The Lotus 97T was a Formula One racing car designed for the 1985 F1 season. Inspiration for the design came from the John Player Special sponsorship, in traditional black and gold stripes.
Approved by Classic Team Lotus.80% Combed Cotton, 17% Polyamide, 3% Elastane.We use seamless knitting to create a sock with no stitches.Wash inside out (40ºC/100ºF max). Do not tumble dry, iron, bleach or dry clean.
The '68 Ford Mustang GT from the movie Bullit, driven by the great Steve McQueen.
80% Combed Cotton, 17% Polyamide, 3% Elastane.We use seamless knitting to create a sock with no stitches.
Wash inside out (40ºC/100ºF max). Do not tumble dry, iron, bleach or dry clean.
The 1962 AC Shelby Cobra. Inspiration for the sock was taken from the distinctive dual white stripes crossing the blue metal body.
80% Combed Cotton, 17% Polyamide, 3% Elastane.We use seamless knitting to create a sock with no stitches.
Wash inside out (40ºC/100ºF max). Do not tumble dry, iron, bleach or dry clean.
The Land Rover Defender is a true icon. The best 4x4xFar, remaining in production for almost 70 years until 2015. In the end, it was the ever-tightening emissions regulations that closed the curtains... We cannot guarantee that our socks are emissions-free, that's really up to you. Also, be advised that our socks are not expected to endure 70 years nor are recommended to walk on mud.
80% Combed Cotton, 17% Polyamide, 3% Elastane.We use seamless knitting to create a sock with no stitches.
Wash inside out (40ºC/100ºF max). Do not tumble dry, iron, bleach or dry clean.
Enzo Ferrari called this Jaguar "the most beautiful car ever made." Its iconic front air intake was the inspiration for this design; simple, yet impossibly elegant. In British Racing Green, of course.
80% Combed Cotton, 17% Polyamide, 3% Elastane.We use seamless knitting to create a sock with no stitches.
Wash inside out (40ºC/100ºF max). Do not tumble dry, iron, bleach or dry clean.
The first BMW M3... we could just stop here but the E30 was also the best looking '80s sedan with the coolest stance and an unforgettable DTM paint job that made our life very very easy... can you tell it's one of our favorites?
80% Combed Cotton, 17% Polyamide, 3% Elastane.We use seamless knitting to create a sock with no stitches.
Wash inside out (40ºC/100ºF max). Do not tumble dry, iron, bleach or dry clean.
Heel Tread's garage welcomes Hollywood royalty.
The Mustang Shelby GT500 is just one of those eternal machines - as if the "regular" Mustang wasn't already one of the most instantly recognizable cars in the world.
Its pedigree goes beyond being arguably the most beautiful and extreme Mustang ever built. It's also been immortalized twice in the silver screen and starred in some of the most spectacular car chases ever filmed - whether you're a fan of the 1974 or 2000 version of the movie Gone in 60 Seconds.
It has since become a pop icon known simply for its screen name, Eleanor.
80% Combed Cotton, 17% Polyamide, 3% Elastane.We use seamless knitting to create a sock with no stitches.
Wash inside out (40ºC/100ºF max). Do not tumble dry, iron, bleach or dry clean.
The Williams FW16 competed in the 1994 Formula One season and was raced by British driver Damon Hill to finish runner-up in the 1994 World Drivers Championship. Unfortunately, it was also the car in which Ayrton Senna was killed during the third race of the 1994 season. The FW16 is our tribute to the greatest F1 driver of all time. The inspiration for the sock design comes from the Rothmans cigarettes sponsorship livery.
80% Combed Cotton, 17% Polyamide, 3% Elastane.We use seamless knitting to create a sock with no stitches.
Wash inside out (40ºC/100ºF max). Do not tumble dry, iron, bleach or dry clean.
The car that invented the hot hatch set a pretty high bar for all that came after it.But its birth wasn't easy...The prototype was based on a Scirocco, with an EA827 engine with dual carburetors and a lowered and stiffened suspension. When Volkswagen's Chief of Research drove this prototype, he objected to the harsh suspension and excessive noise from the intake system and declared the car "undrivable". Nevertheless, the VW Golf GTI team persevered and ended up assembling an exceptional automobile.Gunhild Liljequist was tasked with creating a set of features that would set the GTI's interior apart from the standard Golf. Her contributions became car interior design legends: the bright Tartan plaid upholstery and the dimpled golf-ball-like gearshift knob, making this sock design sort of a no-brainer for us.80% Combed Cotton, 17% Polyamide, 3% Elastane.We use seamless knitting to create a sock with no stitches.
Wash inside out (40ºC/100ºF max). Do not tumble dry, iron, bleach or dry clean.
The Lotus 49 was a Formula One racing car designed for the 1967 F1 season. Inspiration for the sock design was Lotus's traditional British racing green with yellow center-stripe.
Approved by Classic Team Lotus.80% Combed Cotton, 17% Polyamide, 3% Elastane.We use seamless knitting to create a sock with no stitches.
