OEM / ODM · Product Development
Product development — where a good sock is actually decided
The pattern room, the gauge decision, the cushioning map and the fit validation. This is the work that separates a product that sells from a product that merely exists.
What this route covers
What you can customise
| Pattern development | Knit-ready pattern from artwork, a reference sock or a described problem, with jacket and stitch structure defined |
|---|---|
| Gauge selection | Chosen from the logo detail and the cushioning required — a decision that drives the whole product |
| Yarn engineering | Yarn count, blend and ply selected against durability, hand-feel, moisture behaviour and cost |
| Cushioning maps | Full terry, heel-and-toe terry, zoned reinforcement or none, placed according to the wearing condition |
| Silhouette development | New heights, new cuff constructions, new heel architectures — not just the six standard shapes |
| Size grading | Grading rules developed for your market chart and validated on a fit sample |
| Colour standards | Pantone references, ±0.8 ΔE tolerance, and a physical colour standard held for the programme |
| Technical documentation | Construction sheet, yarn specification, size grade, colour standards, measurement tolerance, care instructions |
Options and add-ons
You own the documentation
At the end of a development project the technical pack is yours: construction sheet, yarn specification, size grade, colour standards and measurement tolerances. That is what lets you reorder in a year — or take the product elsewhere — without starting again from a photograph.
The development process, stage by stage
Development is a schedule, not an open-ended experiment. Every stage has an output and a date.
Brief & feasibility
You describe the product, the market and the price point. We respond with a construction proposal, a feasibility view and a development timeline.
Pattern & mock-up
A knit-ready pattern is built and a digital mock-up returned within 48 hours for approval before any yarn is ordered.
Yarn & gauge selection
Yarn count, blend and machine gauge are chosen against durability, feel and cost, and confirmed with you in writing.
First prototype
A physical sample in 7–10 days, with a specification sheet and a measurement report.
Revision rounds
Two rounds typical. Revisions are free until you approve the sample — this is where the product gets right.
Fit validation
For underwear and new silhouettes, the sample is worn and assessed before bulk approval.
Specification handover
The technical pack is finalised and issued to you, then locked against the approved sample.
Bulk production
Production runs to the locked specification with inline inspection and weekly reporting, then AQL 2.5 final inspection.
What good product development looks like
Decisions made in the right order
Gauge follows from logo detail. Yarn follows from durability and feel. Cushioning follows from the wearing condition. Getting the sequence wrong is why so many custom projects cost more than they should.
A document that outlives the project
The technical pack is the deliverable that makes the second order possible, the third order consistent and a supplier change survivable.
Prototypes that answer questions
Each prototype round is designed to resolve a specific uncertainty — yarn feel, cushioning placement, fit — rather than simply to show you something.
Two rounds, then decide
Development converges in two prototype rounds in most cases. If it needs a third, we will tell you what is genuinely unresolved before we ask you to pay for it.
Terms at a glance
| Item | Standard |
|---|---|
| Development cost | Sampling fee only — quoted per style, refunded on the bulk order |
| Free mock-up | Digital mock-up within 48 hours |
| Prototype | 7–10 days after tech-pack approval for socks; 10–14 days for underwear |
| Prototype rounds | Two typical; further rounds charged at cost |
| Fit validation | Included for new constructions |
| Specification ownership | The technical pack is handed to you |
| Bulk production | 18–28 days from deposit and sample approval |
| Payment | 30% T/T deposit, balance against B/L copy · L/C at sight above USD 30,000 |
Common questions
Who owns the pattern you develop?
You do, for your product. We hand over the technical pack — construction sheet, yarn specification, size grade, colour standards and measurement tolerances. Our own internal working files and our standard construction library remain ours.
How many prototype rounds will it take?
Two rounds is typical. The first resolves construction and yarn feel; the second confirms fit, colour and finish. Complex technical constructions — graduated compression, seamless underwear, zoned cushioning — sometimes need three.
Do you validate fit before bulk production?
For underwear and for any new sock silhouette, yes. The fit sample is worn and assessed before bulk approval. On an existing pattern with only a yarn substitution, formal fit validation is usually unnecessary.
How fast are samples and what do they cost?
Pre-production samples ship 7–10 days after tech-pack approval, by express, with a spec sheet. The sample fee is quoted per style and refunded in full once the bulk order is placed. Revisions are free until you approve the sample.
Do you own the factory that produces our order?
No — and we are deliberately clear about it. SOXMILL is the brand and the sourcing entity of Beijing Haifu Supply Chain Co., Ltd. Production runs through a network of partner mills in China that we audit and qualify before a single order is placed. We hold the specification, the QC chain, the documentation and the commercial responsibility. That is the part most buyers actually care about: somebody accountable when something goes wrong.
How do you control quality?
One accountable QC chain from yarn to carton: yarn lot inspection on arrival, inline checks at knitting, linking, boarding and pairing, then AQL 2.5 final inspection with a photo report on every shipment. Our lab tests colourfastness (ISO 105), dimensional stability (±3% after five washes), pilling (ISO 12945-2) and mmHg pressure for compression styles.
Bring us the problem, not the drawing.
Describe what the product has to do and where it will be sold. We will come back with a construction proposal and a timeline.