Gold Toe's roots can be traced back to two German immigrants who founded a small mill in Bally, PA to manufacture men's hosiery. As a tribute to the country that adopted them, the two immigrants named their company Great American Knitting Mills. From the start, Great American set out to look for "golden opportunities" in the marketplace. The most fruitful and long lasting reward was to come from Great American's humble efforts to answer the needs of Americans hard hit by the Great Depression. Consumers wanted hosiery that would wear better and last longer than ever before, so Great American introduced a sock with a gold reinforcing yarn sewn in the toe. Before long, Americans everywhere were asking for the durable "sock with the gold toe." GOLDTOE hosiery had emerged as one of the leading brands in America, and The Standard of Quality in the Industry. The Company has sinced changed its name to Gold Toe Brands and today GOLDTOE represents more than one-half of all department store sales for men's casual socks.