Thorlo
Reinvigorating Thorlo by championing its innovation of movement.
CPG
Thorlo
Reinvigorating Thorlo by championing its innovation of movement.
CPG
Thorlo
Reinvigorating Thorlo by championing its innovation of movement.
CPG
Thorlo, the brainchild of a small family mill in North Carolina, has always believed in engineering socks for the way you move, but 40+ years on their legacy of ergonomic innovation was lost in the rush of the latest, new-to-market brands. We partnered with Thorlo to reinvigorate the American sock brand and cement its rightful place as an icon today and for generations to come. We defined a new brand platform that centers on the innovation Thorlo has always delivered but never owned until now.
Rebrand @ High Tide:
Research
Brand Strategy
Brand Architecture
Product Architecture
Thorlo, the brainchild of a small family mill in North Carolina, has always believed in engineering socks for the way you move, but 40+ years on their legacy of ergonomic innovation was lost in the rush of the latest, new-to-market brands. We partnered with Thorlo to reinvigorate the American sock brand and cement its rightful place as an icon today and for generations to come. We defined a new brand platform that centers on the innovation Thorlo has always delivered but never owned until now.
Rebrand @ High Tide:
Research
Brand Strategy
Brand Architecture
Product Architecture
Thorlo, the brainchild of a small family mill in North Carolina, has always believed in engineering socks for the way you move, but 40+ years on their legacy of ergonomic innovation was lost in the rush of the latest, new-to-market brands. We partnered with Thorlo to reinvigorate the American sock brand and cement its rightful place as an icon today and for generations to come. We defined a new brand platform that centers on the innovation Thorlo has always delivered but never owned until now.
Rebrand @ High Tide:
Research
Brand Strategy
Brand Architecture
Product Architecture
The Challenge
With 40 years of legacy, 87 SKUs, and a tangle of sub-brands, Thorlo had substance but no structure. Louder newcomers took the spotlight, while Thorlo’s innovation went unnoticed. The line was hard to navigate, and the story was buried. We set out to bring clarity, sharpen the narrative, and remind athletes that real performance starts one layer closer to the foot.
The Challenge
With 40 years of legacy, 87 SKUs, and a tangle of sub-brands, Thorlo had substance but no structure. Louder newcomers took the spotlight, while Thorlo’s innovation went unnoticed. The line was hard to navigate, and the story was buried. We set out to bring clarity, sharpen the narrative, and remind athletes that real performance starts one layer closer to the foot.
The Challenge
With 40 years of legacy, 87 SKUs, and a tangle of sub-brands, Thorlo had substance but no structure. Louder newcomers took the spotlight, while Thorlo’s innovation went unnoticed. The line was hard to navigate, and the story was buried. We set out to bring clarity, sharpen the narrative, and remind athletes that real performance starts one layer closer to the foot.
Research
On-site Insights
We started where Thorlo's story began: the family mill in Statesville, North Carolina. We saw the engineering in real time and sifted through prototypes, patents, and brand archives to turn forty years of R&D into a clear brand story.
Research
On-site Insights
We started where Thorlo's story began: the family mill in Statesville, North Carolina. We saw the engineering in real time and sifted through prototypes, patents, and brand archives to turn forty years of R&D into a clear brand story.
Research
On-site Insights
We started where Thorlo's story began: the family mill in Statesville, North Carolina. We saw the engineering in real time and sifted through prototypes, patents, and brand archives to turn forty years of R&D into a clear brand story.
Legacy you can run on
Decades before the market caught up, Thorlo was innovating, trusted by Olympians, pro runners, and everyday athletes alike. It was real performance, tested and proven at the highest level. That legacy gave us something rare: a brand with credibility, depth, and substance to build on.
Legacy you can run on
Decades before the market caught up, Thorlo was innovating, trusted by Olympians, pro runners, and everyday athletes alike. It was real performance, tested and proven at the highest level. That legacy gave us something rare: a brand with credibility, depth, and substance to build on.
Legacy you can run on
Decades before the market caught up, Thorlo was innovating, trusted by Olympians, pro runners, and everyday athletes alike. It was real performance, tested and proven at the highest level. That legacy gave us something rare: a brand with credibility, depth, and substance to build on.