Wash inside out (40ºC/100ºF max). Do not tumble dry, iron, bleach or dry clean.
Back in 1956, Alec Issigonis was assigned by BMC to develop a very small, simple, and economical car that could carry four adults and their luggage.
It soon became apparent that this new car would be revolutionary in every aspect, with John Cooper being the first to spot its potential for racing.
This leads to some initial success on the track and set the starting point for an unprecedented story in motorsport with this small but nimble performer leaving behind a pack of far more powerful (and puzzled) opponents.
It culminated in Paddy Hopkirk's famous win in the Monte Carlo Rally in 1964 - an event the Mini would dominate up until 1967 and forever tied the Cooper name with the sporting legend of the Mini.
A minimalistic approach to the red livery of the last Mini to win in Monte Carlo - the gigantic 177 - was the inspiration for this sock design.
* unlike the original Mini did, we can't promise these socks will make you feel taller.
80% Combed Cotton, 17% Polyamide, 3% Elastane.We use seamless knitting to create a sock with no stitches.
Wash inside out (40ºC/100ºF max). Do not tumble dry, iron, bleach or dry clean.
The McLaren MP4 was a highly successful F1 car that competed in the 1988 Formula One season. It was driven by legends Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost. The inspiration for the design came from the Marlboro sponsorship colors.
80% Combed Cotton, 17% Polyamide, 3% Elastane.We use seamless knitting to create a sock with no stitches.
Wash inside out (40ºC/100ºF max). Do not tumble dry, iron, bleach or dry clean.
The McLaren MP4 was a highly successful F1 car that competed in the 1988 Formula One season. It was driven by legends Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost. The inspiration for the design came from the Marlboro sponsorship colors.
80% Combed Cotton, 17% Polyamide, 3% Elastane.We use seamless knitting to create a sock with no stitches.
Wash inside out (40ºC/100ºF max). Do not tumble dry, iron, bleach or dry clean.
The McLaren MP4 was a highly successful F1 car that competed in the 1988 Formula One season. It was driven by legends Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost. The inspiration for the design came from the Marlboro sponsorship colors.
80% Combed Cotton, 17% Polyamide, 3% Elastane.We use seamless knitting to create a sock with no stitches.
Wash inside out (40ºC/100ºF max). Do not tumble dry, iron, bleach or dry clean.
The Pink Pig *
The "Pig" was certainly not designed to be pretty even if it was a brilliant exercise in aerodynamics.
Initially set to make its debut in Martini livery, legend has it that after Count Rossi took a look at the unusually shaped racing car, he refused to let it race in the famous red and blue stripes.
Porsche then decided to go with the pink butcher-style livery to make sure it didn't go unnoticed at the race track.
Although it was a one-off experimental race car, the Porsche 917/20 "Pink Pig" (or Truffle Hunter) became a legend for its surprising participation at the 1971 Le Mans.
* also suitable for vegans80% Combed Cotton, 17% Polyamide, 3% Elastane.We use seamless knitting to create a sock with no stitches.
Wash inside out (40ºC/100ºF max). Do not tumble dry, iron, bleach or dry clean.
Debuted in 1980, the Audi Quattro is mostly known as a Group B rally icon, having enjoyed great success in the WRC primarily thanks to its innovative 4-wheel drive system that took the championship by storm.
80% Combed Cotton, 17% Polyamide, 3% Elastane.We use seamless knitting to create a sock with no stitches.
Wash inside out (40ºC/100ºF max). Do not tumble dry, iron, bleach or dry clean.
Although it was first released more than 60 years ago, Porsche has always been able to keep the 911 on the cutting edge of auto engineering, design, and driving experience. A true automotive icon if there's ever been one. The RSR was the racing version that made a name for itself in competitions like the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
80% Combed Cotton, 17% Polyamide, 3% Elastane.We use seamless knitting to create a sock with no stitches.
Wash inside out (40ºC/100ºF max). Do not tumble dry, iron, bleach or dry clean.
People call it Scooby, Scoob, Subie, Rex, Zetza, Scooboxer, regardless, not many cars reach the status of having a worldwide nickname - let alone several of them.Some love it for its brilliant handling and performance, others hate it for its garish looks, but the Subaru Impreza is just one of those cars.Here at Heel Tread, we are shameless fans of the Scooby, especially the first one; the one that Colin McRae piloted to Rally Legend in its 555 liveries, with metallic blue and fluorescent graphics. And don't even get us started on those über cool matte gold wheels. Call it what you want.We call it a well-deserved spot in any garage.
80% Combed Cotton, 17% Polyamide, 3% Elastane.We use seamless knitting to create a sock with no stitches.
Wash inside out (40ºC/100ºF max). Do not tumble dry, iron, bleach or dry clean.
