The Sock Man

**note. I think it’s CLOSED. The storefront is cleared out, unless they moved elsewhere?**
I bought from here once a few months ago, the prices are ok. It’s run a bit informally.

Marty wasn’t there the first time I went to The Sock Man, but a very helpful lady called Cheryl (sp?) helped me. Great selection; decent prices. I will be back.

Awesome store! This place has been around for over 30 years and will be there another i’m sure! Marty is a character and picks out some great stuff for his store. They really have an awesome collection of socks, tights and other accessories to choose from. I worked here for years and had the best time! I met my girlfriend of 7 years, who I have a 3 year old daughter with because of working at this place. The sock Man is fun and St. Mark’s is an awesome street and so much fun to work on. Rock on Marty!

I really wanted to like the sock man. The selection was good even though the prices were a bit steep I’ll pay more for funky and different socks. I saw a pair of knee high rainbow socks I really wanted to buy to wear during the pride parade. Unfortunately i was completely ignored me and went to go help three other people that went to the store. Maybe he figured three people would be more money than me but he ended up losing my business together.

LOVE this place! Fantastic selection of socks, tights and other goodies — colors and designs I don’t find anywhere else. Discovered The Sock Man shortly after I moved to NYC 15 years ago… My first couple of years in the city I was a student and broke as hell; I couldn’t afford new clothes, but I COULD splurge on a cool pair of socks now and then. I’ve been a customer ever since and I almost always bring out-​of-​town guests by (they think I’m crazy when I insist they MUST visit The Sock Man, then are always glad I brought them). And to the people who complain about the ‘attitude’ — I’ve found the owner and the salespeople to be informative, helpful amd usually friendly; yes, they can be a little cranky occasionally (but then, who isn’t?) and I’ve seriously NEVER had an issue.

I bought 2 pair of «irregular» wool socks from the outdoor display yesterday for $ 7.50 each. The price of good socks is outrageous but Sockman’s prices are the same as Eastern Mountain Sports, so I would rather buy here.

Long live the Sock Man and Wigwam socks!
I’ve walked by many times and finally stopped in.
The owner Marty rocks — I got a pair of Wigwams that were too small and let me bring them back and exchange them for a bigger pair.
Do not waste money and your precious feet on lousy socks — it’s not worth it

The Sock Man is always worth the walk for me. Grabbed 3 pairs of decent quality high grey socks today for just $ 8.00. The customer service is very good and the selection is amazing. I’m not really «into» sock fashion but if you are you should definitely come in here for their funky selection.

Is it just me or do socks you get at k-​mart and other department stores rip easily? Anyway, I stumbled onto the sockman in the east village a few months back, and have been a loyal customer since. If there is a type of sock you want, they probably have it and the prices arent too bad either. The winter is near so I got some thicker gray ones today (can wear them casually or formally!). They have a whole array of interesting socks (def. saw some super hero ones) and the customer service is spot on, you tell them what kind of socks you want and they will deliver.

LOVE this store… I used to work here about 3 years ago until I moved back to nj. I met my bf there who I’m still with 5.5 years later and have a daughter with. This store has the best stuff I have ever seen (sockwise). The owner carries a great selection of stuff! Definitely a landmark of st. marks and I had some of the best times of my life in this place! Check it out

As if I needed another reason to hit up St Marks! Now I can go get japadog, a tattoo, sing karaōke, and score some sweet ass socks in the span of one city block.
Fun fact about me is that I have a strange ass obsession with funky socks. Owning a pair of plain black, brown, or beige socks is something that I cannot comprehend. Wearing some funky NYC taxicab checkered socks under some professional attire at work keeps me sane, or maybe insane depending on how you look at this.
Finding sockman was a true treat for me. I now own socks with turkeys, new years themed, hearts, ninjas, bananas, and my favorite are argyle with monkeys hanging from the stripes. I still need those NYC Subway map socks they make. Notice I said «need». Yes I NEED them!

