A statement and promise: In 2017, Alex had the idea when he once again did not find the perfect pair of socks in his closet ahead of a training session. They needed to be of high quality, lightweight, breathable and comfortable on the skin. At the same time, they should be an eye-catcher that is super functional, works in the most demanding conditions and is long lasting.
The idea of creating our brand and product grew. As a result, the trio of Alex, Pavel and Max (in the picture from left to right) promised to deliver a product with all those features and with the best materials and yarns the industry has to offer. The mission was clear and so were the moral and ethical principles: the socks had to be produced fairly and in Europe. Unnecessary usage of plastic or natural resources should be avoided at all costs! And so the long but exciting journey had begun.
The mission statement was formulated before the very first sample and is setting the tone till today:
We create high performance sport socks, unmatched in style and identity. For those who get out early and return late. For those who grind in the dark to shine in the light. For those who repeat and repeat and repeat.
Your motivation is our driving force and the passion we put into every product should be recognized by our customers. From yarns to every single feature, different designs and multiple color combinations: every step of the process is deeply thought out, planned and driven by ambition and intuition.
Our values and the message we want to send out to our community are also reflected in our logo. We are the hunters of perfect products, just as our community are hunters of their goals. Personal records, new cycling routes or improving the brand and products - all of that is driven by passion. This is why the lynx, a fierce hunter, represents our brand as our logo. We are proud to put it on our shirts and caps, feature it on our packaging and show it around the world.
Last but not least: INCYLENCE! What is this name all about? As written in our mission statement, we are creating our products for the athletes who love what they do. The ones that don’t need the spotlight to exercise and have fun while doing it. Athletes who enjoy doing it „in silence“. As cycling is part of our passion and a discipline our socks are developed for, we thought to give our name some extra spice and add the „cy“ in the name: INCYLENCE.
All of our yarns are made in Italy. We put great value in an ideal mix of quality, functionality, durability and sustainability when choosing the yarns for our products. The yarns for our TRIATHLON (Dryarn®) and RUNNING (Microlon®) socks are dope-dyed which is way more environmentally friendly and reduces water consumption, dyestuff consumption and usage of chemicals by great extents. At the same time the colors are long-lasting and more resistant to UV. This process reduces the number of color options available to us, but gives us the feeling of doing the right thing and setting a good example.
Let’s give you an example: Dryarn® impressively shows that sustainable manufacturing and high quality don’t have to be in conflict. It is the lightest microfiber out there and outclasses other yarns by a lot. Dryarn® is 34% lighter than Polyester and is setting new standards for breathability, moisture wicking and insulation.
The microfiber does not soak with sweat or water; it stays light and comfortable on the skin. At the same time, it carries sweat from the inside out quickly so that the skin stays dry and comfortable in both warm and cold conditions. Furthermore, Dryarn® is robust and keeps its shape even after washing multiple times. That’s why we can make the socks super thin without compromising durability.
A close, open and trustful communication with each other increases motivation, enjoyment of work and of course the quality of the products and projects. Our long-term goal is to make our production as sustainable as possible. We are glad that we can already claim that our core products come from Europe. This is not only a question of sustainability but ensures a close cooperation with our partners.
Our main manufacturer is located in the north of Italy - the country that embodies outdoor sports, lifestyle and awareness for fashion like no other. We are super happy that we found a partner which excels in offering superior quality, an open and trustful collaboration (and sends us delicious treats for Christmas)!
In order to develop new products, we are constantly looking for new production opportunities. So in addition to our main Italian manufacturer, we started working with other manufacturers in Portugal that work with yarns which are made in Italy. This allows us to broaden our product portfolio and offer exciting new products.
We try to avoid as much waste as possible and rethink every step of the process from time to time. Our first packaging was made from scratch in our living room, cutting boxes to construct our first prototype. Our packaging design is foldable rather than relying on plastic connecting parts, and instead of using plastic for the hanger, we went with paper. We try to avoid packing our socks in plastic, and only do this when required by a third-party seller.
With shipments of up to two pairs socks within Germany, we are using bags which are 30% made out of grass and 70% out of recycled paper. We only add stickers when they are ordered extra as a product free of charge, trying to avoid unnecessary trash. The only thing we always include is a flyer in a polaroid picture-style, which we imagine could be used as a cool photo on the wall.
From the beginning we wanted to create a brand and products which would offer not just superior quality but which would also impress with a unique design. We found a design language we like to call "playful seriousness". We use geometric elements like lines, dots, bars and combine them in a smart and fun way. Assymetry, bright colors, strong contrasts - those are our tools and transfer our DNA to every single product. We set this DNA up right from the beginning, living it day in and day out and remain true to it.
Typographic or black & white designs can be realized with collaborations such as the KRAFT Runners or Pushing Limits, when the proposed designs and elements as well as the partner fit in our philosophy.
We’re better together! Using and sharing competencies, know-how, reach and shared values is one of our main objectives. We are big fans of cool collaborations when the partners fit to our philosophy. Cool events, athletes, brands and people behind a company are the requirements for common activities. That’s why we work closely with Pushing Limits and the Triathlon Crew Cologne, created a design with the KRAFT Runners from Berlin as well as the halbmarathon Hamburg or famous gym Kaifu Lodge. Every single partner has competencies and assets that have a great value and the ability to promote our shared values.
The same applies to athletes. We don’t let elite athletes such as Kristian Blummenfelt, Gustav Iden, Daniela Bleymehl and Philipp Pflieger just wear our logo and hope for some marketing effects. We rather want to collaborate with these athletes, work closely with them and realize great projects. Being on par with the athletes and communicating openly is very important to us and mandatory for everything we do.
