View Full Version : Anybody seen these socks?!?
alverhootzt
12-21-2010, 14:59
I bought them a few years ago at Dick's and have not seen them since. I love love love them even if they are heavy.
After a few years of hiking I'm still trying to find decent wool socks. I guess I'm one the few for whom SmartWool doesn't work well. They feel great and keep me warm, but don't last well at all for me, I'm hard on the balls of my feet, which leaves me with a large pile of future wristies.
Any recommendations for merino wool socks? The Tilley's Endurables don't seem like much of a deal if they want $7.50 per "guarantee" replacement.
Doc Mike
12-21-2010, 15:02
darn tough socks. Free replacements but about $20 per pair.
Doc Mike
alverhootzt
12-21-2010, 15:09
Well, l I've been wondering - how tough are they? Do they actually last 3 years? 2? Even 2 years would be worth it to me.
If not, the cost of "free" replacement at 1/3 price of the sock doesn't seem so free.
alverhootzt
12-21-2010, 15:13
oop, stuck foot in mouth again. You were saying "Darn Tough" as in name brand. I get it now. Thanks for recommendation. I forgot about those.
I believe they are the best socks I've ever owned and are in fact very comfortable and very durable. Here's what they say:
If our All Weather Performance Socks aren't the most comfortable and durable socks you've ever owned, return them for your money back.
I think that means exactly what they say. Given that, I don't think it's fair to expect free replacements for life when they wear out, which obviously they eventually will.
Amberalicia
12-21-2010, 15:32
Darn Tough are great. Woolrich has durable socks too.
mweinstone
12-21-2010, 15:44
i like wearing old ones. status for me i imagine to myself.and i like less sox. like never enough. like one pair i keep washing forever.i wash clothes alot on the trail. i dont wait for towns. just use a bag and bronners soap. i bought so many pairs of sox and blew thru them fast. i think in all my life i may have spent an avarage of 7$ a pair ,...maby 200 times. thats 1400$. enough to hike a long way. im gonna be fifty in march. if i can live fifty more years with one pair till then, i can save, with intrest mind you,..enough to finally thruhike in the year 2060. yea!
I like Bridgedales. I'm still wearing a pair that made my thru (2006) with no holes. The smartwools I bought in Hanover had holes in the balls of the foot and heel in less than 6 months. I have my first pair of Darn Toughs. So far, so good.
Well, l I've been wondering - how tough are they? Do they actually last 3 years? 2? Even 2 years would be worth it to me.
If not, the cost of "free" replacement at 1/3 price of the sock doesn't seem so free.
you should look into fox river. their wool socks have lasted me two years of hiking with no visible dent. use them at work too. they get pounded. i work on a farm. haven't even started to show much wear yet.
springerfever
12-21-2010, 17:53
Yep, Darn tough seem to be a great choice. In the past, I have always enjoyed Smartwool for both hiking and regular daily wear. Two or three years ago they made some changes in either material or manufacturing and the quality has declined. After a few months of wear they are not as thick and they start to develop thin areas.
About a month ago I picked up a pair of Darn tough socks at the new outfitter in Franklin, N.C., Outfitter 76. Great folks and they had a good selection.
After wearing these for a while, I decided to order a few pair online. The best deal I could find was this site. Great prices and fast shipping with return shipping PAID FOR, if necessary.
http://www.shoebuy.com/darn-tough-vermont-mens.htm
Your hardest decision will be which type of sock you want. The two I ordered are the 1474 for daily use and the 1466 for hiking. Very happy with both styles. Might want to give darn tough a try.......
springerfever
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Your pic cracks me up, not the subject so much as what I imagine as the mindset of the taker at the time. :D
alverhootzt
12-21-2010, 18:42
Thank you everyone for the replies. I bought some Darn Tough b/c a local seller, BackcountryEdge, has a 12% discount going and, I have to say, some amazing CS. Gave me free shipping even when the discount took me back under the minimum.
Still eyeing those Bridgedales though, cool looking sock and very impressed they made it "through a thru".
Anyone try alpaca? americasalpaca.com (http://www.americasalpaca.com)'s hiking socks really puts the bulge on the others. Thick, snug, durable. Made in TN.
i like both darn tough and smartwool. i find the smartwool's breath better and dry faster, but the darn tough are tougher. however i put my heel through a fairly new pair of them once, so still treat them with kid gloves... didn't send in to warrantee. i felt cheap :(
I've been fortunate enough to visit the Darn Tough manufacturing facility in Vermont. Top notch people who are uber passionate about making the absolute best American Made merino socks. The knitting room in their facility is world class and its nice to watch first hand how closely each sock was examined (by hand multiple times) before being packaged. Well worth the money when you consider the quality of sock you are getting....especially knowing that your money is remaining in the good ole USA.
+1 on Darn Tough. Best quality socks I've ever owned.
At my friend Chatter's suggestion I bought 3 pair of Omni-wool socks from Sam's club. The price was right, and, after using them for the past 6 months every day for everything (landscaping and hiking, mainly), I can say that they are as good as (maybe better than) Smartwools. Made in the USA, they're medium-heavy weight. See below:
http://www.samsclub.com/sams/shop/product.jsp?productId=prod1620478&pid=CSE_Froogle&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=sku1974725