Darn Tough, Darn Good

When you live in New England you learn to appreciate a good pair of socks, so much so that you're willing to do the unthinkable and spend over $20 for a pair. I'm talking one pair of socks, for $20 or more. When I lived in California, I wore shorts most of the time, so all I had were white cotton ankle socks, the kind you get at Target for $1/pair, or something like that. They come in plastic packages of 6-10 pairs, and they wear out by the end of the year, but at that price, no big deal, right?

Well, since moving to the cold northeast, I've learned that wool socks are really the way to go, especially when snow and rain become a factor. The only problem is, wool socks are not durable, especially when you buy the fancy knit ones at LL Bean or J Crew, the kind you wear around the fireplace with a hot cup of tea. They look nice and cozy but they aren't build to last. What you need are wool blends that give you the warmth of wool but have synthetic fibers to make them strong. Wool is also the best material for getting wet.

The only problem is, good wool socks, including brands like SmartWool, WigWam, and of course, Darn Tough, are expensive. In fact, I would normally never have spent the money for good wool socks except that I was given a pair as a gift when I coached A's hockey team. One of the moms gave all the coaches Darn Tough socks, and at first I thought it was a strange present. Who gives socks as a gift? Plus, Darn Tough socks have pretty funky slick designs, which are great when you're young and hip. When you're old and boring like me, you've grown up with socks that are monotone and go up past your knees.

Either way, I started wearing the socks, and was amazed at how they kept my feet warm, dried very quickly, and lasted. I was still hesitant to drop $20 on a pair, but whenever there was a sale, I outfitted myself and all the kids with a few pairs each. It was harder with A because she's a sock fashionista and has upwards of 20+ pairs, so I don't think she's really looking at functionality.

The point of this story, which was lost about 15 paragraphs ago, is that Darn Tough socks have a lifetime guarantee. Don't ask me how they can make such an offer, but they will replace a pair of socks, no questions asked. How crazy is that? Now in the winter I pretty much only wear Darn Tough, and since they've served me well and I have no complaints, I didn't want to take advantage of their offer. I figured if I got 4-5 good years out of a pair, I got my money's worth. However, I did buy a pair a year ago and they developed a tear in the top (I think this is the exact style). I contacted them and they said, whether the socks are 10 days or 10 years, they will replace them, no questions asked.

How's that for a guarantee? I sent the pair in and am toying with sending my oldest pair, which is about 5 years old, in, as well, though that would be going completely against my principles. Then again, they were pretty emphatic about their guarantee. I have yet to receive my new pair of socks, so we'll see how things play out, but if things work out as planned, I don't think I need to tell you what socks I'm buying from now on. I could do an ad where I'm standing naked and the caption would read, "If I can't wear Darn Tough socks, I'd rather wear nothing at all." Scary thought, don't you think?

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Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to Darn Tough for the pic.