Bombas has launched a line of rainbow socks for Pride Month — and for each pair purchased, a pair is donated to someone in need in the LGBTQ+ community

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• The sock brand Bombas has launched a line of rainbow socks in ankle, quarter, and calf lengths (from $12) to celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride Month.
• Since its founding in 2013, Bombas has donated a pair of socks to a homeless shelter for every pair sold.
• For the month of June, for each purchase made from Bombas' Pride line, Bombas is donating a pair to a member of the LGBTQ+ community in need through The Ally Coalition.

This June, more brands than ever are launching rainbow lines in celebration of LGBTQ+ Pride Month. While it's a reassuring sign of mainstream acceptance of the queer community, it's made it difficult to discern which companies are truly invested in giving back to the community and which are just looking to make a quick buck and raise their image at the expense of the cause. As a bona fide Queer Person™, I have a vested interest in ensuring that any Pride products I purchase are benefiting the most vulnerable members of my community, not just padding the pockets of corporate CEOs.

Bombas has launched a line of rainbow socks — available in ankle, quarter, and calf height — that directly benefit homeless youth, who are the most vulnerable members of the LGBTQ+ community. This makes them a stand-out in an overwhelming sea of opportunist rainbow products. From rainbow tie-dye and leopard print designs to patterns matching the transgender and bisexual flags, the line celebrates the individuality and diversity of the LGBTQ+ community. 

Each pair of Pride socks features all the markers of great Bombas quality: its signature honeycomb technology, enhancing arch support where you need it most; a Y-stitched heel that prevents it from bunching at the back of your shoe; and a hand-linked toe seam that completely eliminates that annoying rubbing across your toes as you walk. They are far and away the most comfortable and substantial pair of socks I own, and consistently the first ones I reach for after doing a load of laundry. 

Since its launch in 2013, Bombas has donated a pair of socks to a homeless shelter for every pair it's sold. Unused clothing is the most requested donation item at shelters, and to date, Bombas has donated over 30 million new articles of clothing, including socks and T-shirts to shelters. Bombas has engineered the apparel with antimicrobial finishes and reinforced seams specifically to benefit those who are unable to put on clean clothes each day. This month, they are extending their charitable mission to the LGBTQ+ community in honor of Pride Month.

The Human Rights Campaign reports that LGBTQ+ teens are 120% more likely to experience homelessness than their straight or cisgender peers. Forty percent of homeless youth identify as LGBTQ+, even though LGBTQ+ people comprise 10% of the general population.

To raise awareness of this statistic as well as to directly improve the lives of queer homeless youth in a small way, for each pair of socks purchased from the Pride line, Bombas donating a pair to LGBTQ+ members of the homeless community through The Ally Coalition — an organization that strives to highlight systemic inequality surrounding the LGBTQ+ community through music.

This Pride Month, I invite you to take a deeper look into the rainbow-painted products and offerings to see what contributions (if any) the companies behind them are making to LGBTQ+ causes. If they're anything like Bombas, you can feel confident in your purchase. 

Shop Bombas' 2020 Pride line, from $12