Hemp is one of those materials most people have opinions about without ever really having thought about it. It’s linked in most minds to something else entirely — its cousin, cannabis — which has quietly kept it out of mainstream conversation for the better part of a century.

Which is a genuine shame. Because hemp is one of the oldest, most versatile, and most underrated fibres in human history.

It’s been woven into clothing for over 10,000 years. It’s more durable than cotton and more sustainable than almost every other textile in existence. It softens with wear, breathes beautifully, and has natural properties that make it particularly well-suited to being worn against skin.

This is a proper look at hemp — what it actually is, why it’s underrated, what it does so well, and why (yes) it’s become one of the materials I’m most excited about for our tabi socks.

What hemp actually is

Hemp is a variety of the Cannabis sativa plant. This is where the confusion needs clearing up right at the start — hemp and marijuana are like different breeds of the same species, in the same way that Chihuahuas and Great Danes are both dogs but exist for completely different purposes.

Industrial hemp is bred specifically for its fibre and seeds, and contains almost no THC (the psychoactive compound in marijuana).

By UK and EU law, industrial hemp must contain less than 0.2% THC. There is no version of this plant that could get anyone anywhere near intoxicated.

The fibre used in textiles comes from the bast — the tough, stringy layer just under the outer bark of the stem. Once harvested and processed, hemp fibre is extraordinarily strong. It’s one of the longest and most durable natural fibres in the world, and has been used to make everything from ancient Chinese paper to the sails of 18th-century warships.

A very old story

Hemp is one of the earliest textiles we have archaeological evidence of. Fragments of hemp cloth have been dated to over 10,000 years ago in what is now Asia — predating cotton in most parts of the world by thousands of years.

In Japan specifically, hemp is deeply embedded in the culture. The Japanese word for hemp is 麻 (asa). For over a thousand years before cotton arrived in Japan in the 15th century, hemp was the everyday fibre of the country. Farmers wore it. Samurai wore it. Emperors’ ceremonial robes contained it. We have a tabi sock made in Japan with the asanoha pattern (hemp pattern) in 5 different colours.

Hemp also plays a sacred role in Shinto. The white shimenawa — the huge braided ropes that mark sacred spaces at Shinto shrines — are traditionally made from hemp. So are the gohei, the paper streamers that hang from shrine ceilings. Hemp represented purity, connection to the divine, and continuity of tradition.

None of that history has really made it into the mainstream Western understanding of hemp. Which brings us neatly to the underrated part.

Why hemp is underrated

The reason hemp isn’t more widely known has almost nothing to do with the material itself and everything to do with 20th-century politics.

In the 1930s and 40s, industrial hemp became caught up in the wider prohibition of cannabis, first in the United States and then across most of the Western world.

Did you know in 1941 Henry Ford successfully experimented building a car out of plastic from hemp and other plant materials (making it 30% lighter than steel cars and far tougher than steel too) and it ran on hemp fuel which was making his dreams come true towards creating automobiles run from biomass and the ground.

Growing hemp became either illegal or heavily restricted, even though it has none of the intoxicating properties of marijuana. Entire manufacturing industries — many of them centuries old — quietly collapsed. 

Cotton and synthetic fibres filled the gap.

It’s only in the last twenty years or so that hemp has started to make its way back into mainstream textile production, as laws have relaxed and sustainability has become a serious consideration for the industry. Today it’s grown legally in the UK, EU, US (only very recently in 2018) and China is currently the world's biggest exporter, but the industry is still rebuilding after a lost century.

Which is why, when people encounter hemp today, they often mistake it for a trend or a novelty. It really isn’t. It’s a return to something humanity used for millennia and forgot about.

Hemp socks: why hemp is such a good sock fibre

Hemp has an unusually good set of properties for a natural fibre worn against skin — and for socks specifically, hemp is one of the strongest options you can put on your feet.

Extraordinary durability.

Hemp fibres are among the longest and strongest natural fibres in existence — around three times stronger than cotton by tensile strength. Hemp socks and hemp textiles routinely last decades, not months.

If you’ve ever heard of a piece of hemp clothing being passed down between generations, it’s because they genuinely last that long.

