Swiss companies are world renown for their manufacturing: watches, chocolate, cheese, knives, and more recently sneakers and apparel. Nowadays the younger generation of brands continue to keep this mindset in their production and in the quality of their products, even if it is not produced directly in Switzerland's borders.

Today we want to present to you a young brand, who are basing their work on the legacy and mindset of Swiss companies.

Founded in a joint atelier in the heart of the Kreis-3 district in Zurich by a young female entrepreneur, Evelyne Wyss in 2018, the brand intends to rethink the sports business. Their technology is innovative and their main motto – "No Blisters". Tested in the Swiss mountains multiple times in the process of designing them, making them a perfect product for hiking or any other sports activities.

Meet OPEND – a Swiss sports socks brand.

The concept of the production of socks from OPEND is based on 4 main parameters, worked out in a span of 2 years from the moment of its foundation: unisex [suitable for all types of gender], one-size [all socks have the same size and fit snugly to the feet from size 36 to 46], no-blisters [due to the special design of the sock threads they do not rub your foot] and conscious business conduct [environmental friendliness, diversity, and inclusiveness].

In terms of the purpose of these socks, OPEND also relies on diversity and versatility: they are suitable for marathons and running, skating, tennis, trekking or hiking. For the new release we prepared this editorial to test and showcase OPEND's product in a wild environment. Due to the special structure of the socks, they are so flexible and dense that neither heat nor moisture can change the structure, and therefore no friction is created, so these produce no blisters while walking. This makes it an ideal sock for any sports activity and especially hiking, keeping in mind activities that hikers have during their long-day walks.

Here we would like to tell you more about the technology and design of the socks.

The branded loop at the back of the model facilitates the ease of use for these socks when adjusting them and is a signature element of the brand. OPEND's yarn is 20 times thinner than a single hair, which provides a super tight fit, and a unique blend of nylon and lycra makes them extremely flexible, thereby achieving a ranking of the size grid from 36 to 46 size for one pair. The longitudinal stitching of the foot arch provides easy compression and a tight fit for greater stability when moving.

The special design of the seam with a flat nose eliminates any friction on the top of the toes, preventing the formation of blisters. The upper mesh helps to get rid of the hot air that accumulates during movement. The Y-shaped seam on the heel adds more variability to fit different types of feet. The design of the transverse arch of the foot helps to reduce the excessive accumulation of material when you bend your leg, which gives you more freedom in movement.

In addition, the lengths of socks are divided into 4 heights: 1/4, 2/4, 3/4, and 4/4.

The brand's production is based on the off-season concept, and the product can be released at any time, passing all stages of testing and receiving the most relevant design. The socks are manufactured at a factory in Fujian, a Southeastern province of China, which has received a WRAP certificate [Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production], that guarantees high ethical and environmental production standards: human resource management, health and safety, environmental practices, and compliance with legislation, including import/export and customs compliance, as well as safety standards.

Speaking about brand positioning, OPEND declares a policy of open transparency, consciously making it part of their working culture in order to be diverse, inclusive, and anti-racist.

OPEND strives for maximum ethics and sustainability, paying special attention to its production and partners: they do not use plastic, both in deliveries to customers and in domestic deliveries, and for large orders, they use sea transport to create minimal footprint.