The Sock Man is a great store for all your sock, garter and suspender needs. Dapper doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg… or foot. You can get most things for around $ 10 or less here.
Let’s hope this great little store stays around for a long time… on the ever-​gentrifying St. Marks Place.
They take credit cards… but will try to guilt you into paying cash. They’ll even take Amex… but they’ll ask for another form of payment. I get it… but it’s a small hassle.
Ideal for: socks, sock garters, suspenders and tights.

My favorite place to buy socks, the owner has a reputation for being cranky but that is offset by a gregarious and happy staff. I bought fingerless gloves from a smiling raver who was singing along to Whitney Houston. Great sock selection from tights to pom poms to stripes.

This place was definitely a guilty-​pleasure without the guilt!
They had everything I wanted and more.
I’m a sucker for socks, leggings and stocking. I loved the personalized attention without being pushy!

Yep I love the Sock Man! He saved my toes from frost bite once and then supplied a great pair nude fishnet stocking for my NYE dress! I absolutely love all the wacky socks he carries — I wish I could grab them all up and bring them home. And you know the weirdest thing — I hate wearing shoes — I“m a flip flop girl, but since I recently relocated to NC — socks are a must. Next time in NYC, I will need to stock up on some socks!

When someone below said, ‘The Sock Man delivereth’…he was not kidding. And I don’t care if you just made that word up, sir, because this place and the people and things contained within it are certainly worth making up words for.
Seriously, every and any style/​design of sock your twisted brain could conjure up (and even some it couldn’t) is available here. Striped socks, polka dot socks, martini socks, Thanksgiving socks, even socks with obscenities printed all over them (YAY!)…you get the idea. I’m not all that much of a sock girl (more a fishnets and backseams girl… and lo and behold, they’ve got those, too!), but even I could not help but gawk and grab.
And the best part of all is that this is the only place in the entire city where I was able to find non-​black laces for my boots… I’d originally come to St Marks in desperation to enter the den of iniquity known as Search and Destroy, prepared to shell out $ 20 for laces of marginal quality, but when they didn’t have any in stock, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to ask the Sock Man. $ 4 A PAIR for gorgeous checkerboard laces in some fantastic colours (as well as a number of other patterns that didn’t strike me so much)…I did have to ask, and the very friendly salesgirl did have to retrieve them from their hiding place, but I got what I was looking for… hell, MORE than I was looking for… and left one happy camper.
LOVE. THIS. PLACE.

The guy who runs this place, Marty, is a super cool East Village treasure. He’s had the shop for 20 years and before that he used to sell socks from a street truck. How cool is that? When I asked him how he got the idea to dedicate his life to socks he said, «I just tried to think of something everybody always needs.» Right on, Marty. Uh huh.
Hey everybody! Go get yourself a pair. Today! He has every kind of sock (and tights!) imaginable. Hurry, before his rent gets hiked and he’s kicked out of this awesome old school East Village landmark.
Keep rockin’ the socks Marty. Yep.

I used to be lame. Girls wouldn’t talk to me, and my life was a dead end. Then I blew about $ 120 at Sock Man and suddenly I had friends from coast to coast. Women want to be me and guys think I’m queer. I’m on top of the world and nothing can stop these super socks!

The ice man cometh, but the sock man delivereth.
I just made up a word. DELIVERETH. Ha.
I love The Sock Man. Here’s but some of what I got:
Martini socks
Skull and crossbones socks
Shark socks
Dog socks
Tropical fish socks
Beer bottle socks
Robot socks
Peace sign socks
Swirling galaxy/​astronomy socks
Others I can’t even think of right now.
There is no end to the socks they carry. Yes, I did drop a big bundle of money on socks, but it was totally worth it.
The sock man indeed delivereth.

I’ve been shopping at The Sock Man since they were a stand on the street – «yeah, over there,» said the guy today, pointing across the street next to Grassroots Tavern when I went to buy my socks today. (In the 80s, that was right across the street from where I lived.)
They’re my go-​to for cheap cotton socks ($ 3, 2 for $ 5 – although they used to be $ 2, 3 for $ 5) and I’ve gotten some excellent tights here, too.
Considering that boutiques and department stores sell ordinary socks for $ 12 – 15, I don’t think their prices are high at all – they gotta eat, too.