Sock Pairing

Kenneth Cole is collaborating with Kane 11, a hosiery brand cofounded by former media executive Peter Hunsinger, on a dual-branded line of individually sized socks.

The Kane 11 x Kenneth Cole no-show socks come in packs of four with one of each color: black, white, navy and gray.

They will retail for $42.50 and be offered on the Kenneth Cole e-commerce site beginning on Aug. 24.

Hunsinger, who worked for Condé Nast for more than three decades, founded Kane 11 in 2018. Its claim to fame is that the socks are offered in individual shoe sizes rather than in the range offered by other brands, which are sold in sizes such as 9 to 13 or one-size-fits-all.

In contrast, the Kenneth Cole socks are offered in seven sizes, from 7 to 13, and are intended to complement the brand’s classic Liam sneakers, which feature a cushioned inner sole and leather uppers.

“At Kenneth Cole we create modern, versatile, and functional clothing, shoes and accessories that aim to make daily dressing effortless,” said Kenneth Cole, founder and chief executive officer of Kenneth Cole Productions, Inc. “Our specific approach to footwear is built around style, ease and comfort. As functional design is part of Kane 11’s mission as well, we agreed to collaborate on an innovative sock that would work perfectly with our footwear, we knew it was a perfect fit...literally.”

Hunsinger added: “Kenneth Cole’s innovation in footwear and commitment to social justice match the values Kane 11 works to achieve, and we are honored to be collaborating with the brand. Building on our mutual desire to make daily dressing effortless, our discussions led to the concept of ultimate comfort and performance.”

Hunsinger, who started the direct-to-consumer Kane 11 brand with Tom Kallish of Tommie Copper, said the collaboration is intended to “highlight the brands’ common goal of combining innovation, style and comfort.” He said Kane 11 is the fastest growing sock company in America.

The Kane 11 name was created because they were searching for something “strong and punchy,” Hunsinger said. Kane was reminiscent of “Citizen Kane” and 11 was for the distinct number of sizes offered. — JEAN E. PALMIERI