In 1991, Mazda became the first Japanese automaker - and an only rotary-engine racer - to win the world's most demanding endurance race, the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
In the end, it came down to the reliability of the Wankel rotary engine that made up for the lack of speed against the mighty Jaguar and Mercedes competitors.
The unique conditions that enabled this surprising victory - along with a crowd-pleasing high-revving engine with F1-like noise - immediately elevated the 787B to racing legend status.
The orange and green diamond Renown livery makes for a pretty cool looking pair of socks, even if you first had to google "Wankel rotary engine" to get what all the fuss is about.
80% Combed Cotton, 17% Polyamide, 3% Elastane.We use seamless knitting to create a sock with no stitches.
Wash inside out (40ºC/100ºF max). Do not tumble dry, iron, bleach or dry clean.
The Peugeot 205 always was a car bigger than the sum of its parts.
It was first released in the 80's it's considered to be the car that turned Peugeot's luck around. More than 5 million were produced in 15 years, and you can still see a few around today.
The 205 T16 was the road version produced for homologation purposes that made the 500hp Group B Peugeot Talbot Frankenstein possible. This was when the 205 superminis showed its teeth immediately becoming the car to beat in the competition.
In the hands of some of the greatest Finn drivers, like Vatanen, Salonen, and Kankkunen it would go on to dominate the last two years of the Group B rally against favorites like Audi, Lancia, and Ford and stayed relevant in other rally competitions like Paris-Dakar for many years to come.
80% Combed Cotton, 17% Polyamide, 3% Elastane.We use seamless knitting to create a sock with no stitches.
Wash inside out (40ºC/100ºF max). Do not tumble dry, iron, bleach or dry clean.
The maddest hot hatch of the 80s makes its way to our garage.
The Renault 5 (R5) Turbo designed by Bertone, was at the time the most powerful production French car with its 160hp 1.4 turbo engine mounted in the trunk and insanely big wheel arches and air vents.
Originally built to replace the aging Alpine A110 and compete with the dominating Lancia Stratos, it enjoyed immediate, although limited, success in the European rally scene, with its crowning achievement being a 1981 Monte Carlo Rally victory at the hands of Jean Ragnotti - fun fact, Carlos Sainz also drove one! Unfortunately, it would soon be outclassed by the emergence of Group B and its monstrous machines, especially the 4-wheel drive competitors with a clear dirt track advantage over the 2-wheel rear drive R5 Turbo, even with the 350hp evolution of the Maxi Turbo. Proof that cult status can be achieved even without a long list of victories.
Only 1600 were ever produced, but you can still get a pair of them right now!
80% Combed Cotton, 17% Polyamide, 3% Elastane.We use seamless knitting to create a sock with no stitches.
Wash inside out (40ºC/100ºF max). Do not tumble dry, iron, bleach or dry clean.
The Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 was the top first-generation 911 and is considered by many Porschephiles to be the best of them all, which, when you talk about 911's is saying a lot. Unsurprisingly, the RennSport was initially built for racing homologation and was a fast car even by today's standards - 0/100 in 5.5s and a top speed of 240 km/h - much due to the extreme weight loss tricks that the Stuttgart boys came up with.
The extraordinary ducktail rear spoiler, the resurrection of the Carrera name from the '50s and its rally and track achievements all contributed to make this a very remarkable 911 among a long list of noteworthy 911's.
More recently, this once epitome of sports cars has become famous for the somewhat ridiculous prices it consistently reaches at car auctions, even being considered a few years ago as the best (legal) investment of the decade, with upwards of 700% appreciations.
We can't guarantee that the socks will have similar growth in value, but we're keeping them in their original packaging until 2040 just in case.
80% Combed Cotton, 17% Polyamide, 3% Elastane.We use seamless knitting to create a sock with no stitches.
Wash inside out (40ºC/100ºF max). Do not tumble dry, iron, bleach or dry clean.
Vintage Porsche fabric for your feet.Let's face it. Car interiors have become dull. One look at the inside of a modern car and chances are you'll be instantly bored.But once upon a time, the good fellows at Stuttgart fought (and won) the battle against dull interiors with some pretty wild pattern and color options on their car seats.One of the most notorious became known as the Porsche Pasha. Designed in the late '70s and first released on the 928, it combines racing and disco-psychedelic genes, a pattern that evokes the movement of a checkered flag waving - come on... use your imagination!We love the excess of it all and went a little crazy ourselves with the color combinations.For the discerning Petrol Head. Nerdy but stylish.
80% Combed Cotton, 17% Polyamide, 3% Elastane.We use seamless knitting to create a sock with no stitches.
Wash inside out (40ºC/100ºF max). Do not tumble dry, iron, bleach or dry clean.
Vintage Porsche fabric for your feet.Let's face it. Car interiors have become dull. One look at the inside of a modern car and chances are you'll be instantly bored.But once upon a time, the good fellows at Stuttgart fought (and won) the battle against dull interiors with some pretty wild pattern and color options on their car seats.One of the most notorious became known as the Porsche Pasha. Designed in the late '70s and first released on the 928, it combines racing and disco-psychedelic genes, a pattern that evokes the movement of a checkered flag waving - come on... use your imagination!We love the excess of it all and went a little crazy ourselves with the color combinations.For the discerning Petrol Head. Nerdy but stylish.
