View Full Version : Darn Tough Socks
88BlueGT
03-13-2013, 15:07
Just curious if anyone has had experience with these socks? I have a few pair of smart wool but they have worn down pretty quickly (now have holes in them from wear). I picked up two pair of these midweight 1/4 crew (merino blend) for $13/ea with free shipping from sockaddicts.com. I thought it was a decent deal.
So opinions anyone? It's going to take approx. 10 business days before I receive these so I figured I'd ask since it may be a while :D
colorado_rob
03-13-2013, 15:15
It was kinf of scary, but the last time these socks were discussed on here, I think we were all in agreement: Darn Good socks. I just bought four pair myself (2 low, 2 mid) from Socksaddicts. Worn them a couple times, seems tough, comfy, guaranteed for life.
Use them. Love them. They last much longer than smart wool.
Campmor usually has the best deal on them. They even have them with the AT logo :)
Love them. They don't bunch up or move around on my feet, they're protective but not bulky, and they will probably outlast me.
88BlueGT
03-13-2013, 16:14
All great news... perfect! I was a bit skeptical since I have never heard of this brand but looks like I've been missing out!
And yes, definitely happy to pull way from Smart Wool. They were good while they lasted but didn't last long.
Odd Man Out
03-13-2013, 16:43
It was kinf of scary, but the last time these socks were discussed on here, I think we were all in agreement:
That is scary. We could all argue about guns and filters for a while, but most people love DTS. I started the last thread (where I shared the sale and discount code at Socks Addict). Everyone seemed real happy. I have one pair of the ATC cushion socks and two pairs of the dress socks. I also have about 25 pairs of other socks I never wear anymore. I usually wear one pair for a week or two and rotate to the next. They are remarkably odor resistant.
While i wash mine a little form often, I agree with Odd man out, I own 4 pairs and seldom wear anything else. All day, everyday, work, hike, and goofing off. I love these socks.
inspectorgene
03-13-2013, 16:51
They DO honor their warranty as well.
hikerboy57
03-13-2013, 17:07
Just curious if anyone has had experience with these socks? I have a few pair of smart wool but they have worn down pretty quickly (now have holes in them from wear). I picked up two pair of these midweight 1/4 crew (merino blend) for $13/ea with free shipping from sockaddicts.com. I thought it was a decent deal.
So opinions anyone? It's going to take approx. 10 business days before I receive these so I figured I'd ask since it may be a while :Dyou see this is where your sock trading will come in handy.
trade in those smartwools for darn toughs. they are awesome. theyre super comfortable and dont wear out very easily.
hikerboy57
03-13-2013, 17:08
by the way, pay no attention to the naysayers.
those bastids
My husband wears them and swears by them. They survived a very active vacation to Afghanistan last summer and all those pairs are still intact.
Another big fan here. I get the full-cushion merinos, and find them comfortable even in hot weather. And they did replace my son's after his thru-hike last year, no questions asked.
Northern Lights
03-13-2013, 20:00
I have eight pair now!
Drybones
03-13-2013, 20:23
by the way, pay no attention to the naysayers.
those bastids
Did I hear my name? IMO...they're good socks and will last a long time but I dont care for the pair I have, the weave is too dense, thereby the toughness I guess, so they don't have the cushion some of the other brands have. I'm no sock engineer but my guess is that the more cushion they have the shorter the life, the pair I have has found it's way to the back of the drawer.
Did I hear my name? IMO...they're good socks and will last a long time but I dont care for the pair I have, the weave is too dense, thereby the toughness I guess, so they don't have the cushion some of the other brands have. I'm no sock engineer but my guess is that the more cushion they have the shorter the life, the pair I have has found it's way to the back of the drawer.
There is always one in the crowd :)
FatHead64
03-13-2013, 20:28
you see this is where your sock trading will come in handy.
trade in those smartwools for darn toughs. they are awesome. theyre super comfortable and dont wear out very easily.
Would he still have more than one sock if they were Darn Toughs? :-?
Drybones
03-13-2013, 20:51
There is always one in the crowd :)
yeah...it's tough always swimming up stream against the flow, but it's like my dad used to say, opinions are like ***holes, everybody has one.
Mas Mejor
03-13-2013, 20:59
Let me add a provisional nay. The extra large don't seem to cover my size 14s, leaving the heels too low and resulting in slippage.
hikerboy57
03-13-2013, 22:49
Let me add a provisional nay. The extra large don't seem to cover my size 14s, leaving the heels too low and resulting in slippage.
dont listen to the naysayers!!!
unless you're a size 14
Odd Man Out
03-13-2013, 23:03
Let me add a provisional nay. The extra large don't seem to cover my size 14s, leaving the heels too low and resulting in slippage.
Whachya need is some of them Darn Big Socks.
Train Wreck
03-13-2013, 23:11
Whachya need is some of them Darn Big Socks.
Sasq-socks!
