Maria La Rosa's Foil Balloon-Like Socks Are a Simple Luxury for Fans
The socks look like deflated foil balloons and make a faint crackling sound when you first put them on. They are made in Italy and cost about $50 a pair — a price that some say is worth it for the joy that the socks have inspired.
'I felt like I had to have them,' said Cynthia Cohen, 75, who lives in Colorado and works in public health. 'When I looked at the price I was kind of shocked, but I tried to pretend it didn't exist.'
Sometimes Ms. Cohen will wear the socks to liven up an outfit, she said. Other times, she puts them on to cheer herself up: 'I just wear them for myself to feel like I'm having fun.'
Since Maria La Rosa, the Milanese label behind the socks, introduced them in 2020, it has sold about 25,000 pairs, according to a representative for the brand. More than half of those pairs — some 14,000 — were sold in the last 12 months.
Offered in some 40 colors, the socks are now carried by department stores like Galeries Lafayette in Paris. But the majority of sales over the past year have been at independent boutiques like Yucca, the store in Denver where Ms. Cohen bought them.
'In my mind they defy logic,' said Kimberly Keim, the owner of Yucca, who started selling the socks two years ago. Their appearance has also confused some customers: 'They are just so thin like a piece of paper,' she added. 'A lot of folks pick them up and think they are single use.' (They are not.)
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