Since the socks became a hit with passionate Maple Leafs fans, they have been shipping them all over the world.
Not many good ideas are born out of beer league hockey dressing rooms. Trust us. But Jake Mednick and Thomas McCole have turned what seemed like an off-the-cuff joke into a booming business.
That business is Babsocks – a unisex, one-size-fits-all sock in blue and white adorned with the animated, disapproving face of Toronto Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock. “For a reason I can hardly remember, I joked about Babsocks being something funny to create,” Mednick said. “While I was joking, Tom knew I was on to something and he hustled to get a prototype made. . .We have been coming up with creative and goofy ideas for years but this is the first time any thing materialized.”
Since the socks became a hit with passionate Maple Leafs fans, they have been shipping them all over the world. To date they have sold 5,000 pairs of socks through their website, including a big order placed by Babcock himself. “He’s been incredibly gracious and supportive,” Mednick said. “He bought 30 pairs leading up to Christmas. As stern as he appears sometimes, he’s got a terrific humor about him.”
The socks now come in a variety of colors and specialty designs, with even more planned for the future – keep an eye out for the World Cup version – as well as another product altogether. “While new ideas are always being bounced around, ‘Shanahands’ are the most likely to hit our online shelves for next season,” Mednick said. Stay tuned.