80% Combed Cotton, 17% Polyamide, 3% Elastane.We use seamless knitting to create a sock with no stitches.
Wash inside out (40ºC/100ºF max). Do not tumble dry, iron, bleach or dry clean.
Vintage Porsche fabric for your feet.Let's face it. Car interiors have become dull. One look at the inside of a modern car and chances are you'll be instantly bored.But once upon a time, the good fellows at Stuttgart fought (and won) the battle against dull interiors with some pretty wild pattern and color options on their car seats.One of the most notorious became known as the Porsche Pasha. Designed in the late '70s and first released on the 928, it combines racing and disco-psychedelic genes, a pattern that evokes the movement of a checkered flag waving - come on... use your imagination!We love the excess of it all and went a little crazy ourselves with the color combinations.For the discerning Petrol Head. Nerdy but stylish.
80% Combed Cotton, 17% Polyamide, 3% Elastane.We use seamless knitting to create a sock with no stitches.
Wash inside out (40ºC/100ºF max). Do not tumble dry, iron, bleach or dry clean.
Remember that time, Volvo went crazy and raced an estate?
We do too!
In the early 90's someone at Volvo thought it would be smart if they were no longer safe and boring and were now sporty and cool. Fast forward to 1994 and the 850 estate starts competing in the British Touring Car Championship. The first estate to compete in touring car championships was never overly successful on the track. And you'd probably be surprised to remember that it only lasted a season and was replaced the next year by the sedan due to regulation changes - it's never easy for those who dare to be different...
Nevertheless, its uniqueness and charisma made it arguably the most iconic BTCC car ever - just seeing one (often on two wheels) on the track takes us back. The fact that even today it's still regularly mentioned and makes special appearances in recent Goodwood's is proof enough of the impact it's one season in the BTCC had in motorsport fans.
That and the fact they raced it with giant stuffed dogs on the back to annoy the competition.
That's the stuff legends are made of.
80% Combed Cotton, 17% Polyamide, 3% Elastane.We use seamless knitting to create a sock with no stitches.
Wash inside out (40ºC/100ºF max). Do not tumble dry, iron, bleach or dry clean.
Once upon a time, there was Lancia, one of Italy's greatest car manufacturers. Back then, before the Scooby's and the Evo's, lived the hero of our story, the Lancia Delta. And, like a character from a fantasy world, it suddenly went from quiet utilitarian to a Rally God. When it entered the WRC battlefield in its vermouth war paint, it was so damn good that it made everything else look prehistoric in comparison, carelessly destroying competitors and leaving nothing but tread marks behind.It won the WRC manufacturer's title in its debut year in 87 and then went on to win 6 (six!) years in a row and becoming, to this day, the most successful rally car of all time.And, more than a quarter of a century after its introduction, the Integrale is still loved and respected, perhaps now even more than ever.Please come back, Lancia. We've missed you!
80% Combed Cotton, 17% Polyamide, 3% Elastane.We use seamless knitting to create a sock with no stitches.
Wash inside out (40ºC/100ºF max). Do not tumble dry, iron, bleach or dry clean.
Let us celebrate the amazing life of Ayrton Senna.Ayrton, the racing driver, needs no introduction. King of Pole Position, King of Rain, without a doubt, one of the greatest racers that ever lived. So many of today's F1 fans can establish a direct connection between their first love for the sport and the Brazilian. Many still wake up at odd hours to see distant races in the hope of getting a glimpse of what F1 was back then, the end of an era when man was still greater than machine and F1 driving was a pure experience. Ayrton, the man, is beloved the world over for his honesty and passion for the sport and life. A silent humanitarian who invested most of his fortune in the fight for social equality in Brazil, imposing only one condition - total secrecy (no, we're not crying, you're crying!). In a country that worships football like religion and footballers like gods, Senna is not only the most beloved sportsman to ever come out of Brazil - he's the most precious person, the immortal embodiment of all that's good about Brazil.How lucky we are to have met you!80% Combed Cotton, 17% Polyamide, 3% Elastane.We use seamless knitting to create a sock with no stitches.
Wash inside out (40ºC/100ºF max). Do not tumble dry, iron, bleach or dry clean.
Happy (belated) 50th birthday, Lamborghini!Perhaps no other car manufacturer has made so many cars that turned into posters in kids’ bedrooms, putting out some of the most exotic dream cars that generations of petrol heads have been growing up with.This, however, is one special Bull. Fifty years of breeding have brought us here. The Veneno is the gift Lamborghini gave itself on its 50th birthday and that we felt had to be turned into something extraordinary. Us fanboys couldn't be happier with the result and genuinely believe that this is one of the best-looking socks we've ever knitted - and, like Lambo, we spared no efforts on the details, illustrating the extensive carbon fiber usage and the Tricolore of the Italian flag.Long live the Bull!
