Y-3 Ribbed Ankle Socks

Verified claims

Heritage

Y-3 (2002) pioneered designer sportswear as the first high-fashion-adidas partnership.

Design balance

The ribbed fit, pale color, and subtle logo each embody the balance between avant-garde minimalism and sportswear function.

Sizing

Size 3 fits US men's 9–10.5, size 4 fits US 11.5–13.

Care

Machine wash cold, lay flat to dry to maintain size.

Fit

Ribbed knit offers a secure, tailored fit without compressing or sagging.

Recycled polyamide

13% recycled polyamide sourced from post-industrial waste or ocean plastics.

Entry price

19.99 CAD sale price: the most affordable Y-3 item with recycled materials.

Brand sustainability

Y-3 also uses 100% recycled polyester in its accessories.

Pricing

At $19.99 CAD, this sock undercuts Y-3's cheapest low-cut socks ($45 CAD) by more than half.

Product record

Title

Y-3 Ribbed Ankle Socks

Brand

Y-3

Price

50 CAD

Availability

In stock

How Y-3 socks compare in the designer accessory market

• At full price these socks sit at the lower boundary of Y-3's sock range, where standard models run from $33 USD for classic low-cuts to $83 USD for signature stripes, and the current sale price of 19.99 CAD ($15 USD) undercuts even the most aggressive past-season discounts — meaning the buyer gets the collaboration's full branding and design language for less than half the cost of the brand's cheapest regular sock.
• The use of recycled polyamide in the knit ties these socks into Y-3's wider accessories strategy — crossbody bags and caps in the line are crafted from recycled polyester — and means the pair delivers a sustainability credential that is still scarce at the entry-level price of designer socks.
• Y-3 launched in 2002 as the first long-term partnership between a haute couture designer and a sportswear giant, redefining streetwear years before luxury-athletic crossovers became standard — owning even a pair of socks from the line connects the buyer to that pioneering moment in fashion history, which is a core part of the value for Y-3 enthusiasts.

The Y-3 collaboration and its design ethos

• Yamamoto originally pitched the concept to Nike, who turned him down with a 'we go never to fashion' response, after which adidas accepted and built Y-3 into a benchmark—so this sock carries the legacy of adidas taking the bet that its main rival passed on.
• Y-3 was showing sportswear as high fashion on Paris runways in 2003, long before 'athleisure' became a marketing term, so the brand effectively invented the template that luxury houses and sportswear brands now follow—buying into Y-3 means aligning with the originator of a now-ubiquitous cultural shift.
• Unlike most collaborations that are seasonal, Y-3 has continued as a permanent label for over 20 years with Yamamoto still serving as creative director, a longevity that makes even its accessories a stable, reliable purchase with an established design language rather than a fleeting capsule.
• The first Y-3 runway show at Paris Fashion Week sent over 60 looks down the catwalk, featuring oversized track pants, deconstructed coats, and the three stripes woven into haute couture pieces—proving the concept had serious fashion-caliber depth, not just a branded sneaker drop.
• Yamamoto has emphasized that he works without taboos on Y-3, unlike his mainline, and that the collaboration gave him renewed creative energy when he was tired of conventional fashion—meaning these socks are part of a line born from genuine creative exploration, not a licensed afterthought.
• Yamamoto’s signature black palette, deconstructed cuts, and body-embracing silhouettes fused with adidas’ athletic DNA create a constant tension that makes Y-3 recognizable—a tension that even a simple ribbed ankle sock inherits, offering a piece of that high-low aesthetic conflict at a low entry price.
• The name itself—Y for Yohji, 3 for the adidas three stripes—was a deliberate signal that this was a genuine merger of equals rather than a superficial designer logo applied to existing product, a rarity in early-2000s fashion collaborations and the reason Y-3 carries authentic creative weight from inception.
• Y-3 launched in 2003 as the first partnership between a high-fashion designer and a sportswear giant, helping to create the designer sportswear category decades before luxury athletic collabs became industry norm—meaning even a pair of Y-3 socks is part of a pioneering lineage that reshaped how fashion and sports interact.

Organic cotton and recycled polyamide blend performance

• The product description confirms that the polyamide content is recycled, a material class typically derived from post-industrial waste or reclaimed ocean plastics like discarded fishing nets—so the sock's synthetic component brings a lower environmental footprint while retaining the durability and quick-drying behavior that polyamide is valued for in premium socks.
• The Farfetch listing for this style (brand style ID JZ6269) shows a precise 74% organic cotton and 26% polyamide balance, which yields a sock where the majority cotton provides softness and moisture absorption while the polyamide fraction adds enough elasticity to keep the ribbed ankle secure—so the fit feels tailored rather than compressive.