It’s that time of year again, what is your buy it for life brand of merino wool socks?
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darn tough all the way, they’re pricey but worth it 100%
I have had better luck with SmartWool than with Darn Tough. My Darn Tough socks have developed pills. Both brands have dropped in quality over the past decade.
I’ve had the opposite experience. My smartwools all fall apart now.
Seconding this anecdote. Bought several pairs of smart wool and darn tough a few years back. Darn tough are still going strong, but my smart wool have significant holes.
I had a bad first experience with smartwool (the pair gifted to me are abysmally thin and I can’t stand thin socks lol) I enjoy that darn tough has midweight and heavyweight and wish they made heavier-weighted quarter-length. I got some crew socks recently that the seam rubs my toe a little in my hiking boots but my heavier weighted ones do fine. I’ve decided that at this point perhaps it’s not the sock, but that my pinky toes refuse to conform 😩
I cannot speak to SmartWool but my Darn Tough socks, while still useable, are not the same socks they were even a year ago.
Came here to say this. Beat me to it.
Darn tough Vermont
I switched over almost exclusively to 16 pairs of darn tough women’s solid basic crew socks (66% Merino Wool, 32% Nylon, 2% Lycra Spandex) in 2018. That set of socks is still holding up. The backs of the heels are starting to wear thin, but the only actual holes have been due to the dog.
The only reason I recently purchased different socks is that I found I benefit from compression socks, which darn tough does not make anymore. I got sockwell men’s elevation socks (31% merino wool, 31% bamboo rayon, 30% stretch nylon, 8% spandex), which offer 20-30mmHg graduated compression. I have not owned them long enough to speak to their durability.
Darn tough are the only socks I buy. They’re around $25 USD per pair, but that’s incredibly cheap when you consider you’ll have these socks for the rest of your life. I bought 12 pairs a few years ago and now never have to worry about socks again.
If they last your whole life, then why buy so many? I would want to put the warranty to the test and wear the same pair every day. I suppose laundry cycles are the driver. Would be ideal if they would weave silver into them like that t-shirt that can be worn 7 times between washes.
Darn Tough or Farm to Feet depending on what you like in a BIFL sock. Farm to Feet has more selection, generally a narrower fit (though not by much) and doesn’t make your feet so sweaty. Darn Tough is more widely available, fits a bit wider in the toes (again, not by much) and can turn into a feeling of wearing sweaty bags in your feet. So we’re clear, both are moisture wicking. Neither are going to create an environment that encourages fungal growth. It’s all preference, especially since they have effectively the same warranty
Darn tough socks are the only brand I’ve tried. I bought mine about 4 years ago and no issues. I’m worried what people are saying about lower quality recently. Hope that’s not the case
Fitsok is pretty great too. I’ve had pairs last nearly a decade so far through years of daily use and endurance exercise without any holes.
The more important question for me is, how do I avoid merino products that are the product of the most abhorrent animal abuse on the planet?
This article talks about Australia, and I don’t live there, but knowing who to trust is a difficult question in any country when it comes to merino https://www.lemonde.fr/en/m-le-mag/article/2022/09/25/with-merino-wool-the-question-of-animal-welfare-is-back-in-fashion_5998179_117.html
Paywall bypass on the linked article: https://archive.ph/bRBjE
Are there many brands offering the lifetime guarantee on socks? I only read about one supplier doing that (#DarnTough). In this thread, folks so far also mentioned:
- Farm to Feet ← Cloudflare website thus show stopper for me unless there’s an alternate merchant
- joycaco.com ← Cloudflare website thus show stopper for me unless there’s an alternate merchant
- smartwool ← not a brand. There are many smartwool sock makers and from what I’ve worn (although comfortable) they have no hope of lasting a lifetime.
You can get Farm to Feet socks from a bunch of merchants, including most outdoor stores in the south eastern United States. For online retailers REI and sportsmans.com both carry them, as well as Jeffy B (please don’t buy from Jeffy B)
