Supermelange is not a pattern — it is a blending technique. Old Gold, Navy, Irr (the blue-violet periwinkle), Hot Chocolate, and Off White are combined in the yarn before knitting, producing a tone-on-tone heathered colour that carries all five simultaneously. The result is warm and complex: the gold gives warmth, the navy gives depth, the Irr gives a cool periwinkle undertone, the Hot Chocolate grounds it in brown, and the Off White lightens the overall mix. It reads as a warm autumnal tone — earthy, rich, considered — with the kind of visual interest that a solid colour cannot achieve.

The lifestyle image confirms the register precisely: Adidas Handball Spezial, the shoe that sits at the intersection of vintage sport and contemporary casual. The Relax Heavy Rib is that sock — not a dress sock, not a sport sock, but the sock for the considered casual outfit that takes cold weather seriously.

Best footwear:

• Chelsea boots and chukka boots in suede and leather — the chunky rib fills the boot shaft and holds its shape; the warm supermelange tone connects to tan and brown leather — see boots guide →
• Adidas Handball Spezial, Adidas Samba, and similar low-profile vintage court shoes — the lifestyle brief; the heavy-rib sock above the shoe cuff reads as deliberate and considered
• Chunky sneakers (New Balance 990, ASICS Gel-Kayano, Salomon) — the heavier sock construction suits more shoe volume
• Tan and brown leather loafers and penny loafers in the colder months — see loafer guide →
• White leather sneakers — the Off White element in the supermelange blend connects to the shoe; the sock reads as a warm earthy accent above

Best trousers: Dark indigo denim — the definitive pairing for a heavy-rib autumnal sock · Olive and khaki chinos · Camel and tobacco wool trousers · Dark flannel · Corduroy · Any trouser in the autumn-winter palette where the sock is visible at the ankle

Best socks for boots — style guide →
Organic cotton socks buyer's guide 2026 →

Supermelange is a yarn construction technique where multiple fibres in different tones are blended together before spinning — producing a single yarn that carries all five colours simultaneously rather than being dyed a single flat colour after the fact. When knitted, this creates a heathered, tone-on-tone visual texture: the sock reads as one colour from a distance and reveals its component tones up close, in changing light, and against different backgrounds.

Standard melange blends two or three tones. Supermelange blends five — which is why the result is richer and more complex than a standard heathered sock. The Old Gold / Navy / Irr / Hot Chocolate / Off White blend is specifically designed as a warm autumnal grouping: the five tones are chosen to work together across the range rather than compete with each other.

The practical effect: the sock does not look the same in every light. In warm indoor light, the gold and hot chocolate tones come forward. In cold outdoor light, the navy and Irr undertones become more visible. This is the quality that distinguishes supermelange from both solid-dyed socks and simple heathered two-tone socks.

The Relax Heavy Rib (DS3800) is a fundamentally different sock from the rest of the Democratique range — different gauge, different weight, different occasion.

6–9 gauge chunky knit. Where the Fine Rib and Athletique Classique are both knitted at 200 needles (producing a fine, dense fabric), the Relax is knitted at 6–9 gauge — a much coarser construction that produces large, visible rib columns, significant fabric thickness, and a genuinely chunky hand feel. This is the gauge of hand-knit-adjacent socks, of ski socks, of the kind of sock that adds visible volume inside a boot or above a shoe cuff.

93% organic combed cotton. The highest organic cotton content in the range — more cotton, less polyamide and elastane than the Fine Rib (75%) or the Athletique Classique (82%). The result is a softer, warmer feel with a more natural, less elastic quality.

The occasion. Fine Rib is for dress shoes and formal contexts. Athletique Classique is for sneakers and crew-sock casual dressing. The Relax is for boots, for cold weather, for the weekend, for home. It is not a formal sock in any context — it is the sock that makes autumn dressing feel substantial rather than just warm.

• Construction: Relax Heavy Rib Supermelange — DS3800
• Colours: Old Gold · Navy · Irr (Iris Blue / periwinkle) · Hot Chocolate · Off White — blended as supermelange yarn
• Composition: 93% organic combed cotton · 6% polyamide · 1% elastane
• Gauge: 6–9 gauge chunky heavy-rib knit — large visible rib, significant fabric weight
• Toe: Hand-linked — closed by hand, virtually seamless against the foot
• Certification: OEKO-TEX Standard 100 — every component tested
• Length: Crew — mid-calf, holds its shape at the upper calf
• Finish: Pre-washed and steamed — comfortable from the first wear
• Sizes: EU 41–46 — size guide →
• Origin: Designed in Copenhagen, Est. 2011 · Crafted in Istanbul
• Sustainability: Our sustainability practices →

• Wash inside out at 30°C / 86°F — preserves all five tones in the supermelange blend
• Wash before first wear
• Air dry flat — do not tumble dry; the chunky gauge can lose shape under heat
• Wash with mid-tones — the blend contains both warm (gold, hot chocolate) and cool (navy, Irr) elements; wash with similar autumn-palette tones
• Do not bleach or iron

Full sock care guide →

What is supermelange — how is it different from a standard heathered sock?

A standard heathered sock blends two or three yarn tones to create a subtle mottled texture. Supermelange blends five — in this case Old Gold, Navy, Irr, Hot Chocolate, and Off White — producing a much richer, more complex colour that changes in different light conditions. The sock reads as a single warm earthy tone from a distance; up close and in varying light, the component colours become visible separately. It is the difference between a paint mixed from two colours and one mixed from five.

How does the Relax differ from the Fine Rib and Athletique Classique?

Completely different construction, weight, and occasion. The Fine Rib (DS1006) is a 200-needle thin dress sock for leather shoes and formal contexts. The Athletique Classique (DS1528) is a 200-needle heavier crew sock for sneakers and casual visible-sock dressing. The Relax Heavy Rib (DS3800) is a 6–9 gauge chunky sock — coarser, thicker, and warmer — built for boots, cold weather, and the relaxed end of casual dressing. The 93% organic cotton content (vs 75% for Fine Rib and 82% for Athletique Classique) adds to the warmth and softness.

Can these be worn year-round?

The Relax collection is built for autumn and winter — the gauge, the weight, and the warm supermelange tones are specifically designed for October through March dressing. In warmer months the Fine Rib or Athletique Classique are the right weight. This is the sock for when you need your socks to do some work.

What does "Irr" mean in the colour name?

Irr is short for Iris Blue — a blue-violet periwinkle tone that appears across several Democratique colourways. As a standalone Fine Rib colour it reads as a medium blue with a violet undertone; blended into this supermelange with gold, navy, hot chocolate, and off-white, it contributes the cool periwinkle undertone that prevents the overall blend from reading as purely warm or brown.

Do you ship internationally?

Yes — worldwide, with free shipping above 75€ / 75£ / 100 USD / 400 DKK. 99.2% of orders ship the same day. Full shipping information →

• Full Relax collection →
• Fine Rib Hot Chocolate — the dress sock version of this tone →
• Fine Rib Irr — the periwinkle tone as a solid dress sock →
• Fine Rib Navy — the formal foundation →
• Curated multipacks →
• Originals Fine Rib — for dress shoes and formal →
• Athletique Classique — for sneakers and crew-sock casual →