We guess you can just call them “tube socks.”
Transport for London, known for its iconic red double decker buses and the London Underground—aka the Tube—has signed on for a new licensed socks collection from The London Sock Exchange.
In a deal put together by TBSA, the TfA’s exclusive global licensing agency, The London Sock Exchange will be releasing a line of socks to celebrate one of the world’s most historic transport systems “through the medium of yarn,” as TBSA puts it.
“TfL owns a unique, vibrant and rich history, represented by iconic design such as the roundel and tube map,” said TBSA Head of Global Licensing Jo Edwards. “At their British studio, The London Sock Exchange took these assets to create exclusive designs which feel playful, contemporary and full of charm.”
The London Sock Exchange team has worked closely with the TfL brand and design team to create six distinct pairs of socks. The socks have been knitted using The London Sock Exchange’s signature 200-needle knitting process, giving each pair a finer, stronger, more comfortable finish, and next-level detail in design. The socks are available in single pairs (£12) or special edition giftboxes (£30 or £60) from thelondonsockexchange.net.
All are designed to catch the eye while you ‘mind the gap.’
“Transport for London is such an icon of design, and working with the team over the last year on these socks has been a dream come true,” said Dan Zell, Co-Founder of The London Sock Exchange. We’re really proud of the socks we’ve made— they’re full of the colour, detail and ingenuity you’d expect from a TfL service, distilled into sock form. I can’t wait to spot them in action on the Tubes and buses of London soon.”
And naturally, based on the source material, one of them is literally named The Tube Sock. The full collection includes:
- The Tube: Inspired by the London Underground trains, this pair features a Tube train spiralling around the wearer’s ankle.
- The Routemaster: Inspired by the world’s most famous bus—the double-decker red Routemaster —this pair features an all-over pattern made of buses rendered in isometric, 3D form.
- The Platform: Inspired by the platform safety graphics including yellow and white lines, and the Mind The Gap mantra—this pair features a simple monochrome graphic with yellow and white lines.
- Tickets, Please: Inspired by London’s Oyster cards, travelcards and railway tickets— this pair features an all-over pattern built up of colorful tickets familiar to any Londoner.
- The Gingerline & The H&C: Inspired by Harry Beck’s iconic map of the London Underground, these socks feature repeat patterns made up of interchange stations as represented on TfL’s line diagrams—creating a polka-dot style sock with a London twist.
“This creative collaboration showcases the instantly recognisable and historic design of London’s transport network showcasing classic British heritage with a twist,” said Ellen Sankey, Brand Licensing Manager at Transport for London. “By using eye-catching designs such as the iconic Routemaster bus, as well as modern designs like the Oyster card in the range, these new products are a great way for people to take a little bit of London with them wherever they go.”
A promotional campaign featuring striking photography shot on the TfL network is set to run across national and social media. You can see examples of the new line here, https://thelondonsockexchange.net/pages/tfl-lookbook , and on http://thelondonsockexchange.net/