80% Combed Cotton, 17% Polyamide, 3% Elastane.We use seamless knitting to create a sock with no stitches.
Wash inside out (40ºC/100ºF max). Do not tumble dry, iron, bleach or dry clean.
With ten official versions set apart by Roman numerals, each new one poised to rule over all that came before it, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution is one of the great Japanese dynasties.Despite its humble origins as a family sedan, with the help of Mitsubishi's performance division Ralliart, that transformed it into a car-shaped toy, it won 4 consecutive WRC titles at the hands of Tommi Mäkinen, from 1996 to 1999.All hail the Emperor of the Rising Sun!
80% Combed Cotton, 17% Polyamide, 3% Elastane.We use seamless knitting to create a sock with no stitches.
Wash inside out (40ºC/100ºF max). Do not tumble dry, iron, bleach or dry clean.
An underdog by all accounts, the Toyota Celica GT-Four was the car that effectively ended the European domain of the WRC, becoming the first Japanese competitor to race with a turbocharged AWD car and grabbing wins and titles like no other before it. The ST185 with the Toyota Castrol livery became the most iconic version, with Carlos Sainz being the pilot that most consistently drove it to victory.
80% Combed Cotton, 17% Polyamide, 3% Elastane.We use seamless knitting to create a sock with no stitches.
Wash inside out (40ºC/100ºF max). Do not tumble dry, iron, bleach or dry clean.
The 191 - originally called 911 - was the first car Jordan Grand Prix developed in 1991, a Cosworth-powered F1 from the rookie team lead by Eddie Jordan - the only Irish F1 programme ever. Eddie was not a conventional man and didn't go about getting things done in a conventional way. But, thanks to his unorthodox salesmanship he was able to enroll sponsors like 7UP and Fujifilm right from the start.Of course naming anything car-related "911" will bring an army of Porsche lawyers to your doorstep - legend has it that Eddie only agreed to change the name to 191 after getting a free 911 Carrera out of the deal.The 191 revelead itself an impressive piece of kit and was quite successful, especially for a first-year low-budget team, snatching several P4's and P5's from the big players during the season.This was also the car in which Michael Schumacher made his stunning Spa debut - and was after that swiftly grabbed by Benetton - due to the untimely retirement of Jordan pilot Bernard Gachot. And by retirement we mean he served actual jail time that forced him to miss several Grand Prix's for a "disagreement" with a London cab driver - most likely the result of a heated discussion regarding advanced cutting off techniques.“Alain Prost gave us the best compliment of all that year. One day he said the one car that was impressive to follow through a corner was the Jordan. The car was just glued to the track.” - Mark Gallagher, Jordan's Marketing Director80% Combed Cotton, 17% Polyamide, 3% Elastane.We use seamless knitting to create a sock with no stitches.
Wash inside out (40ºC/100ºF max). Do not tumble dry, iron, bleach or dry clean.
A collaboration with Shmee150 to create a tribute to his own McLaren Senna. On the off chance you haven't heard of him, Shmee150 is the brand of Tim Burton, a blogger/youtuber who travels the world in search of the greatest and most exclusive automotive content - it's a tough gig doing Gumball 3000 or Mille Miglia but, hey, somebody's got to take one for team petrolhead, right?This is a man who's current car collection - dubbed The Shmeemobiles - includes, besides the obvious super exclusive hypercar McLaren Senna, an Aston Martin Vantage GT8, Ford GT, Merc-AMG GT R, Mclaren 675LT Spyder and… *drum roll please*… a lime green Suzuki Jimny! Not bad for a guy who started off with a 1.2 Renault Clio…Anyway, we're clearly fans of the lifestyle so we partnered up with Shmee150 to create a Limited Edition of regular and low-cut sock designs based on Tim's own Cerulean Blue McLaren Senna, with a dark blue carbon fiber effect.
80% Combed Cotton, 17% Polyamide, 3% Elastane.We use seamless knitting to create a sock with no stitches.
Wash inside out (40ºC/100ºF max). Do not tumble dry, iron, bleach or dry clean.
Classic BMW upholstery for your feet.
We just love vintage iconic car upholstery and, during the 80's and 90's, BMW released some of our favorite fabrics.Debuted on the sportier versions of the E30 3-Series - think first generation M3's - the M-Tech was a cool minimalist pattern design that brightened the interiors of these German national treasures.
80% Combed Cotton, 17% Polyamide, 3% Elastane.We use seamless knitting to create a sock with no stitches.
Wash inside out (40ºC/100ºF max). Do not tumble dry, iron, bleach or dry clean.
IT'S SEVEN O'CLOCK. AND IT WAS ABOUT TIME!
