The Alternate Stitch

Moisture-wicking, durable, breathable, and thermoregulating, Darn Tough Tactical socks are first on foot for a reason and always your first line of defense. They help prevent blisters, thwart hotspots, and are the first – and best – choice for military and government personnel.

Years before owning Alpenglow Sports, Brendan Madigan’s experience in retail began like many other folks who’d moved to Lake Tahoe, chasing a powdery dream. What sets Brendan apart is a combination of thoughtful, compassionate focus on the greater good with the sort of drive it takes to skin thousands of feet up a mountain before clocking in to work the floor all day.

In 2013, The Rut Mountain Runs started off as a 50k and 12k race. We connected with Mike Foote, event organizer for the Rut, to learn more about his passion for trail running and what it takes to pull off one of the largest trail running festivals in North America.

This is everything I’m doing to get me and my dog Lassen ready to thru hike the Oregon Coast Trail. If you’re planning on doing a thru hike with your dog, I hope you find this helpful.

We recently put together a gear checklist, we made sure to ask hikers about their gear – particularly which items have helped them the most and any they thought were unique or worth sharing.

I remember reading someone’s story about camping with a friend, and how they kept rolling over in their sleeping bag, unable to get to sleep. The friend, a grizzled veteran, woke up and muttered, “Change your socks.” The writer did just that, putting on a dry pair of socks, and fell asleep soon after.

We recently hit 100,000 5-star reviews on our website. We wanted to express our deepest gratitude to all our customers who have taken the time to share their Darn Tough love with the world. We wouldn’t be where we are today without all the unwavering support from our fans.

The Long Trail (LT) of Vermont is a 272-mile hiking route that follows the main ridge of the Green Mountains from the Vermont-Massachusetts border all the way to Canada. Steeped in rich history, the Long Trail is America’s oldest long-distance hiking trail, conceived in 1910 by the Green Mountain Club.

We love reading reviews and have noticed the large amount asking for more bright socks. Even though our best-selling socks are consistently gray or black socks, we take customer feedback to heart. So, we made a ton of bright colored socks, and we decided to highlight a few of our favorite reviews and respond directly.

Last summer, I became the second fastest person in the world to complete the Appalachian Trail (AT), completing a supported Northbound faster than the famous Scott Jurek. The odyssey isn't over yet. I pursue my dream of setting a new fastest known time (FKT) on the AT.

I’m a World Record Holder. Three days in a row is all it took. It wasn’t intentional; I just couldn’t find a clean pair of socks for a few consecutive days, so I kept putting on the same pair of grey Darn Tough 1466 Hiker Micro Crews. 

We had the privilege of collaborating with Emma and Claire, the Salmon Sisters, to take our Work socks to the next level. What we found during that collaboration though was not just excellent sock feedback, but also two incredibly humble women with values we shared and characters we admired.

As of right now (February 10, 2023), I’m at mile 866 out of 1,287 miles of the Florida Trail. The trail starts in Big Cypress or “the swamp” (as most hikers refer to it), a 30 mile stretch through thigh deep mud and water, often labeled the “toughest stretch of hiking in the United States."

Have you ever gone out to say, a bar, or a hip restaurant, or even camping and thought: GEE I COULD SEE THIS BEER, WINE, COCKTAIL, MOCKTAIL pairing up nicely with... WAIT FOR IT… A PAIR OF Darn Tough socks!...

If you’re settling into the colder season and looking forward to cooking some cozy meals inside while wearing cozy, warm socks, try this recipe for Coconut Curry Fish Soup from the Salmon Sisters' cookbook.

My name is Chris, I'm a Full Senior ski patroller, and this will be my 43rd winter wearing a red jacket with the white cross. Besides a love of skiing, I’ve got some opinions about safety, my socks, and how people can take care of their feet up on the mountain. I might just tell you about my favorite place to ski, also.

The holiday season is coming, and one of our family traditions is to gift good socks to everyone on our list. We've been wearing Darn Tough socks for years now and love them for their warmth and moisture-wicking Merino Wool.

SAFE AS are one-day clinic teaching intro to avalanche safety. We started it to encourage more women to get the education needed and that quickly developed into a full-on program for everyone. 

A group of us at Darn Tough had the opportunity to participate in Trail Magic this July, and this is our story. But first, let’s pull back the curtain a bit to uncover what secrets aid in the pull of Trail Magic’s supernatural attraction.

I rolled through the mile 21 aid station where my first drop bag was located. I changed to a dry shirt and hat, refilled my gel cache, and started down the hill out of the crowd. I was already clicking off a great pace and felt outstanding.

For a race that only started in 2016, Broken Arrow has grown to become one of the best trail races in America. Specifically, it boasts a deep field of elite runners vying for spots on team USA and a large prize purse. The marquee events include a vertical kilometer (VK), 52k and 26k. I’ll be running the VK and the 26k.