Our story

Hi! Tom from Wild Swimming Socks here. 

Growing up I loved swimming but, like so many people, I stopped when I was a teenager. It wasn’t until my late twenties that I discovered open water swimming and realised all of the benefits of this exciting new sport, both physical and mental. I fell in love with swimming again. It was a few years later that my mum, in her 60’s, told me that she was tired of watching from the side and wanted to get involved too. We went to Devon on holiday, and I couldn’t believe it when she got in for a dip, without a wetsuit! I was so proud of her and she loved it too. She still wild swims once a week in the summer.

I realised how many brave women up and down the country are getting into cold water and reaping the benefits. But there was a problem: my mum needed to wear socks, partly for the cold and partly because getting in and out of the water can be difficult on slippery wet surfaces and pebbly beaches. The only socks available were boring black ones, designed for elite swimmers and difficult to put on and off. The traditional manufacturing process also had negative impacts on the environment. I wanted to make an alternative that offered comfort, reduced environmental impact and were just a bit more fun! I found Limestone Neoprene and got to work.  This amazing new material uses less energy to create, has fewer hazardous biproducts and is a better material for wild swimmers. I designed a sock to add comfort, colour, and joy to wild swimming - I hope you like them too!

We’re here to share the advice we all need to get the most out of our time in the water. I am normally at Parliament Hill lido or Denham open water swimming lake if you want to come and say “Hi”. 

Thanks,

Tom