Before it had a name, it was a casual conversation about fitness products, health supplements, and stinky feet...

We were just a couple of college buddies shooting the breeze on a quiet, sunny afternoon in Autumn, some 20 years after graduation. How fortunate we are that one of us suffered from excessively stinky feet, because that casual conversation about foot odor, and the limited solutions on the market, laid the foundation of what would become Fiber & Ore.

We knew that Merino wool was commonly used for premium socks due to its natural antibacterial and temperature regulating properties that helped prevent foot odor. We also knew that copper was used, particularly in athletics and medical fields, for certain types of socks for its natural antimicrobial and antifungal properties, among other benefits.

However, we couldn't find a sock that combined Merino wool fibers with copper ore. And just like that, "Fiber & Ore" was coined. Foot odor, check.

We went out and sampled hundreds of socks from every brand we could find. There were a lot of Merino wool socks out there, but the blends were all over the place. You won't really find 100% wool, because they are not feasible for daily use with shoes. They require a blend of other fibers, including Spanex (aka Elastane or Lycra) for elasticity (to stretch and stay on your foot), and some combination of Nylon, Polyester and/or Acrylic for reinforcement, durability, structural integrity, softness and other performance.

We found ourselves in a Goldilocks situation, where some were very durable but too rough and uncomfortable, some were silky smooth but had a minuscule amount of wool, some were soft had little stretch and felt like we could rip them with our hands, etc.

So we jumped in and began prototyping every combination of yarn blend we could until we found the perfect combination that combined luxurious comfort, premium quality and effective performance. Comfort, check.

Quality and durability were an absolute must. The biggest brands in the space offered extended warranties and guarantees that customers appreciate, and we wanted to give our customers a similar level of confidence. In developing our final sock samples we pulled out all the stops and refused anything but the best until we had a finished product that had the quality and durability to justify a satisfaction guarantee and a lifetime warranty. Durability, check.

And finally, we wanted to design socks that we would actually want to wear every day—to the office, to the gym, to travel, to walk and run, to go out on the town, to game with the fellas, to the park with the kids, and of course to hike and camp as well.

The vast majority of Merino wool options on the market were bland gray & black, or overly-outdoorsy designs that were, frankly, rather ugly.

So being a couple of fashion-conscious and tech-savvy guys with combined backgrounds in art, design and apparel, we came up with some digital templates and began designing our first collection of socks! Design, check.

I have long been a fan of ancient Egypt, having visited once, read countless articles and listened to hundreds of hours of lectures on the topic. Perhaps with the help of a little Hollywood influence (think Gladiator and 300) I have similarly been intrigued by ancient Rome, and you can't admire Rome without an appreciation for ancient Greece and Mesopotamia.

So when considering our branding for Fiber & Ore, we wanted to give a nod to these ancient civilizations who have not only captivated our imaginations, but also pioneered the use of both wool and copper (the two key components in our flagship product) in clothing, fashion, medicine, art, and more.

The moment I found a commonality in their art, religion, mythology, and symbolism in the form of winged beasts, I knew we had our mascot.

And the rest is (ancient) history...