The Lily Trotters Story
Lily Trotters Compression Socks started with an experience.
In 2011, founder Susan travelled to Africa for a vacation with her best friend and their daughters.
Worried about the risk to her legs on such a long flight, she wore compression socks on the plane.
When they landed, she was tired, but her legs were energised and ready to go, not at all the feeling she expected after sitting for more than 20 hours.
She was thrilled to experience firsthand how wearing compression socks could provide comfort and ease the cramping that often accompanies long journeys. Wearing them on the plane ride home, Susan wondered if compression socks could deliver similar benefits in other aspects of her life.
She was thrilled to experience firsthand how wearing compression socks could provide comfort and ease the cramping that often accompanies long journeys. Wearing them on the plane ride home, Susan wondered if compression socks could deliver similar benefits in other aspects of her life.
Lily Trotters Founder & Designer
Susan Costa - Walston
The socks Susan wore on the plane were thin, 15-20 mmHg medical compression stockings: effective, but unattractive. A casual runner, she began searching for compression socks that were also beautiful and fun, to wear with her running gear as well as her everyday outfits.
When she couldn’t find ones that were thin enough to be a stylish ladies trouser sock and strong enough for serious athletic use, she decided to bring them to market herself. Today, Lily Trotters produces designer, high-performance compression socks for women, which deliver fit, comfort and style, whether you’re in a dress shoe or running shoe. And hers would be made in the USA.
And so, Lily Trotters was born!
First, Susan needed to be sure that other women felt the same way she did about compression. So, she sent pairs of compression socks to healthy women who had never worn them before. And every woman who tried the socks gave similar feedback, saying they were “invigorated” and “not tired” and “feels like I had a massage."
Arranging to produce our socks was quite a journey. We spoke to sock mills across the USA who weren’t interested. But we persevered, and today we partner with a mill in North Carolina that believes in our vision. They’ve worked closely with us from the beginning, exploring every compression, material, color and fit combination we think of. We sampled nearly 30 prototypes (which we still do today), discovering how we could work with different coloured yarns to develop thin, luxurious socks without compromising the compression.
By 2014, we knew we had a sock that was well-fitting, comfortable and stylish, so we launched a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign, which was fully funded in under seven hours. By the time the campaign ended four weeks later, we’d raised more than $53,000 and pre-sold over 1,200 pairs of socks. Those pre-orders continued to pour in by the hundreds while our socks were being knit. We heard the message loud and clear: women believe in the benefits delivered by our compression socks. They wanted Lily Trotters – and we were happy to oblige.
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Our Style
A lifelong lover of art and design, our founder and designer, Susan, was a designer and creative director before starting Lily Trotters in 2013. Her goal was simple, and it remains true today: Produce truly beautiful, high-quality compression socks that bring the benefits of compression to women in every aspect of their lives.
From our most conservative sock with four subtle XXXXs (four kisses!) just above the ankle to our most colorful and boldly patterned stripes, there’s a compression sock to suit your personal style. And, our customized color palette ensures our socks complement every wardrobe – from fitness to fashion.
Our Namesake
Just Who Is This Lily Trotter, Anyway?
Lily trotters are the live version of our logo—birds with absurdly long legs and huge clawed feet. Our founder, Susan, saw plenty of lily trotters on her trip to Africa, and she brought them home with her in the shape of a rustic metal sculpture she and her daughter found in Nairobi. One day, as they passed the sculpture in their hallway, her daughter suggested Lily Trotters for the company name.
You’ll find Lily Trotters in tropical, marshy regions. Their extraordinary legs and feet let them hop over lily pads and walk on floating vegetation with ease. Female Lily trotters are the ultimate power chicks, going into the wild and choosing their mate. Once they partner, the male stays home and incubates and raises the young.
What fun we’ve had with such a cool bird for inspiration. Next time you pick up a pair of Lily Trotters, turn them over. On the bottom is a lotus flower, there to remind us that our socks mimic the ease with which our long-legged girlfriends move.
Imagine how much higher she might leap if her long legs could experience the benefits of compression?
