Taiwan’s Sock Industry, The Perfect Combination of Technology and Quality
Socks serve as a protective layer between the feet and shoes. They can be decorative, enhancing an outfit’s overall aesthetic, while also providing essential protection for the body. When people think of the textile industry in Asia, they might think of Bangladesh, South Korea, Japan, China, and Vietnam, but Taiwan is also an important manufacturing centre that should not be overlooked. However, as the industry has shifted from developed countries to developing ones, Taiwan, which used to be one of the top ten textile exporters, has faced increasing competition from other countries and challenges brought on by industry changes. How has Taiwan found its position and direction in the competition within the sock industry?
Shetou Township, The Development of Taiwan's Sock Industry Hub
The post-World War II rise of Taiwan's sock industry
The real development of the sock manufacturing industry in Taiwan began after World War IIwhen the Cheng family from Shanghai brought hand-operated sock knitting machines to Shetou Township in Changhua County, setting up the first sock factory. Due to the overwhelming demand on the factory, local residents recognised the opportunity, and by 1952 39 factories manufacturing socks had already been established in Shetou Township. Gradually transitioning its industrial structure from predominantly agricultural to a focus on sock manufacturing, supported by agriculture.
A turning point in the era: the economic miracle of Taiwan's sock industry in the central and southern regions in the 1980s
As wages and land costs increased in the north, sock factories began to relocate to Shetou Township. They reduced costs through relatively cheaper labour and highly specialized divisions of labour. Despite the mass closure of textile factories, Shetou Township still preserved the historical scene of small-scale subcontracting factories during Taiwan's economic takeoff.
Challenges and transformation: Taiwan's sock industry faces a crucial turning point in global trade changes in 2005
The impact of global trade liberalization and the World Trade Organization (WTO) has constantly pushed labour-intensive production towards lower-cost regions. Whether it be raw material costs or labour costs, Shetou Township in Changhua County faced intense competition from China and other countries with significantly lower prices. The sock industry suffered further setbacks due to the financial crisis in the United States, leading to the disappearance of many orders and the relocation of factories. The local sock manufacturing subcontractors struggled, and the sock industry was regarded as a "sunset industry." The remaining sock factories were walking on thin ice and had to seek new survival strategies.
Breaking the Ordinary: Taiwan's Repositioning as a Product Research and Development Powerhouse
In addition to actively seeking potential markets and customers, local factories began observing market trends and investing in research and development. They expanded their customer bases and established a reputation through patenting new products. Taking bamboo charcoal socks as an example (socks made from natural moisture-absorbing, sweat-wicking, and odour-eliminating bamboo charcoal fibres), no one had applied bamboo charcoal yarn as a material for socks before. Fortunately, a Taiwanese manufacturer had been tracking the development of bamboo charcoal fibre technology for a long time and collaborated with another major textile company to apply bamboo charcoal fibres to socks, thus creating bamboo charcoal socks. In order to prove the quality and source of raw materials and protect consumer rights, the collaborating supplier strictly controlled the raw materials and invested additional costs to provide quality certification stamps and unique certification numbers for each pair of bamboo charcoal socks.
The International Potential of Taiwan's Sock Industry
The textile industry is an important step for many countries to enter industrialization, and each country has gradually formed its own characteristics and niche within the industry. China excels in manufacturing, South Korea excels in marketing, and Taiwan's strengths lie in product design and material research and development. Taiwan possesses a rich variety of textile materials and strong capabilities in technological research and development. Faced with global competition, Taiwan takes pride in its excellent product capabilities and outstanding quality.