Winter Fails: Real Darn Tough Employees. Real Snowy Darn Its.

Think your winter adventures are tough? Our socks are tougher — guaranteed. We’re revealing some of our team’s most embarrassing winter "Darn It." moments. Check out why our socks are the MVPs, saving more toes and spirits than we can count.

And next time you pack for skiing, sledding, or snowshoeing, toss a pair or two in your bag. Your feet will stay warm, dry, and cozy, to the envy of your friends.

One Stair

During my senior year at UVM, I slipped on the ice and broke my arm. The kicker? It was only one stair. I had to arrange for a proxy to take all my midterms because it was my dominant arm that broke! Luckily, my lease specified that the landlords were supposed to salt and shovel the stairs. So, they had to cover my medical bills.

Courtney L., Marketing

Sock We'd Recommend for This Darn It: Women's Apres Shorty Heavyweight

If, like Courtney, you’re planning to ice skate on a stair to avoid exams or work, we recommend our Après Shorty socks for cozy recovery and healing time. Maybe with the new time on your hands, you’ll consider how bad an idea that was.

Ignorance Is Bliss?

2022 was my second winter in Vermont. I moved from Texas and tried cross-country skiing at Bolton with my college friend Casey, her friend Andrea, and Andrea's two sisters. They had skied before; Andrea and I had not. But I pride myself on being adventurous, so I rented gear and joined in.

Even the little rolling hills or mounds were intimidating. I was huffing to keep up and focused on not sliding backward, while Andrea’s morale waned. Then we reached the big hill — a gradual turn to the right. Everyone paused at the top. In my infinite wisdom, I said, "I can go first." 

I shuffled toward the edge — step, breath, step — then gravity took over. The first two seconds were fun, but suddenly I was speeding uncontrollably, and I had no idea how to stop. My skis wouldn't turn, and I was headed straight for a tree. Everyone was yelling, “PIZZA! PIZZA!” and I wondered how my favorite food was supposed to help. 

Something caught my ski — game over. I tried to relax as I faceplanted into the snowbank, snow filling my nostrils, ears, and mouth. I lost my glasses and one ski, but quickly righted myself to tell everyone, “I’m alive!” Luckily, I was wearing Darn Tough Over the Calf socks, which kept my feet and legs warm despite the snow everywhere. 

After that, Andrea and I hiked back and switched to snowshoes. To this day, I stick to snowshoes.

Liz F., Product

Sock We'd Recommend for This Darn It: Women's Swirlwind Over-the-Calf

Bravo, Liz. We admire your courage, and we’re glad to hear our socks protected your snow-covered soles from the elements. We’re considering re-labeling this a “Heck, yeah, we have a sock for that,” story.

Premature Celebration

I grew up in ski school, and in my last year, I joined the most advanced group — just five students. Near the end of a lesson, someone suggested we descend into a double black diamond glade.

“Ok, this will be tough,” I thought, “but we've done hard glades before.” Then we entered the glade. One side of the trail went straight up, the other straight down, leaving a narrow path too tight to turn, too steep to dream of slowing down. My heart pounding, breath held; I navigated through. When I saw the trail connected to the main trail ahead, I felt ecstatic relief; I had survived! 

Never celebrate too early. In the last 10 feet, I slipped on an icy patch and fell straight toward a tree marking the trail boundary. My skis flew off, poles went in different directions, and my right foot struck the tree hard. I spun onto the main trail on my back.

Somehow uninjured, I noticed a large chunk of tree bark embedded in my boot — no longer a ski boot, but a “trunk boot.” I spent the next several minutes trying to dig wood chunks out.

Jenny Hastings, Marketing

Sock We'd Recommend for This Darn It: Women's Outer Limits Over-the-Calf

Thanks for the reminder not to throw a victory wave until the trail, or run, is in the rearview, Jenny. We know our limits and admire you for testing yours. We’d recommend the Women's Outer Limits socks next time you venture out to speed-queen the double blacks.

Sled-less Sledding

Last year, I took my cousin skiing. He’d skied a few times before, but it had been years since his last run. He had a decent grasp, so I decided to skip the bunny hill and head straight for Sherman's Pass, an easy green trail down the mountain.

About halfway up the chairlift, I realized Sherman's Pass was closed. Panic flickered, and I awkwardly chuckled. My cousin asked, "What's so funny?" I responded, "Hope you're ready for your first blue." He thought I was joking, but I explained that the only green trail was closed. His face turned pale, but I reassured him we'd get down safely.

After a few steep winding turns, the trail got even steeper. I could foresee the high risk of him getting injured. So, I told him to unclip and slide down on his butt. He did and went flying. He hit 25 mph in his new snowpants, and I struggled to keep up on the icy terrain, laughing hysterically. Luckily, he still considers me a cousin and friend, but I'll be darned if the story isn’t a crowd-pleaser at our annual family holiday party.

Dana A., Marketing

Sock We'd Recommend for This Darn It: Steep Lines Over-the-Calf

Dana, we’re never going skiing with you. We hope you get your cousin a lower-body massage, the Steep Lines socks, and a sled for the next time you take him “skiing.”

