In 2016 we joined an Off the Beaten Path excursion to Yosemite and had a blast. Our guide, an interesting fellow, knew a lot about hiking, camping, and generally all things outdoors. He highly recommended a particular brand of socks: Darn Tough. I had never heard of them.
He raved that they were the best socks money could buy. He said that they come with a lifetime guarantee. If, for any reason, you ever become unhappy with a pair of their socks, you can call them up, and they will replace the socks for free. Period.
At this same time, I was saddened that my Smartwool socks, the ones I had purchased from The Walking Store, over 20 years before our Yosemite hiking excursion, were finally beginning to fray on the heals and on the bottoms. These had been my favorite socks ever! I literally live in these socks every day!
And, to make matters worse, The Walking Store no longer was at the mall. I couldn’t easily replace them. I found the brand at REI, but I didn’t like the length of the socks they stocked. I prefer boot length socks. I really dislike crew length socks for hiking and such.
So, I thought I would try a pair of Darn Tough socks. My god. They are expensive! But, they really do come with a lifetime guarantee. I fell in love with this pair of socks. They are the best socks I’ve ever worn. Their cushion is luxuriously comfortable.
So, for the holidays, I wanted some new pairs as my old Smartwool socks are now almost all dead. But, I had a problem. I didn’t know which pair was the correct length, nor did I know the size of the ones I had fallen in love with – my first pair of Darn Tough socks. I decided to call them in Vermont. Yes, Darn Tough is a literally family business in Vermont and always has been.
A real human being answered the phone! I was a bit taken back.
I told her why I was calling. She was delightful on the phone and asked if I could send her a photo of the socks I loved in a text message. I did. She immediately told me the size and the cushion. She said they no longer make that exact color/design but have several pair that are very similar.
She bragged about their lifetime guarantee and asked if I needed to file a claim for a new pair. I told her that my existing pair was still perfect. So, I ordered 6 pair of socks, in the designs below, for the holidays.
They arrived. I love them. I highly recommend Darn Tough socks. It’s a real family business that treats customers like real people and provides a great product with exceptional customer support.
A reminder: I never advertise for any company or product or benefit in any way from writing about any company or product on my blog. I do not accept company endorsements at anyone's request, and I get a lot of them. My blog is completely advertising-free. The things I recommend on this blog are things I pay for myself, actually use in the real world, and love.