About Sockwell
Sockwell is a compression and lifestyle sock brand based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, launched in 2011 by Goodhew, LLC (founded in 2008 by Thomas Lee and Jim Markley), with sock designer Mercedes Marchand, formerly of Smartwool, developing the brand's original therapeutic, design-forward concept. The company knits its socks from a custom-blended merino wool and bamboo rayon yarn, sourcing wool from American sheep farms and knitting at mills in North Carolina, Alabama, and Tennessee, a domestic supply chain the brand has maintained since it began making socks in 2008.
The line spans graduated compression at both moderate (15-20 mmHg) and firm (20-30 mmHg) levels, alongside relaxed-fit/diabetic-friendly, plantar fasciitis and bunion relief, sport, and everyday comfort socks. Sockwell's compression styles have been covered by Business Insider, which named the Elevation its pick for circulation problems and the Circulator its pick for spending the day on your feet, and the brand has also been referenced by The Wirecutter and The New York Times. On BestRatedDocs, we've independently reviewed three Sockwell compression socks across our general and travel compression guides, each carrying a 4.4-star rating or higher across thousands of verified Amazon reviews.
Brand website: sockwellusa.com
What Sockwell makes
Sockwell's range runs wider than the products we review. The lines we know best from our own testing are marked with a star:
Circulator (Moderate Compression)
15-20 mmHg four-zone graduated compression in a merino wool / bamboo rayon blend; featured below in both men's and women's cuts. — featured on BestRatedDocs
Elevation (Firm Compression)
20-30 mmHg graduated compression built from the same merino-bamboo blend for stronger clinical support; featured below. — featured on BestRatedDocs
Relaxed Fit / Diabetic-Friendly Socks
Seamless-toe, non-binding socks designed to reduce friction and gently support circulation.
Plantar Fasciitis & Bunion Relief Socks
Targeted compression zones built around foot-specific conditions rather than the calf alone.
Sport Compression Socks
Athletic-oriented graduated compression for training and recovery.
Everyday Comfort Socks
Non-compression merino wool socks sold alongside the brand's compression lines.
Why we recognized Sockwell
The BestRatedDocs Top Brand recognition isn't paid for and can't be applied for. We award it to the brands whose products consistently stand out in our category reviews. Sockwell earned it on the strength of the products below, evaluated the same way every product on this site is: assessed against clinical criteria, verified specifications, and real-world user outcomes, and judged on merit.
Sockwell products we rated highly
Sockwell Elevation Firm Graduated Compression Sock 20-30 mmHg
The Elevation pairs a 31% merino wool / 31% bamboo rayon blend with firm 20-30 mmHg graduated compression, built to hold its gradient through years of machine washing where synthetic materials break down. Made in the USA from American merino wool, it carried a 4.4-star rating across nearly 2,000 verified reviews in our testing, and Business Insider named the Elevation its pick for circulation problems.
Read the 8 Best Compression Socks of 2026 guide →
Sockwell Women's Circulator Moderate Graduated Compression Sock 15-20 mmHg
The Women's Circulator combines a four-zone graduated compression gradient with a turn-welt top that avoids digging in during long flights, knit from a 32% merino wool / 31% rayon blend that regulates temperature between a cold cabin and a warm arrival. It carried a 4.6-star rating across nearly 5,000 verified reviews in our testing, and Business Insider named the Circulator its pick for spending the day on your feet.
Read the 8 Best Compression Socks for Travel in 2026 guide →
Sockwell Men's Circulator Moderate Graduated Compression Sock 15-20 mmHg
The men's cut of the same four-zone Circulator gradient is built from a 31% merino wool / 31% rayon blend that handles the swing between a cold cabin and a hot arrivals hall, with a seamless toe closure and ultra-light cushion sole for all-day airport wear. It carried a 4.5-star rating across nearly 1,900 verified reviews in our testing.
Read the 8 Best Compression Socks for Travel in 2026 guide →What earned Sockwell the recognition
- Three Sockwell compression socks across our general and travel compression guides each carry a 4.4-star rating or higher, backed by a combined base of nearly 8,800 verified Amazon reviews.
- A custom merino wool and bamboo rayon blend that regulates temperature in both directions and resists odor across consecutive all-day wear, in both the moderate 15-20 mmHg Circulator and the firm 20-30 mmHg Elevation.
- Made in the USA from American-sourced merino wool, with yarn knit at mills in North Carolina, Alabama, and Tennessee, a domestic supply chain the brand has kept since 2008.
- Independent recognition from Business Insider, which named the Elevation its pick for circulation problems and the Circulator its pick for spending the day on your feet.
- Construction details built for real-world wear: a turn-welt top that resists digging in on long flights, seamless toe closures, and a cushioned sole for all-day standing and walking.