Texans CB Charles James to unveil line of socks Sunday

HOUSTON - Balitello of New York, makers of performance dress socks, and Houston Texans cornerback Charles James II are a perfect fit.

James' love of designer socks first became public during HBO's "Hard Knocks" series, which caught the attention of Balitello officials.

"We hooked up with Charles James because we saw a similar story in the fact that we're a startup trying to make a name for ourselves, and he's doing the same within the NFL and he's doing a great job at it," said Mickey Abbatiello, founder of Balitello, in an interview with FOX 26 Sports.

"We're trying to get to the same places, just in different occupations," Abbatiello said.

Abbatiello started the company with Robert Baldino. The ownership group includes designer Vincent Branciforti.

Baltitello has been making socks for seven months.

James' line of socks is called "Balitello X Charles James II."

Each sock will have its own name, with the first one unveiled before the Texans play the New England Patriots at NRG Stadium.

"The first sock that I'm coming out with, that you'll see Sunday night, I'll wear pregame," James said in an interview with FOX 26 Sports. "It's called the Pride Sock.

"It's a performance dress sock. You can wear it athletically or like when you're dressed up in a suit. The best of both worlds."

NFL rules prohibit James from wearing his socks during games.

James' involvement goes far beyond just having his name on the product.

"Oh yeah, 100 percent," Abbatiello said. "This is his sock more than it is ours.

"We basically had design sessions over the phone. Charles would give us what he likes. He was very involved."

James said the process was challenging.

"It took a lot of hours," James said. "I never knew how hard it was to put something out, especially a sock of your own. I'm glad a whole bunch of people will actually be able to buy Charles James socks. They've asked for it for so long. This is something I definitely wanted to do for fans and for me.

"I want people to be comfortable when they wear socks, and for them to think of me when they're wearing them too."

While James' focus is helping the Texans win games, he is thrilled that his love of designer socks is now taking on a life of its own.

"It's very cool," James said. "I've been wearing different colored socks for awhile, but to actually have my own line is big.

"I also want to thank the fans and the fans of Charles James for making this possible, because to be honest I wouldn't have done it without them."

For more information about the Charles James line of socks with Balitello go to balitello.com/cj