Imagine a lightweight, track-engineered, affordable car that you can even get as a DIY kit. Initially developed and sold by Lotus, the Caterham Seven has been around for quite some time, but its unparalleled combination of joy of driving, raw passion, nostalgia and petrol smell still make this cult car the track day choice of the common man. A toy for grown ups, a challenging, unfiltered, pure and sometimes terrifying driving experience, with the added shock of realizing when you first drive it, that you've likely never driven a proper race car before!* Socks sold fully assembled, not available as a kit.
80% Combed Cotton, 17% Polyamide, 3% Elastane.We use seamless knitting to create a sock with no stitches.
Wash inside out (40ºC/100ºF max). Do not tumble dry, iron, bleach or dry clean.
“I don't think I've seen anything like it in my life. It became so emotional, grown men with tears running down their faces.”
Tom Walkinshaw, Racing Driver and Founder of TWR
This V12 beast, with the Le Mans aero package, had enough punch to get to speeds near 400 km/h - that's a trivial 250 mph for you, imperialists - down the pre-chicane Mulsanne Straight, snatching the 1988 24h Le Mans win right from under Porsche's - more powerful but less aerodynamic - jaws.
The year was 1988 and Jaguar hadn’t won Le Mans since the 1950s. When Sir John Egan arrived in 1980, the company was pretty much on its knees – he famously said, “I could be the only chairman of a car company never to make a car”.As he set about reversing Jaguar’s fortunes, Egan recognized the importance of motor racing in boosting car sales and steered the company on a path to regain its lost race track hero status.
The XJR-9 LM was the pinnacle of that effort. A 7.0l V12 700hp monster with revolutionary aerodynamics that allowed it leave all the competition behind. But winning Le Mans wasn't just about straight line speed.Five XJR-9's started the race and gradually fought their way to the top spots. The race between the Jags and Porsches was fierce throughout the 24h, with two XJR's retiring from mechanical issues. When the #2 Jaguar finally crossed the finish line in first place - for the jubilation of some 50.000 Brits in attendance - few knew how close it all had come to failure. Jan Lammers noticed a gearbox problem and drove the last part of the race in fourth gear, while still managing to stay two minutes ahead of the fastest Porsche! Had he only changed gears once, the transmission would have died and with it the dream of Jaguar's sixth Le Mans win.
80% Combed Cotton, 17% Polyamide, 3% Elastane.
We use seamless knitting to create a sock with no stitches.
Wash inside out (40ºC/100ºF max). Do not tumble dry, iron, bleach or dry clean.
The two-stroke RGV500 was manufactured by Suzuki to compete in the 500cc Grand Prix motorcycle racing between the years of 1986 and 2001.This one has Lucky's classic livery, in which Kevin Schwantz became World Champion in 1993.80% Combed Cotton, 17% Polyamide, 3% Elastane.We use seamless knitting to create a sock with no stitches.
Wash inside out (40ºC/100ºF max). Do not tumble dry, iron, bleach or dry clean.
A big Kon'nichiwa to the new Supra - and to a collaboration between Heel Tread and Toyota UK.A long lost sibling to the Celica in the '70s, the Supra evolved decade by decade to become one of the most famous sports cars in the world. The ability of the 1993 A80 to have its indestructible 2JZ engine upgraded to virtually infinite limits, and a lead role on the original Fast and Furious, made wonders to cement its cult status as THE car for the aftermarket crowd. It's hard to be browsing Youtube without stumbling upon millions of videos of 1000+ hp Supra videos drag racing - and more often than not, beating - Lambo's and Ferrari's.With the production of the previous model having ceased in 2002, Supra fans all over the world have been clamoring for a new one, and this year Toyota finally answered their prayers. Although this time in a very different earthly shape than its predecessor - the new one is a BMW Z4 underneath - it's comforting to know that the legend goes on.And as soon as we saw the first photos of the new Supra in that über cool red camo we immediately knew we were looking at a killer new sock design.
80% Combed Cotton, 17% Polyamide, 3% Elastane.We use seamless knitting to create a sock with no stitches.
Wash inside out (40ºC/100ºF max). Do not tumble dry, iron, bleach or dry clean.
Originally built with rally racing in mind - and rendered immediately obsolete by the appearance of the turbocharged all-wheel drive Audi Quattro - Mercedes decided to make a shift to touring cars. This interrupted a motorsport hiatus that had lasted for three decades, following the horrific '55 Le Mans accident. Fortunately, it was a triumphant comeback for the Stuttgart boys, clocking 50 DTM victories with the 190 between 1988 and 1993. In the 1992 season, the 190E 2.5-16 Evo 2 won 16 out of 24 races and took the top three places in the drivers’ standings, Klaus Ludwig winning the first DTM championship for Mercedes.Based on the Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16V Evolution II, a 500 unit ‘homologation special’ production, with a Cosworth/AMG tuned engine and a 5-speed dogleg gearbox this mythical road-weapon-slash-box-shaped-unicorn had massive wheel arches and an adjustable rear spoiler (that was also very convenient for roadside picnics) and was stiff competition for the likes of the E30 M3.
