John's Crazy Socks Opens First-Ever Retail Store in Huntington Village

The mission-driven sock company, founded here in 2016, has come home with a permanent storefront on Main Street

After nearly nine years of shipping happiness to customers around the world, John's Crazy Socks has opened its first retail store right where it all began: in the heart of Huntington Village.

The store at 328A Main Street held its grand opening ribbon cutting on June 25, drawing several hundred community members to celebrate. The crowd was large enough that the ceremony moved outdoors onto the street. State Senator Mario Mattera, Suffolk County Legislators Stephanie Bontempe and Rebecca Sanin, and Town of Huntington officials including Board Member Dr. David Bernardo, Town Clerk Andrew Rea, and Receiver of Taxes Jillian Guthman attended and presented proclamations to co-founder John Cronin.

A Local Story

John Cronin grew up in Huntington. He went to school here. When he finished school in 2016 and meaningful work was hard to find, he came to his father Mark X. Cronin with an idea: let’s go into business together. They settled on something personal. John had worn crazy socks his whole life. "They are fun, creative, colorful," John has said, "and they always let me be me."

They opened John's Crazy Socks in December 2016 with a simple mission: spread happiness and show what people with differing abilities can do. In their first two weeks, they shipped 452 orders. Nearly a decade later, the company has shipped over 500,000 packages to customers in 94 countries and donated more than $850,000 to charity partners.

Until now, it had all happened online. "We started our business in Huntington and now we have returned to Huntington Village," said Mark X. Cronin at the ribbon cutting. "For years, people have been asking us to open a retail store, and now we have done it."

What You'll Find There

The store at 328A Main Street, located in a courtyard just off the main road, is colorful, fun, and hard to leave without smiling. It carries John's Crazy Socks' full line of designed-and-manufactured socks, including awareness socks that give back to charity partners, along with gifts and accessories.

More than half of the store's team members have differing abilities. The Sock Wranglers, as the team is called, work across both the retail floor and the fulfillment center that shares the building.

John Cronin is in the store when he is not traveling for speaking engagements. For many visitors, meeting John is the moment they remember. One customer at the grand opening put it simply: "Just walking in here makes me happy. All the bright colors, the socks and so many happy people."

Bigger Than a Store

The space at 328A Main Street does more than retail. The building also houses the company's fulfillment center, where orders are picked, packed, and shipped daily, and a newly opened podcast studio.

Next year, John's Crazy Socks plans to open a Job Training Academy at the same location, a program to train people with differing abilities for careers in warehouse and retail environments. It builds on years of school tours and work group programs the company has hosted, with several thousand participants to date.

Huntington Chamber of Commerce Administrator Kelly Smith, who attended the grand opening, called the event "nothing short of magical." Senator Mattera said what many in the crowd were feeling: "We need happiness now more than ever."

Visit the Store

John's Crazy Socks is located at 328A Main Street, Huntington Village, in the courtyard just off Main Street. For more information, visit johnscrazysocks.com or call 631-760-5625.