Darn Tough Question

[yerbyray]

I am considering two pair of the Darn Tough Merino Wool Hiking Socks as I have had horrific issues with blisters over the years. Do they run true to size? I wear a men 11 wide boot (foot size is anywhere from 10.5 to 12 depending on the make.)

Thank you for your positive feed back.

[Old Hiker]

I use extra large and some types are a touch tight after a year of washing, but not to the point of causing blisters, while others are still OK.

The worst problem is that occasionally, 4 times to be exact, one of a pair will dissolve in the washer. I have 4 sox that don't match. I still use them for hiking, though. No one has complained about mis-matched sox yet. Not sure if the warranty covers this.

[July]

they do run true to size in my experience. I'm around11.5 and wear the large, have some pairs that are several years old. They have been great socks.

[Sirsnappy09]

They run true to size and are excellent socks.

[bigcranky]

Yes, but I get XL even though I wear an 11 and should get L. They do get a little smaller in the wash and I prefer some extra room in the toe or I lose more toenails.

[HeartFire]

I find Darn Tough socks to be tight - so I buy a larger size than I usually do.

[sympathetic joy]

They run a little tight for me. I wear size 9 shoes and the Medium are snug. I wear them fight but I'd prefer if they were a tag bit bigger. I'll order Large next time.

[Dogwood]

I give you credit for exploring solutions to the blister issues by considering two pr of Darn Tough socks. That could, however, cause greater issues to blisters IF you aren't allowing for the additional needed interior volume of your footwear. Have you also tried a silk sock liner possibly under a thinner merino sock, switching to different shoes that are NOT boots that have a bit more flexible upper especially in the width, and possibly much greater breathability, and tried anti friction balms that are applied on your sensitive to blister areas BEFORE beginning a hike?

[MuddyWaters]

Fine for me at 11.5. I dont want wrinkles in my socks.

[CarlZ993]

I picked up some Darn Tough socks on my AT hike & was very impressed with them. They seemed to be sized a little snug.

You didn't mention where you were having blister issues. I've used several methods to minimize or eliminate blister problems.
1. With conventional wool socks, I'll add some Blistershield Food Powder in the sock. Really works well. I'll add some more powder each day. Note: I never use a sock liner. Personal preference. I normally use this system.
2. Use Injinji toe socks (I prefer the wool blend over the synthetic for hiking). Any toe-to-toe rubbing is done against fabric instead of skin. Note: I occasionally use this method in hiking. I always use this method when running.

[HighLiner]

If you get blisters your shoes are too small. Buy bigger ones as your feet swell when hiking with a pack. It will make all the difference.

[yerbyray]

I give you credit for exploring solutions to the blister issues by considering two pr of Darn Tough socks. That could, however, cause greater issues to blisters IF you aren't allowing for the additional needed interior volume of your footwear. Have you also tried a silk sock liner possibly under a thinner merino sock, switching to different shoes that are NOT boots that have a bit more flexible upper especially in the width, and possibly much greater breathability, and tried anti friction balms that are applied on your sensitive to blister areas BEFORE beginning a hike?



Two pair = one on my feet one in my pack. In my home town there are three companies that make liner socks, so yes, I have and use liners. I have access to some of the best socks made so I am somewhat of a sock snob. Very many brand name socks are produced by the same factories and tagged differently but they come off the same production lines. One thing that is great is that many of the sock companies also make glove liners, Balaclavas, and wrist-lets as well, so I have a lot to choose from for free--if you know someone.



Thor-Lo is made just a few miles away and they have an outlet store for seconds and discontinued items so I have some of the best of theirs and they have "test" products like wool socks that are awesome.



Me switching to Darn Tough and paying money is almost unbelievable.

[July]

If you have a hookup with quality socks, then why pay for another? I would suggest introducing the word "duct tape" into the daily foot care package, and make sure the shoes are properly fitted.

[yerbyray]

I picked up some Darn Tough socks on my AT hike & was very impressed with them. They seemed to be sized a little snug. You didn't mention where you were having blister issues. I've used several methods to minimize or eliminate blister problems. 1. With conventional wool socks, I'll add some Blistershield Food Powder in the sock. Really works well. I'll add some more powder each day. Note: I never use a sock liner. Personal preference. I normally use this system. 2. Use Injinji toe socks (I prefer the wool blend over the synthetic for hiking). Any toe-to-toe rubbing is done against fabric instead of skin. Note: I occasionally use this method in hiking. I always use this method when running.



I have had blisters my entire time in the field for forty years. Heels seem to be the worst, but I can get them on the balls of my feet, on my toes and even between my toes. I wear Vasque Sundowners, Merrill GT somethings, Herman survivors, Keen Newports, Civil War Brogans, WWII Brogans,...you name it and I have a problem.



