Keepace is the Turin startup who has decided to challenge the US brand Stance in the socks sector, focusing on quality of materials, design and made in Italy.
To understand the scope of the scenario, however, two details must be considered: the first is that Stance it is practically the undisputed queen of the sock with 3D-printed graphics, also thanks to numerous license agreements signed with NBA, DC Comics, Disney and others; the second is that the global socks market is worth approximately 47 billion dollars. In short: it is an inviting sector characterized by little competition, at least in the sportware / streetware area, and with good profit margins.
Gabriele Ferraresi, Stefano Malez and Alberico Ardissone, co-founders of Keepace, explained that “we have always been passionate about socks, especially Stance, but we realized that there was no variety and there were few alternatives. And so, together with other friends, we started studying the sector and last year we left ”.
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It 3D-printing
The first line was entirely made with the 3D-printing technique, turning to a Chinese specialist leader in the sector, which also supplies Stance. This method uses a machine that implements a digital printing based on sublimation thermal transfer. The sock, which must have a strong polyester component, is threaded into a sort of horizontal cylinder that turns; instead, the multi-head slides back and forth on the axis. The result is high definition graphics with brilliant colors that are reminiscent of digital printing on paper or images on a PC monitor.
Keepace’s founding group, which also includes Enrico Da Ros, Veronica Furfaro and Alessandro Bava, admits that in the initial phase the reference point was the top of the range of Stance, but when it came to design and build the first lines, the goal was to do better. For example, improving the textures according to the points of the foot, perfecting the stitching of the logo and pushing further on graphics and colors: “In Italy, 3D-printing is almost never done by those who produce the sock, but we do not consider it a limit. We can produce in our hosiery factory and then entrust this activity to a specialized center. In any case, the priority is to enrich the offer as new product lines ”, underlined Ferraresi.
The Keepace team already has a graphic laboratory that works in sync with the production: “We are there on design, but for production we are testing all the best of Brescia. After over a year and a half of 3D-printing study in China, we are ready to bring it to Italy. All our production will move here ”, the young startuppers told us.
The novelties will be introduced starting from September and will mainly include new types of socks a traditional working (knitting) made with natural fibers such as cotton and merino.
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The strategy of the offer
In summary, the idea is to offer customers cotton socks with basic graphics suitable for everyday sports, premium sports socks with more polyester (recycled and biodegradable) with high-resolution illustrated graphics and finally a performance model in merino wool for the winter period.
The intent is to consolidate the identity of the brand, removing itself from direct competition to Stance, even if currently the price range is similar and is between 10 and 24 euros. For example, in-depth research is underway on merino wool, which has now become a cult in the high-end of the sports sector: “Merino is a fiber known for its softness, the level of breathability and the ability to thermally insulate. However, it is necessary to establish the right percentage to be used together with other components to make the sock resistant to wear. The only limitation of merino is that it does not allow 3D printing, and therefore you have to focus on simpler graphics ”, the team told us.
In practice, Keepace cut its teeth, got a great response from the market and now it raises the bar. A refinement of the brand, communication and offer is expected between now and next autumn. They define it as the “brand cleaning” phase. Their socks are available today on the official website and in about 25 stores in Northern Italy, but in the coming months the distribution will be expanded: “The strategy is to focus on sportswear, and we are convinced that we can intercept the tastes of every age group. In short, those looking for technical clothing and wanting quality in the details ”, Ferraresi told us again.
Finally, it should be emphasized that the startup has invented a system that allows customers to contribute to non-profit campaigns for the protection of the environment: for each purchase you accumulate points that can be allocated to specific projects.