88BlueGT
03-14-2013, 09:28
I knew the sock trading would come through for me! Thinking about trading on the sock/ramen ratio. Trade off a pair for 20 packages of ramen.... when the price of ramen goes up trade them back for 2 pairs of DTS's..... whatcha think? :D
Seriously though, when these come in (hopefully soon) I'm going to give them a test run... if I like them I will probably order 2-3 more pair and use them everyday. You guys make these socks sound amazing LOL best sock EVERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
BirdBrain
03-14-2013, 09:53
by the way, pay no attention to the naysayers.
those bastids
This horse loves them too.
Odd Man Out
03-14-2013, 14:07
Sasq-socks!
From "Notting Hill"
You know what they say about men with big feet ... Big feet ..... large shoes.
hikerboy57
03-14-2013, 14:13
From "Notting Hill"
You know what they say about men with big feet ... Big feet ..... large shoes.
yup. big hands too
Drybones
03-14-2013, 16:41
Well, after all the discussion about Darn Tough socks I drug my pair from the back of the drawer to re-evaluate today. They may make different styles but the ones I have I dont care for. They bunch up under the arch and they're too loose around the toes and they just dont have the cushy feel some other brands have. Of the brands I have I'd place them 1) Smartwool (and only certain styles) 2) Icebreaker 3) Fitts 4) Darn Tough.
hikerboy57
03-14-2013, 16:52
Well, after all the discussion about Darn Tough socks I drug my pair from the back of the drawer to re-evaluate today. They may make different styles but the ones I have I dont care for. They bunch up under the arch and they're too loose around the toes and they just dont have the cushy feel some other brands have. Of the brands I have I'd place them 1) Smartwool (and only certain styles) 2) Icebreaker 3) Fitts 4) Darn Tough.
naysayer...
Well, after all the discussion about Darn Tough socks I drug my pair from the back of the drawer to re-evaluate today. They may make different styles but the ones I have I dont care for. They bunch up under the arch and they're too loose around the toes and they just dont have the cushy feel some other brands have. Of the brands I have I'd place them 1) Smartwool (and only certain styles) 2) Icebreaker 3) Fitts 4) Darn Tough.
Do you know which style you have?
Drybones
03-14-2013, 17:52
Do you know which style you have?
No, it was what the local outfitter carried. I did ask the young lady who was managing the store and also a hiker what she preferred, she liked the Darn Tough and her husband liked Smartwool...some folks like scotch, some like whiskey, some like neither...whatever fits your taste.
Chaco Taco
03-14-2013, 18:24
they make a cushioned sock
Just curious if anyone has had experience with these socks? I have a few pair of smart wool but they have worn down pretty quickly (now have holes in them from wear). I picked up two pair of these midweight 1/4 crew (merino blend) for $13/ea with free shipping from sockaddicts.com. I thought it was a decent deal.
So opinions anyone? It's going to take approx. 10 business days before I receive these so I figured I'd ask since it may be a while :D
They are my favorite hiking socks. Period. I do use liner socks too, usually SmartWool Merino liners.
Drybones
03-15-2013, 13:45
This is the issue I have with the socks I have, there's too much material on the toes and it bunches up and irritates my feet, also bunches up under the arches...and it's not because my feet are too small...dont know how well this shows in the photo.
20388
FarmerChef
03-15-2013, 17:04
I love my darn toughs but...I typically only wear them during the shoulders. I haven't tried them out in the summer. They're a bit thick for what I prefer at that time being that I wear trail runners. When it gets cold I LOVE them.
The newer variants of Smartwool socks pill inside against the sole of the foot much more quickly than the original sock.
Darn Tough socks aren't as "cushiony" but they don't pill inside.
I have two pair, and I burned a hole in the toe on one pair. I can still wear the sock, but only on the left foot because of where the hole is :D.
If I need another pair (for section hikes longer than a week without resupply in colder weather) I would definitely buy Darn Tough again.
Thanks for the heads up, LW. :)
This is the issue I have with the socks I have, there's too much material on the toes and it bunches up and irritates my feet, also bunches up under the arches...and it's not because my feet are too small...dont know how well this shows in the photo.
20388
You obviously need wider feet (at the toes, at least) :p. My toes are splayed more than yours and there isn't as much difference in the length of the little toe and big toe as your picture shows you to have.
I guess nothing's perfect for everybody. :-?
Odd Man Out
03-15-2013, 23:05
This is the issue I have with the socks I have, there's too much material on the toes and it bunches up and irritates my feet, also bunches up under the arches...and it's not because my feet are too small...dont know how well this shows in the photo.
20388
I find with my DTS, they shrink up a bit in the wash and are a little snug when I put them on at first (size 12 shoe, size L sock). But soon, the shape conforms to my foot. They then hold that shape all week (I wear them for a week without washing - they don't smell).
Train Wreck
03-15-2013, 23:52
This is the issue I have with the socks I have, there's too much material on the toes and it bunches up and irritates my feet, also bunches up under the arches...and it's not because my feet are too small...dont know how well this shows in the photo.