Heck when I was a forest ranger (1994-1995) I wore Whites, expensive boots for the job, and had problems. It's just my feet. The problem only occurs on the first day and then it resolves itself. If I stop for a week, it will happen again.



I have Liners and they do help, hot spots instead of the blisters. I am going to try the injinin toe liners with the Darn Tough to see if this changes things.

[Odd Man Out]

Size 12 shoe and size Lg DT Socks for me. I find with time they conform to the shape of your feet - snug where you want them to be snug, and stretched where you want them stretched.

[imscotty]

I find they run a little tight. I moved to the next size up and am happy. Great socks.

[Sirsnappy09]

Injini toe liners are awesome, especially if your toes rub like mine do.

[swisscross]

I wear a 12-13 depending on shoe.
My Brooks are 13's.
Darn Tough's are XL.
Like a little wiggle room for my toes.
My have not shrunk but I hang dry.

[Migrating Bird]

I find they run a little tight. I move to the next size up and am happy. Great socks.

As others have said, they tend to "shrink in size" a little over time. Regarding blisters, try Bodyglide, http://www.bodyglide.com/products/skin-glide/ (ointment, not the stick) I rub it in very well, especially between my toes. This helps keep me blister free.

[shakey_snake]

Socks don't solve or cause blisters. Improper fitting shoes/boots and a lack of hygiene/footcare cause blisters.

But since you asked, Darn Tough socks are pretty true to their name, in my experience.

[blank9054]

I give you credit for exploring solutions to the blister issues by considering two pr of Darn Tough socks. That could, however, cause greater issues to blisters IF you aren't allowing for the additional needed interior volume of your footwear. Have you also tried a silk sock liner possibly under a thinner merino sock, switching to different shoes that are NOT boots that have a bit more flexible upper especially in the width, and possibly much greater breathability, and tried anti friction balms that are applied on your sensitive to blister areas BEFORE beginning a hike?
Silk liners saved my feet. It seems too simple to work but I don't backpack without them.

[peakbagger]

I used liner socks for year to prevent blisters. Once I switched to trailrunners with enough width the need for them were far less and once I switched from Smart Wools to darn tuffs, I stopped using liner socks entirely except for cold days in the winter or when I use a vapor barrier in real cold weather.

[yerbyray]

I used liner socks for year to prevent blisters. Once I switched to trailrunners with enough width the need for them were far less and once I switched from Smart Wools to darn tuffs, I stopped using liner socks entirely except for cold days in the winter or when I use a vapor barrier in real cold weather.

I'm thinking about going to a trail runner or low-to hiking shoe for most of my outdoor adventures.

[Just Bill]

I have had blisters my entire time in the field for forty years. Heels seem to be the worst, but I can get them on the balls of my feet, on my toes and even between my toes.

I am going to try the injinin toe liners with the Darn Tough to see if this changes things.

I would second your suggestion on the toe socks. I didn't like them much personally (mild PIA to put on and poke your fingers in to turn each toe right side out again) but they are perfect for your issues. I do keep them for cold weather liners.

Darn Tuff- Cold wash, air dry helps a lot. But at some point they are wool and do shrink a bit (a year or so).
http://darntough.com/men/mens-hike-trek/hiker-1-4-sock-cushion
I like this weight for general hiking- in winter I add the liners to it. As others mentioned, they are a hair thick so ensure you have good volume in your shoes, especially with a liner added too. I wear these in Large, while they "tighten" a bit with wash I find after a day on the trail like many wool products they loosen a bit again with some wear.

http://darntough.com/men/mens-run/tab-no-show-light-cushion
I like this version a lot for warmer weather, in this version though I think I will size up to XL next time around. For some reason this style fits a bit tighter.

[shelb]

Darn Tough Sox are the best!

However, as others have said, you need to find the cause of your blisters. If you have been wearing cotton or poly socks, this might be the trick. If you have been in Smart Wool or Fox River, I doubt this will help.

Some mentioned shoe size, others mentioned liners.... each of these are applicable to some people....

You could still have other issues going on... fyi...

[Arius]

Yes, but I get XL even though I wear an 11 and should get L. They do get a little smaller in the wash and I prefer some extra room in the toe or I lose more toenails.
Extra room in socks or losing toenails?

[yerbyray]

Well I thought I would post a follow up to my problem.

Saturday morning I put on the Injinu (whatever the spelling) toe sock liners and a pair of smart wool socks under a pair of well-worn leather work boots that have given me blisters on the tops of my big toes and the left heel. I wore this around the house and daily chores till I had to lose the toe socks as they were strangling each of the little toes. It drove me nuts.


I then hiked six miles over a few moderate to strenuous trails here and developed the heel blister and one big toe issue. I came home and started researching blisters and found this website..... http://www.blisterprevention.com.au/blister-blog/how-to-stop-heel-blisters
Which led me to researching how to tie shoes with the "Marathon Lacing" system.