Not bad for the 'Baby-Benz'.
Remember when Benetton decided to be an F1 team? In 1986 they dropped a BMW-powered-1400hp-bomb that became motorsport legend as the most powerful F1 car ever.In late 1985, Benetton bought the Toleman F1 team and started what would become a fairly long F1 career. In the following season, they entered the B186, a car that had little more to set it apart than unusually colorful livery and cute painted tire walls. This story could easily end here but, as a side effect of acquiring a racing team, Benetton actually ended up creating the most powerful Formula One car ever.As with all legends, accounts vary, but at around 1400 hp in qualifying trim and 900 hp for racing, the BMW-powered B186, with a 5.5 bar turbo and a top speed of 351 kph - fastest of the season recorded at Monza - was, and still is widely believed to be the most powerful engine ever to be strapped into an F1 car! Unsurprisingly, it was a handful to drive, with drivers struggling with the 'light switch' power delivery of the BMW engine - there's reference to 1 or 2 seconds of turbo lag - that proved ineffective in narrower, twisty tracks. It was then, far from being a successful F1 racer, although still managing a few moments of glory - amidst many retirements mostly due to mechanical issues - and a crowning achievement with Gerhard Berger's first-ever F1 win in the Grand Prix of Mexico, ahead of Prost's McLaren and Senna's Lotus. With the retirement of the monstrous M12/13 engine, the B186 became a sort of unicorn, leaving an indelible mark in Formula One history books.
80% Combed Cotton, 17% Polyamide, 3% Elastane.We use seamless knitting to create a sock with no stitches.
Wash inside out (40ºC/100ºF max). Do not tumble dry, iron, bleach or dry
With more than 100 wins to its credit, the Honda NSR500 is the most dominant force in modern Grand Prix motorcycle racing.The Honda NSR500 was a two-stroke V4 racer that almost instantly became the reference for all the other manufacturers competing on the 500cc World Championship - now called MotoGP.Introduced in 1984, it won 10 out of the 19 racing seasons of its lifespan, at the hands of racing legends like Wayne Gardner and Valentino Rossi, the latter taking his first World title in one.But it was Mick Doohan that best harnessed the brute force, and alleged bad manners, of the overpowered two-stroke beast - with an engine dubbed the "Big Bang" what else could be expected? - winning five consecutive World Championships from 94 to 98. But not just winning. It was more like crushing the competition with dominant and overwhelming victories in each of those years.So much so that Doohan was even on record at the time saying that racing had become boring. Boring, he said.The type of boredom you can only get in a 200hp, 130 kg, 2-stroke, bad-tempered, crotch rocket.
80% Combed Cotton, 17% Polyamide, 3% Elastane.We use seamless knitting to create a sock with no stitches.
Wash inside out (40ºC/100ºF max). Do not tumble dry, iron.
Launched in 1975, Ford's Escort MkII RS1800 is arguably the single greatest culprit for the Blue Oval's achievement of rally superpower status, back in the late '70s. It's also one of the most requested designs by RS fans the world over.This modest family sedan was just one of those cars that almost instantly rose to cult status, mostly due to being able to achieve tremendous success in Rally competition, right from the very beginning of its long and triumphant career.Driven again and again to victory by the likes of Vatanen and Mikkola - and in the way beating fierce competitors like the Porsche 911 and Lancia Stratos - it was at the hands of Björn Waldegård that Ford finally pulled off a World Champion title in 1979 and established itself, once for and all, as a consummate Rally top dog.
80% Combed Cotton, 17% Polyamide, 3% Elastane.We use seamless knitting to create a sock with no stitches.
Wash inside out (40ºC/100ºF max). Do not tumble dry, iron.
Back when DTM - the German touring car championship, for those of you who can't remember cassettes or floppy disks - was once one of the most exciting car racing competitions in the world, there was the BMW E30 M3, a car we can't seem to get enough of, but who can blame us?Here, in an über cool Tic Tac livery creating perhaps the freshest M3 in racing history?
80% Combed Cotton, 17% Polyamide, 3% Elastane.We use seamless knitting to create a sock with no stitches.
Wash inside out (40ºC/100ºF max). Do not tumble dry, iron.
The last and most extreme Abarth of the pre-Fiat era, the 1000 TCR Radiale was the loudest and proudest version of the humble and minuscule Fiat 600, the car most associated with the Italian auto tuner in the '60s decade. With the clever radiale system pushing the engine power to over 110hp, this little 600 kg egg-shaped racer, could reach in excess of 200 km/h (125mph)!
This little giant slayer paved the way for the pocket rocket car that to this day still receives so much love around the world.
80% Combed Cotton, 17% Polyamide, 3% Elastane.
We use seamless knitting to create a sock with no stitches.
Wash inside out (40ºC/100ºF max). Do not tumble dry, iron, bleach or dry clean.
