I tend to destroy socks. I’m a large man that doesn’t mind walking and generally gets around with transit and bike. So I’ve got piles of socks that could be darned, but would only wear holes in them again after a month or two.
I’ve been listening to Caleb Musgrave’s Canadian Bushcraft Podcast, and one of the things he talks about is the importance of quality clothing, especially footwear. He recommends two companies that make merino-based socks, that are expensive, but also have guarantees so if you wear a hole in them, send them back: Darn Tough Vermont and Smart Wool.
So, I realise that socks are similar to Sam Vimes [Terry Pratchet]’s Boot Theory. But lately I’ve been able to actually afford some, a bunch in fact, there was a sale, so I bought 4 pairs, 2 of 2 different kinds. This was around Christmas last year (2020). Let the Darn Tough Review begin…
I wore only those 4 pairs of socks, continuously. Hand rinsed/washed (depending on stinkiness and time since last wash) at night in the shower. Socks had literally never felt so good. Not even exaggerating, these socks are fucking comfy! They hug your feet, stay up fairly well, and keep your feet so much warmer than cotton!
Let’s talk about smell. They are magic about smell, it’s uncanny! After a normal day, you can just rinse them out and they dry smelling clean. I’ve never actually gone to the point where they reek, cause I was nervous about not washing them for that long! Easily 2 or 3 wears.
That pattern went on until the first hole appeared, October. So 10 Straight Months of non-stop rotational wear! 10 MONTHS! Never has a sock lasted this long, and I’ve never concentrated on only wearing these hyper comfy socks and not caring about the wear and tear, just _wear_ them!
So I gave them a good final wash and dry, packed them away, and crossed my fingers. Was it true? Would they be denied for silly reasons? Was it just a black hole and I’ll never hear back? 4ish weeks later I got my answer, with a brand new pair of socks in the mail!
They weren’t an exact match, which is part of the deal and I didn’t expect a match back. But they were the same size and type, equally comfortable and went right into the sock drawer!
In that time holes had started to appear in other ones, so when the one came back, I started to pack the other 3 up. They’ve all been washed, and photographed this time (cause I’m a stupid-head that forgot last time), and are ready to be packed up and sent away!
So the rotation is done, and I’m back to wearing some holey cotton socks with my one Darn Tough pair, as I finish packing and send the 3 pairs off, and then wait. I think I’ll buy another new pair though, extra nice socks would be a dream! And you’ve gotta love their guarantee. Pay once, wear the socks out, get another pair free!
The 2nd pair of the “Type A” socks I bought from Darn Tough, the first were the test pair that was sent off earlier. Multi-coloured socks with green and blue on the shin. 
The 2nd pair of the “Type A” socks I bought from Darn Tough, the first were the test pair that was sent off earlier. Multi-coloured socks with green and blue on the shin. 
The 1st pair of the “Type B” socks I bought from Darn Tough. Grey normal height socks with blue toe. 
The 1st pair of the “Type B” socks I bought from Darn Tough. Grey normal height socks with blue toe. 
The 2nd pair of the “Type B” socks I bought from Darn Tough. Grey normal height socks with blue toe. 
The 2nd pair of the “Type B” socks I bought from Darn Tough. Grey normal height socks with blue toe.