Going from product truth to brand power
Going from product truth to brand power
Going from product truth to brand power
Consumer Conundrum
We invest in our sneakers but ignore our socks.
Despite the explosion of material science in shoe design and a cultural shift toward wellness, socks remained an afterthought. We helped Thorlo reframe that narrative, positioning socks as a crucial part of the performance system.
Consumer Conundrum
We invest in our sneakers but ignore our socks.
Despite the explosion of material science in shoe design and a cultural shift toward wellness, socks remained an afterthought. We helped Thorlo reframe that narrative, positioning socks as a crucial part of the performance system.
Consumer Conundrum
We invest in our sneakers but ignore our socks.
Despite the explosion of material science in shoe design and a cultural shift toward wellness, socks remained an afterthought. We helped Thorlo reframe that narrative, positioning socks as a crucial part of the performance system.
2025
Honor the engineering.
Thorlo wasn’t just a manufacturer. It was an R&D lab for movement. The stories we heard during the discovery process left us with the impression that Thorlo is an engineering company that just happens to make socks, everything they do is in the name of movement and innovation. This steered the ship for the brand refresh.
Insight
Honor the engineering.
Thorlo wasn’t just a manufacturer. It was an R&D lab for movement. The stories we heard during the discovery process left us with the impression that Thorlo is an engineering company that just happens to make socks, everything they do is in the name of movement and innovation. This steered the ship for the brand refresh.
Insight
Honor the engineering.
Thorlo wasn’t just a manufacturer. It was an R&D lab for movement. The stories we heard during the discovery process left us with the impression that Thorlo is an engineering company that just happens to make socks, everything they do is in the name of movement and innovation. This steered the ship for the brand refresh.
Solution
A system that sells and a story that sticks.
We streamlined the product architecture, clarified the visual system, and built a bold new identity rooted in movement. The result: a brand that’s easier to shop, stronger to stand behind, and positioned to lead the category it helped create.
Solution
A system that sells and a story that sticks.
We streamlined the product architecture, clarified the visual system, and built a bold new identity rooted in movement. The result: a brand that’s easier to shop, stronger to stand behind, and positioned to lead the category it helped create.
Solution
A system that sells and a story that sticks.
We streamlined the product architecture, clarified the visual system, and built a bold new identity rooted in movement. The result: a brand that’s easier to shop, stronger to stand behind, and positioned to lead the category it helped create.
Turning a legacy into a leadership brand
Turning a legacy into a leadership brand
Turning a legacy into a leadership brand
From clutter to clarity
We rebuilt Thorlo’s fragmented system around movement, reorganizing products into 12 clear categories based on how people move. The result is a stronger, simpler line that’s easier to shop and ready to scale. With bold color cues and defined families, it now reads instantly across shelf, screen, and cart.
From clutter to clarity
We rebuilt Thorlo’s fragmented system around movement, reorganizing products into 12 clear categories based on how people move. The result is a stronger, simpler line that’s easier to shop and ready to scale. With bold color cues and defined families, it now reads instantly across shelf, screen, and cart.
From clutter to clarity
We rebuilt Thorlo’s fragmented system around movement, reorganizing products into 12 clear categories based on how people move. The result is a stronger, simpler line that’s easier to shop and ready to scale. With bold color cues and defined families, it now reads instantly across shelf, screen, and cart.
“New performance-based branding helps socks step out of sneakers shadow.”
— GDUSA
“New performance-based branding helps socks step out of sneakers shadow.”
— GDUSA
“New performance-based branding helps socks step out of sneakers shadow.”
— GDUSA
Featured in
For years, the product outpaced the brand. This reset brought them back in sync with structure, story, and a strategic point of view that finally puts innovation at the forefront.
For years, the product outpaced the brand. This reset brought them back in sync with structure, story, and a strategic point of view that finally puts innovation at the forefront.
For years, the product outpaced the brand. This reset brought them back in sync with structure, story, and a strategic point of view that finally puts innovation at the forefront.
Credits
Danny Miller, Elizabeth Goodspeed, Kellen Renstrom, Gus Esselstyn
Photography by Ethan Gulley
Credits
Danny Miller, Elizabeth Goodspeed, Kellen Renstrom, Gus Esselstyn
Photography by Ethan Gulley