In 1979, the SAAB 900 Turbo set a new bar for how much power and grunt a safe and boring family saloon should have - no wonder its older brother was a jet plane! Like most SAAB's, the 900 was an outside-the-box piece of car engineering - remember they used to design airplanes? - filled with clever design, performance and safety features and is one of the first examples of a "well-behaved" and everyday-useful turbocharged engine for the common man, a formula that has since become ubiquitous for modern-day practical cars. It went on to become the company's all-time best selling car and probably the most iconic of all SAABs with its stylish and distinctive approach to car design - even Seinfeld drove one in the famous TV show.For us it's the magical 3-colored turbo boost gauge in the (then) futuristic dashboard, that remains to this day imprinted in ours and in the collective memories of petrolheads everywhere and that we chose to be the star of this homage.
80% Combed Cotton, 17% Polyamide, 3% Elastane.
We use seamless knitting to create a sock with no stitches.
Wash inside out (40ºC/100ºF max). Do not tumble dry, iron, bleach or dry clean.
Forty-something years ago a legend was born. The 3.5 inline-six M1 was the first car to be entirely developed by BMW's M division and was designed from scratch for a life on the track. You can think of it as the great-grandfather of all M BMWs, a dynasty that has since done so much to help shape and push forward the sports car segment while amassing a global legion of devote followers.Originally planned to be a collaboration between BMW and Lamborghini, the M1 was launched in 1978 with only about 450 units of the mid-engined hand-built bavarian unicorn ever being produced. And, with a top speed of 260 km/h, it was "Germany's fastest sports car" and therefore crowned Kaiser of the Autobahns. But BMW's plan went far beyond just creating an amazingly good sports car that also looked the part. In 1979 the BMW Procar Series came along, a one-make racing championship starring a beefed-up 310 km/h version of the M1 and, in spite of its 2-season only short lifespan, went down in history as a spectacular star-incrusted motorsport event, with a parade of F1 drivers joining in on the fun - Andretti, Fittipaldi, Hunt, Lauda, Piquet and Prost just to name a few. Spoiled for choice, we went with the BASF livery - does the word cassette ring any bells? - in part because of its unique and remarkable design, but mostly because it made the biggest exhaust flames of the lot. Seriously, google "M1 BASF flamethrower".You're welcome!
80% Combed Cotton, 17% Polyamide, 3% Elastane.We use seamless knitting to create a sock with no stitches.
Wash inside out (40ºC/100ºF max). Do not tumble dry, iron, bleach or dry clean.
Heel Tread at the Superbike World Championship.
Launched in 2009, the S1000RR, like so many of BMW's endeavors, went straight to the top of the two-wheel food chain, the epitome of design, technology and sheer performance.It holds the record for fastest Isle of Man lap - although we guess Michael Dunlop probably deserves some recognition as well. That achievement alone is reason enough for our unconditional love. I mean being the fastest at the Tourist Trophy really puts the super in superbike. Custom made for the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team as official team wear, these socks are widely believed to shave a few tenths in every lap time.
Hats off to the folks in Munich and best of luck to the Team!
80% Combed Cotton, 17% Polyamide, 3% Elastane.We use seamless knitting to create a sock with no stitches.
Wash inside out (40ºC/100ºF max). Do not tumble dry, iron, bleach or dry clean.
In case you need an introduction, Ruf is a German car maker that made its name taking Porsche chassis and highly modified engines to create unique, exotic and pure driving machines built from the ground up.The Ruf CTR "Yellow Bird" was based on a 1987 911 Carrera 3.2 and is still the most iconic of Alois Ruf Jr.'s driver-focused creations, its legendary status no doubt helped by the fact that the Yellow Bird is the star of the most entertaining recorded Nordschleife lap of all time - made even more insane when you notice that it's being driven by a man/deity sporting a very period-correct and surprisingly carefree just-popping-out-to-the-grocery-store outfit without even a helmet or driving gloves. No surprise then, that this multi-cam video packed with smoking tires and opposite lock sideways action in a totally analog driving experience - no anti-lock braking or traction control systems here - is regarded as one of the very first car videos that became "viral" on the Internet's early years, long before "being viral" was considered to be anything remotely positive. But the CTR was not just a great driving machine or a very exclusive exotic car with only 29 units ever made. Seemingly from nowhere, the yellow underdog blew away the fastest factory supercars, like the 959 and F40, in the famous Road & Track Top Speed shootout, where it was clocked at 338.4km/h (211.5mph), shocking the industry with its record-breaking speed.It's so iconic that Ruf even made a 710hp 30th Aniversary edition that is the first of a new generation of cars for the brand that doesn't use any parts from Porsche, with hypnotizing black-yellow-lime tartan seats creating the perfect elegant transition to a sock design that takes us immediately to the interior of this amazing machine.
80% Combed Cotton, 17% Polyamide, 3% Elastane.We use seamless knitting to create a sock with no stitches.
Wash inside out (40ºC/100ºF max). Do not tumble dry, iron, bleach or dry clean.
