Amelia is one of our RE ambassadors for 2018/19. She is very active in the community and is one of the makers of the maps we all know and love, Cairn Cartography! We began carrying the popular brand, Darn Tough, and we wanted Amelia to share her thoughts on the wool socks made in Vermont. You can also follow her adventures on instagram @cairncarto, as well as on facebook.
Darn Tough Vertex ¼ Sock Review
The week before every big race I do, I find my way down to Runner’s Edge and pick out a brand new pair of socks to wear on race day. I usually buy something I’ve worn before so I’m not trying something new on race day, but having new socks to put on gets me excited to run hard and feels like a nice gift to my feet for all the hard work they have put in leading up to race day.
I started to write that I’m not particularly picky about which socks I choose for my race-day present, but I realized that’s not true. I am pretty particular about my socks. I like them to be wool, or mostly wool, I like short no-show socks unless it’s brushy or snowy and then I like some of my ankle covered. I like my socks pretty thin, and I really dislike toe socks. Finally, I try to buy all my gear from companies with a conscience. All that means I was pretty excited to review both the light and ultra light version of the Darn Tough Vertex ¼ socks this month!
My first impression when I took the socks out of their packaging was that they were really soft and super cute. The days of a pack of 10 all-white cotton crew socks are long gone, and it takes some good design for socks to stand out on the wall in today’s market. These come in cheerful color options that I really like.
Darn Tough is a family owned business based in Vermont, close the where I grew up, and they still make all their socks at their mill in Northfield, Vermont. They offer a lifetime guarantee, on socks, and pride themselves on products that are built to last.
I have a confession to make: I love the idea behind Darn Tough but until recently I really didn’t like Darn Tough socks. They use a higher percentage 
of nylon than other wool sock brands which makes their socks much more durable, but it also makes some of their thicker hiking socks feel really thick 
and unbreathable. For years I’ve gotten a pair of their heavy-weight hiking socks every year for Christmas, and every time I wear them my shoes feel too tight and my feet end up a sweaty clammy mess.
In the last few years I’ve started coming around, and after trying these ¼ socks I’m a big fan. I’ve spent a lot of time running with wet feet lately and the ¼ sock height is perfect for cold, muddy, slushy conditions, and even when my feet are soaked they feel warm and comfortable. Another issue I’ve had with Darn Tough socks in the past is the ankle feeling too tight, but these feel soft and comfortable without being so loose they fall down. I didn’t have any issues with bunching or falling down or slipping or any other problems with the way they fit. Mostly I forgot I was even wearing them until I went to take them off and realized my feet were much wetter than I realized, which is a good sign I think. I’ve been known to get holes in the toes of my socks after just a few wears but these, like all Darn Toughs are built to last.
I highly recommend you try these out if you are looking for some new socks to add to your drawer. Especially if you haven’t always loved Darn Tough socks in the past. Thanks for reading!
