The Alternate Stitch

There are a lot of types of socks; trust us, we know. Working at a sock company, you quickly learn that there are so many different types of socks, with no shortage of ways to group and categorize them. To make things a little bit easier, we made a (mostly) comprehensive, no-nonsense guide on all types of socks. 

In this post we’re cover the finer points of sock materials, from yarn selection to construction, answering questions like: Is 100% Merino Wool good quality?
Can you have 100% wool socks? What percent of Merino Wool in socks is best? The answers are more nuanced than you might think.

Merino Wool is the ultimate performance fiber; however not everyone wears Wool. That shouldn't stop you from receiving our Lifetime Guarantee. Learn more about Coolmax, a vegan fiber with similar properties to Merino wool.

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.

Should running socks be thick or thin? We’ll lay out the pros for each, but the biggest factor is personal preference. What might work for one person might not work for another.

Sometimes you have to look deep and ask yourself the age-old questions: Am I living up to my full potential? Does a falling tree demand an audience? And should I, or should I not, wear my socks to sleep?

From boots to helmet, by the time you get on the mountain, it could seem like you’re swimming in gear. You might be wondering; do I need ski socks? Or maybe, what are the best ski socks? Let's dive into it. 

And after keeping your feet cool and fresh all summer, Merino Wool socks are still going to be your warmest socks and the best socks for winter. Let’s celebrate 5-ish reasons why Merino Wool makes the best warm winter socks.

While most people don’t really want to talk about their sweat, or hear about other people’s sweat, there is a lot of value in speaking from experience and learning lessons from others. 

One of the principal rules of hiking, especially multiple-day outings, is to take care of your feet. This means keeping your feet dry, warm in cold weather, and cool in hot weather with no sock slipping or bunching. The question is, do you need hiking socks to do that?

In this post, we’re going to cover how you should go about choosing the right pair of running socks. We’ll discuss the importance of running socks, what key features to look for, and what about Darn Tough Running socks make them the gold standard for every runner, from beginner level to elite professional.

Do you struggle to find socks that fit your small feet properly? Well... You're in the right place. Susie (shoe size 4) shares her tips, tricks, and solutions to find socks that fit just right, without the heels riding up past your ankles.

Why are some socks expensive? Are expensive socks worth it? These are legit questions with prices going up. So if a multi-pack of cotton socks costs the same as a single pair of Darn Tough Vermont Merino Wool socks, why not just go the less expensive route?

We make a lot of men’s hiking socks. Good ones, too. With a goal to make your purchase easier — and to create some passionate responses internally — we went ahead and picked our “best hiking socks” (at least for this year).

We knit a lot of hiking socks. Specifically (at the time this post was written), we knit 48 different styles alone in women’s hiking socks. Safe to say, like any parent, we’re proud of all our socks. But today, we thought we’d lay out our buyer’s guide to the best women’s hiking socks.

We choose Merino Wool because it’s wildly resilient and incredibly versatile. Two great things for hiking socks, snowboard socks, skiing socks, running socks, and every sock in between. You might be wondering why Merino Wool is so perfect as a sock material, so we’re covering what is it and how it’s different from regular wool.

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.

What makes Darn Tough hiking socks so good? And, with dozens of styles and designs to choose from, how do you pick the right pair for you? In this post, I’ll guide you through how to choose the best socks for your next hike, whether that’s a quick jaunt to your favorite local spot, or a several-thousand-mile-long trek.

We only make one thing — socks. And since ours are designed to last a lifetime, we’re jumping straight into the quirky history of what people have worn between foot and footwear over the last 5,000 years or so.

The best sock is one you want to wear every day, and we can help you find it. The secret, they say, is letting the sock choose you. But for someone with a lifestyle as adventurous and spontaneous as yours, we feel you might need a little help.

Why do socks exist? Sounds like a question a fuzzy-eyebrowed professor might scrawl on a blackboard during a college philosophy course. Since we’re talking socks, let’s bring that navel-gazing proposition closer to the ground with the top five reasons why socks matter (We know you saw this spoiler coming: Socks do have a purpose. Multiple actually).