Sorel, a division of Columbia Sportswear Company has signed a North American license agreement with Crescent, Inc. for the design, manufacture and marketing of men's, women's and children's socks. The Sorel branded sock collection will be available for fall 2004.

“Socks are a natural extension of our cold-weather footwear collection and we are very pleased to associate ourselves with Crescent, a company that is recognized as a premier manufacturer of socks with an excellent reputation for quality and value,” said Ed Howell, Sorel's President.

While socks complement Sorel's footwear collection, the design and production of performance cold-weather and work pro socks are highly specialized. Therefore, Sorel opted to pursue a license agreement rather than design and manufacture the new sock collection in house.

“We are excited about an association with the resurgent Sorel brand,” said Pete Glidewell, Crescent's vice President of Sales. “Our relationship is a perfect fit because Sorel has long stood for products that withstand the elements and so do our socks.”