Sockturday: Larga

LARGA is a collection of socks that are made in the USA and designed by Patrick Jacinto. A college varsity swimmer, turned tri-athlete who fell in love with the sport of cycling. Born and raised in Manila, Philippines and now living with his wife and 3 children in Los Angeles, CA. Patrick together with his wife Lorayn (also an avid cyclist) owns and operates 100% of the company. The name LARGA comes from the Tagalog (Austronesian language) word that means “GO”.

What is your favorite Larga socks/shoe combo?

My favorite shoe/sock combos are the Maestro with black or white cycling shoes. In this case, black&white shoes! And one of our bestsellers, Bam-Bam socks with white cycling shoes.

Do you adhere to the height rules or answer demand instead?

With regards to cycling socks, 3-6 inches should do it. I like the socks to hit about mid-calf.

Do you make your own socks or do you use another company to manufacture your designs?

We use a company here in the USA to manufacture our socks that specializes in cycling socks.

Why do you think cycling socks are so much fun to wear/design?

Cycling socks are the last piece of a cycling clothing that is often overlooked. More often than not, it is neglected. We here at Larga believe that cycling socks can make or break a cycling outfit. That is why we are here to promote that cycling socks are fun to wear. We want cyclist to look forward to wearing their cycling socks as much as they can’t wait to wear their cycling kit and go out for a ride!

Why do you not offer a women’s sock different from a men’s? Oftentimes, especially for a smaller footed women the designs is off when worn on the foot and there may be rubbing inside a shoe from seams that are not quite right?

Our socks are unisex. Our designs are not specifically for men but inspired by what’s out there! Our socks are loved by both genders. With regards to seams, we have not received any complaints whatsoever with our socks rubbing inside the shoe.

Do you consider mixed materials in your socks for specific purposes – warmer weather, cooler weather, wet weather, road versus CX, etc? Do materials make a beneficial difference to athletes?

Yes we do! In the Spring and Summer, we would use COOLMAX which is a fast drying fabric. In the Fall and Winter, we would go with Wool socks. We believe that the materials used on any apparel can impact the athletes performance in one way or the other. In our case, you don’t want your feet to feel the heat in the Summer days and  cold in the Winter.

What is your design inspiration? Any meaning behind your designs and patterns?

My design inspiration comes from my family. They are the once that keep me going and design more socks! However, I usually get my design creativeness from what I see in my everyday life. It can be an awesome architecture, a pattern I randomly see. My designs have no limits and boundaries just like our minds!

What is in store for 2016?

A lot’s in store for this year! We have only been in the industry for a year and we see endless possibilities! We would be distributing our socks to bike stores around the world! We are working on our new packaging and our new and improved website just became live 2 days ago! 2016 will be grand! Here is a preview of what’s in store for 2016.