The yarns used in these socks consist of skin-friendly cotton, a small amount of polyamide, and spandex. The latter two enhance durability, comfort, and shape retention. The knit features a distinctive heathered look. The shaft of the sock is ribbed, while the foot section is knitted in stockinette stitch.

The knitwear manufacturer Merz b. Schwanen had existed since 1911 in the Swabian Alps, once a traditional textile-producing region. In recent times, a Berliner, Peter Plotnicki, revived the tradition. Once more, the company is manufacturing shirts and sports trousers in the area – for the most part on original knitting machines dating from the 1920s or at least the 1960s. Their slow operational speeds are an advantage: They provide for the high density, characteristic structure, and substantial feel, as well as the excellent shape retention of the knitwear. A small but remarkable detail: Plotnicki has the clothing labels with the original Merz b. Schwanen logo and lettering crafted on an old weaver’s loom for jacquard ribbons.