New World Record Set: Desmond Tse Goes 101 Days, One Pair, No Washing

We’re all about pushing limits here at Darn Tough. How durable can we make a sock? How much detail can we knit into a design? How many days can you wear a sock before it’s gross? Some limits just beg to be tested.

It started with our founder, Ric Cabot, regularly wearing new sock styles for upwards of a month without washing. An employee, Lance, took that as a challenge and went 40 days. Next, friend of the brand Adam Jaber took up the challenge and carried it considerably further — to 55 days.

And now, there’s a new record to beat. One guy. One pair of socks. One hundred and one days without washing. So, with that, let us introduce you to the new world record holder.

But First, What's the Challenge?

It’s simple: wear the same pair of socks every day (no skipping days) without washing them. Document it so that your claims can be validated. And when things get serious, reach out and let us know so we can follow along.

And why has this become a thing? Well, in combining the odor-resistant properties of Merino Wool with the strength of our Performance Fit, we created something that seems too good to be true. And some people, like our new record holder, just can’t let a performance claim go untested. Which brings us to…

Desmond Tse: 101 Days Continuous Wear

Meet Desmond Tse. Desmond runs his own siding business and uses his Instagram as a platform to educate and spread the word about, siding, construction, DIY, and great tools. Back in 2021, we slid into his DMs offering him some socks. Long story short, he liked the socks.

Cut to 2026, when Desmond caught wind of our little wearing-without-washing record, which was then held by Adam Jaber for 55 days consecutive wear. The challenge offered Des the perfect combination of product test and personal goal setting.

“I did this completely on my own volition,” Desmond says. “I honestly thought, if the label says its anti-odor, I should put it to the test myself and actually see how long it will take for me to wear these socks without washing for them to develop an odor.”

On top of undergoing the challenge itself, Desmond doubled down on his attempt’s legit-ness by documenting the journey with a video check-in every single day. Which is good, because for a while he didn’t tell anyone he was doing it. Not even us.

He Didn't Tell His Wife (at First)

Initially, Desmond kept his goal to himself. We didn’t know. Neither did his wife, Caley. He was curious whether she would notice a smell, but after weeks with no odor to give him away, he decided it was time to let her in on the mission.

On day 54, he told us he was about to beat the record.

On day 57, he told his wife, Caley.

“I actually wasn’t very surprised when Desmond told me,” Caley says, “because he’s the kind of person who is quirky and who would do something like that. I had a veto power in it, that if they started to smell too much, he said I could mention it at any time, and he would stop.”

But they never got too stinky, and she never asked him to stop.

Caley explains, “It’s interesting to have a partner who sets goals and completes them. And this might seem like a funny goal, or something strange to do, but there’s also a sense of determination in it that reflects on Desmond and the type of person he is. He’s disciplined, and if he sets his mind to it, he’s going to see it through. So, in a strange way, I’m proud of him.”

She also adds, “To anyone who wants to try to take on the challenge and break this record, I would say bring it on. And when you’re done, Desmond will probably find out how many days it was and then go break it again.”

The Ultimate Field Test for Merino Wool Socks

We couldn’t have asked for a better tester than Desmond to try pushing the benefits of Merino Wool to their limits. The socks Desmond wore for 101 days had already seen roughly two years of heavy use before he even began the challenge.

“Being in social media,” he says, “integrity is one of the biggest characteristics I want to uphold. I will never ever show or talk about something I can’t stand by. I don’t think I could do this challenge with any other brand of socks.”

Throughout the whole 101 days, Desmond was outside working, running, hiking, climbing, traveling, and going on all sorts of side-quests every day. By his count, he ran roughly 200 miles during the 101 days.

In strict observance of what he understood to be the “rules,” Desmond never washed the socks but did air them out. He took the socks off while he showered after a run, turning them inside-out and laying them in the sun. They would dry quickly and develop a dusty residue after all the moisture wicked out. He would then pick them up immediately after his shower, shake out the dust, and put them back on.

It’s worth reiterating that his wife never used her veto power to end the challenge. The socks never became too stinky. Desmond’s video logs include instances where he asked others to give them the sniff test, and they passed every time.

We have plenty of data to back up everything we claim about the magic of Merino Wool. But if you can think of a more organic form of validation for Merino Wool’s odor-resistant properties, please let us know.

He Could Have Gone Longer

Desmond is confident that he could have gone way longer. He only stopped because a significantly messy Spartan Race offered a logical end date.

As it happened, Desmond planned on participating in a Spartan Race on the 101st day, which would expose his socks to extreme mud, sweat, and abuse. He knew the race was coming and felt good setting the bar at 101, so he decided that would be a good time to call it.

And that’s what he did.

Bringing the Socks Home

In September 2026, we flew Desmond and Caley to Vermont to visit the Darn Tough headquarters and see the Mill where his socks were knit. Little did they know, we also planned a proper award ceremony to crown Desmond as the new world record holder.

Desmond’s socks (still unwashed after that final Spartan Race) were retired, framed and immortalized with a commemorative plaque. Two official Darn Tough quality control experts examined them to confirm that they held up to the 101-day challenge. Darn Tough Founder & CEO Ric Cabot took the podium to express his gratitude and congratulate both Desmond and Caley. Multiple news outlets were in attendance.

This record was a tongue-in-cheek challenge until Desmond came along. He took it so far that it now deserves to be recognized among the great challenges in human history.

Even Caley expressed respect for what at first seemed like a ridiculous thing to do. “This may seem like a silly challenge,” she says, “but it’s also a test to grit and what you’re willing to go through to really test something out.”

The bar is currently set to 101 days, and in Desmond’s own words, “Records are meant to be broken.”

Your move…