Sunday, I went and bout a pair of trail shoes and laced them as instructed and re-hiked the same six miles with hurt feet and had zero problems.

In my defense, I have high arches and tight lacing has hurt the tops of my feet so I must have been not keeping my heel in place with the lacing system I have used in the past. I usually omitted the one "hook" or eyelet were the top of the foot transitions to the ankle, thus allowing the heel to slip.

I like the hiking shoe concept but worry about twisting the ankle...I will just have to trust the shoes. I look forward to testing this on longer trails.

[Just Bill]

The lace lock is very effective for hiking- regarding your tops of the feet issue:
Depending on the shoe I will skip the bottom holes (nearest your toes) to give more room in the foot box. Altra's are the only shoes I don't need to do this in.
So option 1- skip the first lace. 29890
***(In this shoe, I didn't need to lace lock, only use the uppermost hole because of these slip stop laces which worked decent BTW- so this pic shows skipping the first eyelet set as well as what I describe below)

Option 2- I've also found that with a lace lock setup I don't need to pull the lower laces that tight to still get a good heel lock. I go from sloppy fit at the forefoot to loose midfoot, then actually only tighten the last eyelet and lace lock. If this is too sloppy for you, you can double lace lock the last two (four holes) eyelets to give your fore and mid foot the most room but still get the upper snug enough so your heel won't lift.

The tennis shoe/ankle support issue is mainly a myth. For most people ankle injuries are reduced (or in the case of a fall-less severe) compared to boots. If you don't have a mechanical (past injury or physical defect) or medical issue your ankles will be fine, if not better.

Like anything else- take your time and treat it like any new exercise. It will take a bit for your ankles to "wake up" and strengthen. Barefoot walking a few times a week will speed it up, so will walking on the grassy shoulder of a bike path. Welcome to the light side of life! Don't worry about trusting the shoes- take it slow and you'll learn to trust your tootsies.

[QiWiz]

Fine for me at 11.5. I dont want wrinkles in my socks.

+1
I wear mine over thin liner socks with no problems. Love 'em. They will be a little snug but that's what you want in a hiking sock IMO.

[Walkintom]

Darn Tough socks have a really high stitch count in their socks so they feel tighter to a lot of people than a cheap sock does but I really like the way that they fit. They conform to the foot all over, even in my high arches and at my very narrow heels. Getting a sock that doesn't bag at the heel was an important step in eliminating blisters for me. I wear a size 9 and the DT mediums fit me perfectly.

[Papa Al]

One big thing that will cause blisters and seems a lot of people don't consider is dehydration, and yes I love my darn tough socks.

[Wülfgang]

I love Darn Toughs. I wear the UL kind with Injinji toe sock liners underneath. Blister-free.

[Venchka]

You do realize that Darn Tough makes several versions of their hiking socks. Unfortunately, in discussions of this sort, folks throw Darn Tough around in a generic manner. It would help if folks would identify the particular variety of Dart Tough socks that they are using for hiking.
The Mast Store in Valle Crucis, NC was selling Dart Tough socks, any flavor, "buy 3 pair, get one pair free." That is the only every day discount that I have ever found for those socks.
Good luck.

Wayne

[msupple]

My all time favorite sock.! Love Darn Tough.:clap

[Gray Bear]

I'm a fan of the DT. EMS had a buy 3 get one free deal going for awhile but I didn't see it last time I was in the store.

[msupple]

I'm a fan of the DT. EMS had a buy 3 get one free deal going for awhile but I didn't see it last time I was in the store.

My local TJ Maxx has been carrying them at dirt cheap on a pretty regular basis.

[MuddyWaters]

I dont use hiking socks
I only wear running or cycling socks
No padding
Preferably mesh top of foot
Preferably 1/4 crew to protect ankles from scrapes
This type sock has very tight weave, and absorbs less water and dries faster and is cooler
tight weave slides better against inside of shoe
If you have a sock with a bunch of padding, that means your shoes dont fit very well
This is typical of hiking socks, made for boots, which are made for thick socks. A match made in hell.

I have a bunch of pr of this mesh top Darn Tough, looks like they quit making it though

29944

[peakbagger]

When I have gone to the annual factory sale it becomes really apparent that the make hundreds of variations of socks. I find the best Darn Tuffs are the onest hey make for the military. They have a slightly higher synthetic content than the normal hiking socks. I think they get sold through military dealers. They make a winter weight sock that are light tan (lines up with the ecws gear) and the standard weight which are standard olive drab. They are more durable and have a terry cloth interior that provides great cushioning.

The seconds are sold at the factory sale in bags of six for about 2 bucks a pair. I expect I have enough socks for several years after going to two factory sales.