "Made in Oregon" is still accurate for current manufacturing before adding that claim back in.]

The sock is in the sole. It always has been.

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Find your fit at soxsols.com, or read more about the brand on our About page.