The Alternate Stitch

If you’re a runner, then your dream summer is likely full of races, training plans, bucket list routes, or adventure runs. But let’s be honest — those plans are probably decided by your brain. What about your feet? When was the last time you asked them about their perfect summer?

We take Merino Wool’s reputation seriously. Why don’t more people wear wool socks? We think these common Merino Wool myths have something to do with it.

At the heart of the Australian wool industry are the tens of thousands of woolgrowers who work tirelessly to look after their sheep and the land on which they graze. These woolgrowers have been the backbone of Australia for centuries, choosing to grow wool instead of other commodities.

Still not sure about Merino Wool? Check out our one stop guide about why we use it in our socks, learn about the benefits that come along using with it, and the history of Merino Wool.

Here at Darn Tough, we try to ensure that the wool that we use in our socks comes from happy, well-cared for sheep and farms that ensure their workers have fair and equal working conditions. When it comes to our wool, we follow the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS).

Don’t sleep on sheep. From the fleece that provides our Merino Wool to the extremes they thrive in, these animals themselves are an inspiration. They’ve been running around some of the most rugged places on the planet, in some of the most unforgiving weather conditions, for thousands of years.

The skin is our biggest organ. No wonder there’s lots of differing opinions and perceptions about what we wear on it. And in some times, and places, wool has carried a reputation for being scratchy, itchy, and even the cause of allergies. What if we told you that the case against wool wasn’t quite so black and white?

Merino Wool does a lot of amazing things naturally. I’m one of Darn Tough’s fiber nerds, and today I’m walk you through the top reasons why we love Merino Wool and all that it does to our feet, focusing on what’s behind its amazing natural abilities.

At Darn Tough, we consider Merino Wool to be one of the master strains of all sock materials. When it’s spun together with Nylon and Lycra Spandex, it creates a longer lasting sock that strengthens wear zones and holds its fit for days. We're taking a look at how Merino Wool stacks up against other sock materials.

Veteran skiers and riders know it well. That pervasive fragrance wafting from baseboards, radiators, heat ducts, or wherever warm air meets a drying boot liner. Eau du boot: something only a seasoned lover of the mountains might find remotely nostalgic, evidence of a hard day spent on the hill.

The Merino Wool story is full of top-notch historical characters and plot twists (steal a sheep and get beheaded on order of the King, oh my!). So we’ll do our best to condense the tale of how we got from wild sheep shredding the hills to our current and future source of naturally warm and moisture-controlling fabric.

Merino Wool is still the king — nothing comes close to providing the same performance and protection, especially when hiking 15 miles up and down mountains in fresh snow.

Here’s how Darn Tough uses the advantages of Merino Wool to make socks that work in all seasons: warm in the winter, cool in the summer, dry and breathable all the time. If that sounds like a wild sheep chase, read on to find out more.

You can grow old appreciating socks, but you grow wise appreciating Merino Wool socks. And if there’s something we feel comfortable with, it’s experience with the best wool socks.