After Partha Unnava broke his ankle shooting hoops, he endured a year of intense rehab and recovery with the goal of one day dunking a basketball again. Not only did he accomplish that, he also made a slam dunk with his creation of a sock which mimics the benefits of medical tape.

Lasso Sock’s patented technology is now being embraced by everyone from NFL players to everyday sports enthusiasts.

Throughout the Pandemic, the company has dedicated itself to giving back to our nations heroes by donating of over 200 pairs of socks to doctors, delivery drivers and firefighters.

We spoke with Partha, CEO & Founder of Lasso, to discover more about the company and the changes endured over the past year.

Q&A With Partha Unnava, CEO & Founder of Lasso

Q: Who are Lasso socks targeted for?

A: Lasso Socks are made for everybody who moves. We believe that apparel should be designed to work with the body and improve how it moves, so we made socks that mimic the benefits of applying kinesio tape to your foot and ankle. This means just by putting on your sock in the morning, your body is able to move better all day. 

Q: How does Kinesio tape work?

A: The tape applies pressure via compression to key areas in the foot and the ankle. This improves proprioception, coordination, balance, and tendon and ligament activation. It also helps alleviate pain from conditions like plantar fasciitis, sever’s disease, flat feet, and after ankle rolls. To you, this just feels like a soft, snug fit. One customer describes it as “tiny foot hugs.”

Q: Lasso does a lot of in person marketing – how did that change when the pandemic hit?

A: We had to shift our focus primarily to digital. It was tough because we like to be really active in health, fitness, and sport communities and it hurt seeing all of those events go on hold and all of those people get stuck away from their communities. We are excited to get back to being in the world with our community.

Q: The company has been doing its part to give back during the pandemic. Tell us about your “Move With Compassion Campaign” and some of your other recent initiatives.

A: When COVID-19 started to become a real issue in early March of last year, Jared (the President of Lasso) and I were in St. Louis. We heard things were getting bad in New York and LA (our respective homes) so we cancelled a few meetings to get back home to our families. I remember vividly sitting in the airport and talking through everything that was happening in the world. Then Jared looked at me and said, “What can we do?”

We believed that if we gave our customer base an opportunity to help, together we would be able to make an impact. After all – it takes a village. So we donated one sock per order to front line hospital workers and our community showed up.

We were able to donate to over 200 hospitals, helping medical professionals across the country who were working extra hours to Stay Moving.

Q: Are there any changes that Lasso implemented during the pandemic that you plan to continue?

A: Our culture changed drastically into a complete lifestyle. Our team members all remark that working for Lasso is a way of life, it’s not an office you clock in and clock out. That cultural change happened when everyone was faced with the fact that they had to prioritize taking care of themselves and found ways to integrate their jobs into the daily habits that keep them well. Everyone became happier and I hope we continue that way of looking at business moving forward.