For socks, this translates to pairs that hold their shape and integrity through hundreds of wears and washes.

Naturally breathable.

Hemp fabric has a slightly porous structure that lets air move through it easily. It’s cool in hot weather and warm in cold weather — a natural thermoregulator.

Antimicrobial and antibacterial.

Hemp has natural properties that resist the bacterial growth behind most fabric odour. This isn’t marketing spin — it’s a well-documented property of the fibre. For hemp socks specifically, this means significantly less foot odour than cotton or synthetic socks over long wear.

Moisture-wicking.

Hemp absorbs and releases moisture faster than cotton, which means it dries quickly and doesn’t stay damp against skin.

Softens with wear.

One of hemp’s most quietly brilliant features. Unlike cotton, which tends to break down and pill over years of wear, hemp becomes softer and more supple the more you use it. A well-made hemp garment feels better in year five than it did in year one.

Naturally UV-resistant.

Hemp fibres block a significant amount of ultraviolet light naturally, which is why hemp workwear has historically been popular in agricultural cultures around the world.

Hypoallergenic.

Hemp is naturally hypoallergenic — a good option for sensitive skin that reacts to synthetics or certain wool.

The sustainability case: why hemp matters now

Hemp is one of the most environmentally friendly crops on the planet, and this is where the case for it really becomes urgent.

·       It grows fast. A hemp plant can go from seed to harvest in around four months. This makes it one of the fastest growing plants on earth!

·       No pesticides are needed. Hemp is naturally pest-resistant — meaning it can be grown without the chemical inputs that make conventional cotton one of the most polluting crops in agriculture.

·       It uses very little water. Hemp requires roughly half the water of cotton to produce the same amount of fibre.

·       It improves the soil. Hemp is a phytoremediator — a plant that actually cleans and enriches the soil it grows in. It’s been used to help remediate land damaged by heavy metals.

·       It captures carbon. An acre of hemp absorbs more CO2 than an acre of forest — and much faster.

·       It’s biodegradable. Hemp textiles break down completely at the end of their life, unlike synthetics that persist in landfill and oceans for centuries.

In a world where the fashion industry is one of the largest polluters on the planet, hemp is one of the genuinely credible answers.

Different uses: hemp is much more than just clothing

Hemp does far more than textiles. A brief tour of what this plant can become:

Textiles.

Clothing, bedding, upholstery, canvas, denim, rope. From workwear to luxury.

Building materials.

Hempcrete — a hemp-lime composite — is used to build breathable, thermally efficient walls that regulate indoor humidity and last for centuries.

Paper.

Hemp paper predates modern wood-pulp paper by centuries. The original US Declaration of Independence was drafted on hemp paper.

Food.

Hemp seeds and hemp oil are nutritional staples — rich in protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and essential minerals.

Bioplastics.

Hemp-based plastics are being developed as biodegradable alternatives to petroleum-based ones.

Cosmetics and skincare.

Hemp seed oil appears in a growing range of skincare products for its moisturising and skin-soothing properties. It is also increasingly being offered to pets as a natural dietary supplement for an alternative source of omega fatty acids.

It’s genuinely one of the most versatile plants on the planet — and that versatility is part of why interest in it is quietly returning.

Hemp socks and hemp textiles in modern fashion

The luxury and slow-fashion end of the market is increasingly interested in hemp. Brands like Patagonia, Levi’s, Prada and Stella McCartney have all released hemp lines in the last few years.

Independent Japanese and Scandinavian makers use hemp for kimono, workwear and everyday garments — and hemp socks are quietly re-emerging as a category of their own, particularly in the sustainable and slow-fashion space.

The mass market is slower to shift — hemp textiles cost more than fast-fashion cotton, and the industry needs to rebuild its manufacturing scale. But the direction of travel is clear. The properties that made hemp humanity’s dominant textile fibre for thousands of years are, if anything, more relevant now than ever.

Hemp socks in the UK are still a rarity — but we hope with Tabi Co. acknowledging hemp closely on our radar, that it won't be for much longer.

Why we’re bringing hemp tabi socks to the UK this autumn

Which brings me to why hemp has quietly become one of the materials I’m most excited about for Tabi Co. — and why hemp tabi socks are launching this autumn as one of our proudest new additions.

