It’s hard to beat a really good pair of socks. Except maybe a really good pair of socks that have been inspired by iconic American abstract artist, Sam Gilliam. That’s exactly what American Trench has done with their latest release, the Sam Crew.
Taking the shape, and cotton, of their signature Kennedy Luxe Athletic Crew sock, the Sam Crew is made in a family-owned knitting mill in the Hickory region of North Carolina. Hickory has been known for its hosiery knitting, yarn spinning, and dye houses for close to 100 years and American Trench’s mill,itself has been operating in the same location for over three decades.
The colored stripe on the Sam Crew takes inspiration from Gilliam’s geometric paintings of the 1960s in which lines of color followed different directions on every canvas. He explored the intermingling of color and depth through his work, something which American Trench have recreated into something that will look much better than a 71-inch canvas sticking out of a sneaker.
The Sam Crew is a slice of art history in a sock and a true homage to an under-recognized titan of mid-century American art.
Available at American Trench for $22.