20388
Try their womens sizes, you can never tell.
They have some boring sedate colors if you're shy :)
Spaghetti O's
03-16-2013, 01:12
Based on all the good reviews I just ordered a pair of the ATC editions from http://www.socksaddict.com I am looking forward to trying them out. I love a good pair of socks! :)
Train Wreck
03-16-2013, 01:38
Based on all the good reviews I just ordered a pair of the ATC editions from http://www.socksaddict.com I am looking forward to trying them out. I love a good pair of socks! :)
You're screwed!!!!
All the above comments are from paid endorsers!!!
just kidding
rocketsocks
03-16-2013, 02:09
I don't own any Darn Tough socks, guess I'll try em out at some point. I always shop the sales, and so far been able to find "buy one sock, get one free"....always! :D
Drybones
03-16-2013, 08:46
Try their womens sizes, you can never tell.
They have some boring sedate colors if you're shy :)
Do womens come in size 13?
I caught a pair at trail days and wearing nothing but that one pair of socks lasted me until bear mountain NY. Furthermore I'm sure I would have gotten more life out of them if my shoe size hadn't grown to the point that my shoes were too tight.
Question for you guys:
Do you wear the Darn Tough Socks with a liner sock, or do they work by themselves? My feet sweat a lot (perhaps that's too much information) and as such I've always found that a liner sock (like a coolmax type) works very well for wicking, while having the wool sock (in my case, Wigwams) on the outside does a nice job of providing all the creature comforts one looks for in a sock (soft inner, durable outer, stretchy and contoured, etc). Do they wick sweat well enough to negate the use of a liner sock?
Old Hiker
03-22-2013, 14:19
I bought a couple of pair while on sale - I'm not a real fan of them so far. They seem to be a bit snug on my 13W feet and I got the extra-large. They also don't seem to have the cushion of my LLBean Cresta hiking socks. They do seem as if they would last a while - the weave is tight, the material seems well made and I like the style of the design.
I liked my ThorLo hiking socks as well. I get more of them.
peakbagger
03-22-2013, 16:26
I bought a variety of Darn Toughs at the factory sale this fall, they make a lot of styles and some have more cushioning than others. I particularly like their military spec socks, real thick cushioning. I wear size 13 EEEE and was right on the edge of their large and X large. THe X larges are a bit long for me but do have a bit more width, but the larges work. Price was right.
I like them a lot, but I prefer thin synthetic socks because they're lighter and breathe better.
Train Wreck
03-23-2013, 01:55
Do womens come in size 13?
No idea, but call the customer service folks and they can probably hook you up. All kidding aside, the womens sizes might fit better at specific points like heels, etc.
Train Wreck
03-23-2013, 02:08
I don't own any Darn Tough socks, guess I'll try em out at some point. I always shop the sales, and so far been able to find "buy one sock, get one free"....always! :D
http://www.wikihow.com/Avoid-Losing-Socks-in-the-Washing-Machine
maybe one day your sock orphanage can close its doors :)
rocketsocks
03-23-2013, 02:18
http://www.wikihow.com/Avoid-Losing-Socks-in-the-Washing-Machine
maybe one day your sock orphanage can close its doors :)The first place i look for runaways...is behind the dryer, sometimes thee there, some times there not......
I think it's the barrowers at work here
Chaco Taco
03-23-2013, 07:39
The first place i look for runaways...is behind the dryer, sometimes thee there, some times there not......
I think it's the barrowers at work here
I blame the underpants gnomes
anyone remember this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5Y-PN_duno
Question for you guys:
Do you wear the Darn Tough Socks with a liner sock, or do they work by themselves?
No, some people still wear liners and swear by them but a lot of us stopped wearing them after the wool socks stopped being super itchy and now find that they're just another thing to clump up and cause blisters.
I have had pretty good success with my two pair so far.
MuddyWaters
03-28-2013, 21:17
I gots some.
They are OK.
I only use the lightest "mesh" ones, for cycling and running
That have no cushion, just fabric
I like my Defeet wooleators a bit better though. Not as tight in toesies, a bit thinner.
I find with my DTS, they shrink up a bit in the wash and are a little snug when I put them on at first (size 12 shoe, size L sock). But soon, the shape conforms to my foot.
It almost looks like he's got the toe of the sock twisted in that pic.
I've also found that shrinking/stretching process to be important to getting a good fit. By the time my darn toughs are broken in I end up with an obvious left and right sock.
They then hold that shape all week (I wear them for a week without washing - they don't smell).
It's usually about a month of wear before mine start smelling.
Did I hear my name? IMO...they're good socks and will last a long time but I dont care for the pair I have, the weave is too dense, thereby the toughness I guess, so they don't have the cushion some of the other brands have. I'm no sock engineer but my guess is that the more cushion they have the shorter the life, the pair I have has found it's way to the back of the drawer.
My dad and girlfriend stand all day at work and like cushiony socks to help with that. I wouldn't recommend darn toughs for that, there are thicker, squishier wool socks out there.