The historical fit is perfect.

Hemp is Japan’s original sock fibre — it clothed the country for over a thousand years before cotton arrived. What we’re doing isn’t introducing a new material to the category; it’s returning tabi socks to something they deserve to be.

The performance fits our standards.

Everything hemp does well — breathability, moisture-wicking, natural antimicrobial properties, softening with wear — is exactly what a really considered sock needs to do. Hemp socks are a material that improves the longer you own them.

The sustainability matters.

We want Tabi Co. to be a brand built for the long term, and using materials that don’t cost the planet is central to that. Hemp socks give us a genuinely credible sustainability story to sit alongside our cotton and wool ranges.

And honestly — the discovery is fun.

Hemp tabi socks are almost unheard of in the UK. Being one of the very first places to sell them means we get to introduce a lot of customers to something remarkable — a sock fibre with literally eons years of history that most people have never worn!

What to expect from hemp socks

If you’ve never worn hemp before, a few notes on what to expect.

·       The first wear feels slightly firmer or coarser than cotton. This is normal — hemp fibres are longer and denser, and the fabric takes a few wears and washes to fully break in. Give it a week or two.

·       By the tenth wear, they’ll be noticeably softer. Hemp softens continuously across its lifetime, and the change is significant.

·       The colour ages beautifully. Hemp doesn’t fade in the flat, sad way cheap dye on cotton does — it takes on a slightly deeper, more lived-in tone over time.

·       They breathe differently. You’ll notice it particularly in hot weather — hemp socks feel noticeably cooler and drier than cotton equivalents.

·       They’ll outlast almost anything else in your drawer. Not a marketing claim — a property of the fibre.

Frequently asked questions about hemp socks

Are hemp socks better than cotton socks?

Arguably, we think there is strong argument for this. Hemp socks are more durable, more breathable, more moisture-wicking, and naturally antimicrobial. Cotton is softer straight out of the pack, but there is a very costly environmental impact with cotton too. Hemp socks catch up quickly with wear — and then keep improving. For long-term value, hemp wins.

Are hemp socks scratchy?

The first wear can feel scratchier than cotton which is expected. From there they soften continuously — by the tenth wear they’re noticeably softer, and by the fiftieth they’re extremely soft. Modern hemp blend socks often feel soft from day one.

How do I care for hemp socks?

Cool wash, gentle detergent, air dry. Never tumble-dry — heat is hard on any natural fibre. Hemp handles regular washing exceptionally well and holds its shape for years.

Are hemp socks sustainable?

Yes — hemp is one of the most sustainable textile fibres in existence. It uses less water than cotton, needs no pesticides, grows faster, improves the soil, and captures more carbon per acre. Choosing hemp socks over cheap synthetic or conventionally grown cotton is one of the small, meaningful choices you can make for the planet.

Where can I buy hemp socks in the UK?

Hemp socks are still rare in the UK. Our own hemp tabi socks are launching in Autumn 2026 — one of the very first hemp tabi ranges available in the UK. Sign up to our newsletter to be first to hear about the launch!

Is hemp the same as marijuana?

No. They’re related varieties of the same plant species, but industrial hemp contains almost no THC and can’t produce any intoxicating effect. Hemp is grown legally worldwide, including in the UK.

Why aren’t hemp socks more common in shops?

Prohibition of cannabis in the 20th century wiped out most of the world’s hemp textile industry. It’s rebuilding now, but the manufacturing infrastructure that exists for cotton took generations to develop. Hemp is catching up — and hemp socks are one of the categories starting to reappear on the UK market.

A quiet great, returning to everyday life

Hemp is one of the quiet greats. A material with 10,000 years of history, an unusually good set of properties for socks, and one of the strongest sustainability stories in textiles today. It’s the material that clothed our ancestors for millennia — and, if the fashion industry has any long-term sense, will clothe our descendants too.

Our hemp tabi socks — one of the very first hemp tabi ranges in the UK — are launching this autumn. Sign up to the Tabi Co. newsletter to be first to hear about the launch!

Below are sneak peak picture of our Hemp Tabi socks which will be available in off-white and black, made ethically by a family run tabi sock factory in Japan.