Mud Season Madness

In 2022, mud season in VT was one of the worst I have seen. Our road was so bad that my partner and I had to park at the bottom and walk to and from our house. This didn’t stop us from getting as many ski days in as we could.

As I was walking down the road to the car, I saw a section that looked sturdy enough, but unfortunately, it turned out to be a deep, soupy mess! I sank up to my knees (Darn It!), but my Darn Tough socks kept me clean and dry.

Katelyn M., Finance

Katelyn, we commend you. If only our socks also served as floatation devices to keep you upright. Next time you’re up to your knees in Vermont’s finest, we suggest the Due North socks.

Sock We'd Recommend for This Darn It: Due North Over-the-Calf Midweight Ski & Snowboard Socks

Binding Not Bound

Make sure you check your bindings for snow and ice, people. Your ski might not be on and fully secured. Darn It.

Suzanne H., Customer Service

Sock We'd Recommend for This Darn It: Women's Oslo Nordic Boot

Way to put the traumatic experience behind you, but remember the lesson, Suzanna. We hope you were wearing the Women's Oslo socks to keep your feet warm and comfortable amidst the ski fail.

Bum-mer

When I was in Junior High, my family and I went on winter break vacation. Shortly after arriving at the resort, we decided to go sledding. Little did I know that this activity would lead to a painful mishap. On my first run down the hill, I hit an icy bump, went airborne, crashed, and bruised my tailbone.

The rest of the vacation became a painful ordeal, spent on the couch while my brother happily enjoyed the winter activities. I couldn’t help but feel the unfairness of the situation. To this day, I haven’t gone sledding since. Luckily, this was before the era of cellphones, so there is no photographic evidence of my mishap.

Laura W., Human Resources

Sock We'd Recommend for This Darn It: Women's Mountaineering Over-the-Calf

For more padding and less bruising in future sledding endeavors, try our Mountaineering socks. Or wear them to stay stylishly warm while lamenting your snowbound fate. If you would like to try for a “next time,” maybe it’s time to suggest to our Product Team they develop full-cushioning OTH (over-the-hips) socks.

Can-sicle Miracle

A few years ago — as you can tell by the cassette aux cord and the standard transmission in the photo — was the one time I left my opened seltzer in the car… while parked at Smugglers Notch on a freezing but amazing powder day.

Even though the can was opened, it managed to explode everywhere and then refreeze. The science still doesn't make sense to me.

Marcos B., Product

We have three words for you, Marcos: Merino. Can. Sleeve.*

*We knit these on special occasions. Sign up for texts to be the first to know when the next one drops. 

Repeated Faceplants

When I was teaching English in Japan, I joined a school ski trip with the middle school students. I was always a mediocre snowboarder. Even when I got relatively good, I would faceplant regularly. And on that mountain, the ski lift went directly over the main slope that you went down. The result was that my students and coworkers could watch me faceplant repeatedly throughout the day from a bird's-eye view.

At the end of the day, my coworkers said, “Wow, you really work hard.”

Persistence is a cultural value in Japan, but because I didn't fully understand cross-cultural communication, I couldn’t tell if they genuinely admired and respected my repeated efforts or thought that I was a total imbecile. It felt more like they were thinking, “Why did you choose to come on this ski trip with us if you're so bad at it?”

Kat H., Marketing

Sock We'd Recommend for This Darn It: Women's Yeti Over-the-Calf

Well, we think you’re awesome, Kat. And next time you head out for a full face and body plant snowboarding sesh, we advise wearing the Yeti Over-the-Calf socks.

Smell Something?

The celebrated flow state, when every worry, thought, and impulse drifts away to reveal the immaculate present moment. Some skiers wait their entire lives. I tapped into it on my third day of skiing.

I was nine, on spring break in Vermont, and I was set loose alone on the lower slopes of Mt. Ellen. Around midday, during a sunny lift ride, nature called. But I was already moving so fast that I could take another run and still get down in time to use the restroom.

The next lift ride made my urgency much clearer. Five more minutes, and I’d be marching my rental boots through the men’s room at the base lodge. I raised the bar, tips up, scooted, and immediately shut off my brain. I was linking turns, slashing corn, taking the luge lane through side hits and scraggly glades.

Then, I was back on the lift — not in the lodge or restroom, but on the slowest quad east of the Mississippi. Going up. Now, I’m panicking. Counting poles to the top. Calculate the descent. Check for loose clothing, tips up, ready to unload.

Finally, I’m off the chair and tucking. But this trail is a green square, and my 70-pound body is carrying the momentum of a paper boat in a city fountain. I’m not even halfway down when I pizza, snowplow to a standstill, and surrender to the warm flow. No shame, no fight, no eye contact with the dozens of oblivious skiers passing me by. When I’d thoroughly soaked my snow pants, I pushed off, made my way downhill, and immediately got back on the lift to keep skiing.

I skied for another three hours, thoroughly soaked and chilled from the waist down, until my granddad picked me up. I slipped into the back seat, blissed out, exhausted, and stinking like urine.

Ted R., Marketing

Sock We'd Recommend for This Darn It: Kids Penguin Peak Over-the-Calf

Flow states happen, Ted. We admire your dedication to the no-nature-breaks ski method. We would advise little Ted to rock the penguin sock that never stops, either.