ABOUT US
Versus Socks was born from small beginnings and big dreams
FROM IDEA TO REALITY
In 2015, Versus Socks was born from the passion of two visionary entrepreneurs, Hanno Lategan and Jurgens Uys, both avid sports enthusiasts. During their student years, they embarked on a transformative journey.
Frustrated by the uninspiring quality of available socks, they saw an opportunity to redefine sportswear from the ground up, starting with the often-overlooked foundation: socks. Their meticulous planning and cutting-edge designs led to the creation of Versus Socks, with a mission to provide athletes and sports enthusiasts with comfortable, durable, and stylish performance socks.
Meet the owners
Today, Versus Socks stands as a testament to their dedication. What began as an idea has sold over 4 million pairs worldwide. The team has grown to over 50 individuals, and their design portfolio now boasts over 1000 unique patterns.
From their roots in Stellenbosch, South Africa, Versus Socks has expanded globally, all thanks to the unwavering support of their incredible customers. The future holds limitless potential, and Versus Socks is excited to embark on the next chapter.
Versus Socks is more than a brand; it's a symbol of innovation, dedication, and the pursuit of excellence. Join them as they continue pushing the boundaries of sportswear fashion. Stay tuned for what the future holds, and thank you for being part of the Versus Socks journey.
OUR MISSION
Inspiring people to enjoy exercise through excitement and creativity.
OUR VISION
To be the performance socks World Champs.
OUR VALUES
ALWAYS MOVING
Through creativity to always strive to keep on improving and adapting. Success is a product of small actions that you repeatedly do overtime.
COMMUNITY
Ensuring customers and the team feel part of the Versus brand – with a common interest and lifestyle.
EXCITEMENT
Always seek to create an experience that is fun, engaging and memorable.
TEAMWORK
Focusing on collaboration to reach a common goal.
THE NAME
When we started, we knew we wanted to be a sports-inspired brand. The word Versus stuck in the sense that it is applicable to all sports (One person versus another. One team versus another).
It also emphasises the competitive spirit, not only in sports, but also in our brand culture - Always striving to improve in all aspects of the brand.
Our History
May 2024
The launch of our Merino Range: After months of testing and developing - we are excited to announce our very first Merino Range. Constructed of natural merino wool, these socks provide thermal insulation, making them perfect for winter training. The natural fibres are breathable and offer a soft feel, ensuring comfort during all your activities.
April 2024
With the opening of our own production facilities, we were able to increase our capacity and lead times for custom clients. We now have over 13 000 satisfied custom clients!
April 2024
We've taken our trail range and revolutionised it! We added in our new rubber logo along with Nanofront™ Grip Yarn. This yarn revolutionizes the experience by providing enhanced grip and durability, resulting in superior stability and longevity with every step.
March 2024
Pro Quarter Range - A very first for Versus Socks, we stepped up the game with this range, introducing a new sock length with our first left/right fit and an all new rubber logo.
February 2024
We made some serious upgrades to our template and with that launched our all new range: The Active Crew - featuring medium foot cushioning, giving you the support you need to smash your goals.
February 2024
It is our 3rd annual Versus Run Party and this year we made our event bigger & better! Bringing on First Ascent as our event partner and JBL as our sound partner. We had over 1500 entrants and sold out all entries!
January 2024
What a milestone!
We have sold over 4 million pairs of socks since Versus started 9 years ago and we are only starting!
January 2024
Introducing the Back to Base challenge. The Perfect way to start the year and kickstart your new fitness journey (or even build on the base you already have). You have 10 Days, from 1-10 January to run 50km or cycle 500km (or both if you're ambitious!). Your reward? A pair of limited edition Versus Back to Base Active Crew socks! See you again next year!
December 2023
Every thread in our Rhino Sock holds a story of hope, a tale of conservation, and a promise to protect. With all the Rhino socks we've sold, we were able donate R124,000 to Care For Wild — In December 2023 we visited them to witnes how this organisation dedicates every moment to safeguard our majestic rhinos.
September 2023
Introducing the first Pro product of Versus Socks: Aero Socks. These are the fastest socks made by Versus, our aerodynamic material makes sure you get every extra watt you need to win your race!
June 2023
We opened the Versus Lab!
We decided to bring our production in house. This gives us full control from start to finish. We control the speed, traceability, consistency, quality and so much more. We are taking the quality of Versus Socks to the next level!
June 2023
Always Evolving and Expanding! Our Stellenbosch Flagship store just got a major upgrade, including an exciting collaboration with Plato Coffee for our new coffee hatch. Don't miss out on our enhanced shopping experience firsthand.
February 2023
Our Biggest Versus Run Party Yet! With a record-breaking 1100+ participants, this was the event of the year. Proudly supported by GARMIN as our official event partner, we had an amazing day in the stunning setting of Franschhoek.
October 2022
A Revolutionary Step for Versus Socks: The Versus Socks Distribution Centre! Our new in-house warehousing ensures that every pair of socks you receive is flawless and in impeccable condition. Bringing top-notch sock experience like never before!
July 2022
After opening our Stellenbosch flagship store in 2019, we decided to give it an upgrade and expanded our store to make it BIGGER & BETTER and included a coffee window.
May 2022
After hosting 3 virtual events during COVID-19, we thought it was about time to host a non-virtual event, and we hit it off with a bang! ASICS and Garmin joined as official partners, and we had over 1000 entries!
July 2021
We have expanded our reach into even more retail stores, including Totalsports and Cape Union Mart.
October 2020
Yet another big milestone was reached, we launched Versus Socks in the UK.
April 2020
During the Covid 19 Lockdown period we hosted several Versus Virtual Runs. During the full lockdown over 16 000 people joined Virtually to complete a 5km around their house!
October 2019
We reached 20k followers on Instagram followers! We celebrated with a 5km run, and over 400 Versus fans showed up!
May 2019
Another amazing goal reached - we opened our first Versus Socks Shop in Stellenbosch!
April 2017
We achieved one of our main goals which was to get Versus Socks into one of the large chain stores in South Africa. Versus Socks has since been available in Sportsmans Warehouse countrywide!
November 2016
The OG Versus Socks Bakkie took us anywhere and everywhere across the country.
October 2016
We moved out of Hanno's parents garage and into the first Versus Socks office (we have since moved a few times as we keep growing, thanks to all your support!)
March 2015
Our first ever expo. A 2x1 meter stand at the Cape Town Cycle Tour Expo.
January 2015
Our first order wasn't big enough to justify two types of packaging (Race & Trail). So we ordered one type and applied the Race and Trail stickers by hand.
August 2014
Our mutual passion for sports provided the foundation for Versus socks.
Learn from us
The journey creating Versus Socks - Hanno Lategan & Jurgens Uys
For this episode Matt Alexander is joined by Hanno Lategan and Jurgens Uys to tell the Versus Socks story.
Over 5 million pairs sold, over 3500 glowing customer reviews on their website, 1000 unique patterns, 50 + team members and a couple of their own stores, not to mention seeing Versus Socks everywhere at Sportsman's Warehouse, Total Sports and nearly every cycle shop in the country.
We sold 4 Million Socks | Jurgens Uys: Versus Socks Co-founder
On the latest podcast episode of The African CEO, Naison had the privilege of interviewing Jurgen Uys, the co-founder of Versus Socks.
Jurgens guided us through their journey, detailing how they overcame early challenges and successfully built the Versus brand.