How did brothers Christian and Justin Arquilla become "ex-finance guys" in the business of socks?

The co-founders of Pacas started their entrepreneurial journey back in 2013 — when faced with an all-too-common problem. "I had been walking around New York in loafers, like boat shoes or whatever, all day," Justin recalls, "and [my wife is] like, 'Your feet smell terrible, your shoes smell terrible, you have to start wearing those little no-show socks.'"

Justin set out to acquire those no-show socks, but he was less than impressed by the options, most of which either showed or slipped down. Why not create a better product to fill the gap? Justin called Christian to float the idea of starting their own business for no-show socks, and he was all in. The duo launched Gekks, a no-show sock knit with silver antimicrobial yarn that slides into the shoe (instead of onto the foot), in 2015.

Related: This Couple Wanted to Make an Everyday Household Product 'Unquestionably Better.' Now Their Business Sees Over $200 Million Annual Revenue: 'Obliterated Our Goals.'

After a few years and increasing requests for women's products, Gekks expanded its line, introducing a women's no-show sock for ballet flats. The new design was a major hit, the Arquillas note: By 2019, 90% of Gekks' revenue came from its women's products — with 45% from the ballet flat product alone.

Then, March 2020 rolled around. With pandemic lockdowns in full force and fewer professionals going into the office, there was less incentive for people to try Gekks. The brothers had to find another way to

© Entrepreneur