The Alternate Stitch

It was ol’ Benny Franks who once said, “in this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes.” It’s too bad he didn’t get to live long enough to be introduced to Darn Tough, because this humble sock company has a certainty that would blast his socks off quicker than flying a kite in a thunderstorm—their Unconditional Lifetime Guarantee.

If our socks aren’t the most comfortable, durable, best fitting socks you’ve ever owned, you can return them for another pair. We hear the most questions and feedback from you about the last piece of that promise – fit. Fit is constantly on our minds, and here's what we’ve learned about how socks should fit and why.

At Darn Tough, we back every sock with our Unconditional Lifetime Guarantee: if our socks aren’t the most comfortable, durable, and best fitting socks, you can return them for another pair. Durability sits in the center of that promise. But what makes Darn Tough socks so… tough?

Why does comfort matter, what is comfort, and lastly, how do we make Darn Tough socks so comfy that we’re confident in our promise that we knit the most comfortable socks and back it with a lifetime guarantee?

“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.

We get a decent stream of mail and comments asking how can we possibly offer an Unconditionally Lifetime Guarantee on our socks. So, let’s get right into the how and why behind making socks with a lifetime warranty.

When asked, if I would be interested in taking part in an art project to celebrate our Knit to Give program with local students, I was initially hesitant, only because I have had very little exposure around kids in my adult life. But then, I realized the students are the same age I was when I was introduced to art.

We believe, together, we can create a universal shift in adventure sports that expands what is possible for those who have faced life-changing injuries. Since its inception in 2009, The High Five Foundations has helped over 480 athletes and veterans. 

We take you on a closer look into how we design socks, from the research and development to knit-downs and fit testing. No worries, we’ll walk you those terms in a moment, but first let us show you.

Summer in Vermont is often considered a sock-less season. But at our Mill, we know better than to assume people are strictly shoes-off. And, like you, we’re curious which Darn Tough socks offer the best fit for summer, so we turned to our experts.

Employees guide goat leather through industrial-grade needles. The dance of hand-making leather gloves rewinds the clock to an era when nearly all textile products purchased in the US were produced in the US. The front sign says it all: “Vermont Glove Since 1920: Actually Made in Randolph, VT."

In my opinion, the best biking on the East Coast is in Vermont. The best biking in Vermont is at Perry Hill. Bicycle Express Racing, WATA VT, and Darn Tough banded together to remediate an eroded climbing trail that took riders to the progression focused trails of S'mores and Campfire.

To me, the coolest aspect of this project is that it sets aside the “compromise” nature of some upcycled products. This isn’t a conversion of some old jeans into a bag or a yogurt container into a flowerpot: This is a primary-use manufacture that puts wool waste from Darn Tough Socks at near-zero. 

What better way to launch the Knit to Give sock series, we figured, than by collaborating with local artists? With its farm-fresh look featuring a wheelbarrow, Holsteins, chickens, and more, the Barnyard sock in particular seemed like a perfect match for Vermont barn quilt artist Megan Beachum at Crow Bar D’signs.

Introducing ‘Knit to Give’ – a series of socks giving all profits directly to the Vermont Foodbank. You’ve seen us commit to a few days a year where we would donate profits from the website, which was wonderful don’t get us wrong – you helped us donate one million meals that way – but we wanted more.

In 2022, the CDTC is celebrating 10 years of supporting their mission to complete, promote, and protect the Continental Divide Trail. Last summer, we launched a sock collaboration with them to give back to that mission.

This spring, we started knitting socks using yarn we had excess stock of, yarn that had no future to become a sock if we didn’t seek out a solution. Knitting socks with overstock yarns helps us out in two ways.

If you work at Darn Tough, you’re family. And we’re privileged to be part of this family, full of good people, people who care, who are passionate to make a difference. Recently, we had the honor of a family member...

It was my 2nd day on the job at Darn Tough Vermont when Ric Cabot, our Founder and CEO, sat near my desk, sighed, and asked “So, … what is Quality?” Ric likes to ask open questions like that, like most people who are more interested in the discussion than the answer.

One Million Meals. This Giving Tuesday, you helped us donate our millionth meal to the Vermont Foodbank. A million meals to people facing hunger, right in our own community. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

T’was the night of sock giving, a drink was secured,
With laptop full charge, and the armchair reserved;
There were names on a list, but no presents to match,
So off to Darn Tough with an itch they could scratch.