Gifting Under Pressure: Staff Picks to Gift This Holiday

A darn tough employee holding the Bear Town sock, her go-to Christmas gift idea

“One can never have enough socks,” said Dumbledore. “Another holiday has come and gone, and I didn’t get a single pair.” Your favorite Professor may be a fictional character from Harry Potter, but his words still resonate with us. Mainly because it’s true… one can never have enough socks.

So, for this holiday season (in between binges of your favorite holiday movies) we invite you to shop our (limited) selection of staff picks.

For this round, we put our crew into a similar situation you might encounter when visiting a retail store that’s low on inventory. We don’t normally face that issue… we just wait for the sock that we want. But here’s what our staff would pick when shopping for loved ones when faced with an empty sock rack. It’s called gifting under pressure.

Casey – Knitter

Casey at the Mill holding the VanGrizzle socks with bald eagles on them

“This is one of the hardest socks to knit, but still my favorite.”

Casey’s obviously not afraid of needles – seven years on the knitting floor will do that. Not to mention his 24 piercings. With a name like Casey Jones, one would say he’s more qualified to drive a train than operate a knitting machine. But as a veteran 1st shift knitter, Casey appreciates style even if that means more work for him. And because he knows his son will love finding the VanGrizzle boot sock in his stocking.

Shop VanGrizzle

Rachel – Floater

Rachel at the Mill holding the Duck Duck Moose sock with a fun duck design, with a few hidden moose

“They’re soft, comfy, and have moose on them.”

In her 18 months at Darn Tough, Rachel has done a little bit of everything – including master the art of gift giving. Although she wears many hats, her responsibilities as a floater require that she also wear socks (and closed toe shoes for safety). But she’s always on the hunt to find socks for her friends and family – like the Duck Duck Moose – which honors nature in New England. And because, Rachel says, they’re cute.

Shop Duck Duck Moose

Joe – Training Coordinator

Joe holding the Women's animal house striped socks with flying pigs

“My family knows socks. So, I know my daughter will love these.”

For Joe, work is a family affair. His dad and brother both work at Darn Tough, so you could say his family knows a thing or two. Even though Joe is the least tenured of his namesake, that doesn’t stop him from flying with the best of them. In fact, Joe prefers things that fly because his daughter does too – like the pigs on this colorful Animal Haus sock. However unlikely, it’s still more believable than our socks ever losing their fit. 

Shop Animal Haus

Dixie – Program Developer

Dixie holding the Bear Town sock, her go-to Christmas gift idea

“This sock is perfect – it’s the best of both worlds.”

In Bear Town, comfort and style run deep (and always together). Almost as deep as the purple running down Dixie’s roots. But that’s why she loves coming to work every day. The freedom of self-expression is a common thread that keeps our walls so tight-knit, and it’s what brings Dixie joy after serving nearly 18 years. And this holiday season, she’s sure the Bear Town will bring the same level of happiness for her daughter. 

Shop Bear Town

Lyn – VP of Product

Lyn holding up the Number 2 sock with a rocket ship outhouse. You heard that right.

“Hiking with my family in Vermont is the best gift I could ask for.”

Lyn loves her family like we guarantee our socks… unconditionally. When she’s not blasting up Camel’s Hump with her record-setting son, Ben, you can find her hard at work producing the socks we all know and love. But even though the #2 is her first choice, the irreverence of it is why it tops her list this holiday season. And because it’s the first thing her son thinks about after his morning cup of joe. Go Ben!

Shop Number 2

Doug – 1st Shift Supervisor

Doug holding the Poppies men's dress sock, a great gift idea this holiday season

“This one is nice and one I wouldn’t normally buy.”

Doug’s had his hands on pretty much every sock we’ve knit this year – it’s part of his job. But one, he says, pops more than the rest. Maybe it’s the color or the subtle design of the tangled poppies, but this sock speaks to him. So much so that – even though it’s a men’s sock – he might just buy it for his mother.

(Poppies has been discontinued)

Lance – Line Technician

Lance holding the VanGrizzle sock with the buffalo on it

“The Buffalo on these socks reminds me of my Dad.”

We herd Lance leaves nothing to chance – like last minute shopping. Atta boy, Lance. And like the VanGrizzle sock he choose, he too knows someone (almost) as strong as a wild buffalo. His father. For not having free reign of being able to choose the perfect sock, Lance was surprised how easy it can be to shop for people you love, even in a pinch.

Shop VanGrizzle


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