Darn Tough Vermont Socks – What a Cycling Sock Should Be

Darn Tough Vermont

Darn Tough Vermont brought Christmas to me early. For Christmas gifts, I don‘t usually ask for anything practical. I figure I can buy myself practical things anytime. I prefer frivolous.  There has been one glaring exception to this: cycling socks. I have included socks on my lists and have come away from each of the last several Christmases with some of the best cycling socks out there.

This year I didn‘t have to wait until December to be given some new cycling socks. Darn Tough came on as a sponsor for Team Hungry Hippos and provided myself and my teammate with several pairs of Darn Tough Vermont Merino Wool Micro Crew socks.

The words darn tough might conjure images of heavy, over-padded, and uncomfortable socks. Not so. The Micro Crew is a lightweight sock with increased support and padding only where needed in the high wear toe and heel areas while having mesh knitting on the top of the foot to enhance breathability and comfort.

As I mentioned in my Gaerne review, comfort is a high priority for me. The Darn Tough Vermont socks definitely don‘t disappoint in that regards either. The strategically placed elastic support provides a next-to-skin fit that eliminates both bunching and movement of the sock during pedaling.  A stationary sock is vitally important during an activity such as endurance cycling. Doing a little math, on a 6 hour training ride with an average cadence of 90 RPMs, my feet go through the pedal stroke 32,400 times. Even the slightest relative movement between my foot and the sock would be highly exaggerated over that many revolutions and could easily lead to blistering. In addition, bunching of the sock would provide a prime location for hot spots to form during the ride. In all my miles with the Darn Tough Vermont Micro Crew socks over the summer and continuing now into the fall, there was never even the slightest hint of movement or bunching.

Team Hungry Hippo

The Darn Tough Vermont Micro Crew socks also have one of the highest usable ranges with regards to temperature of any sock I have ever worn. Training in the Arkansas summer, the ride through the California desert and Sierra Nevada mountains, and the approaching winter here at home all showed just how truly multi-seasonal these socks are. Training at home through the summer meant I was often out in temperatures well into the 90s. When teamed with the Gaerne Carbon G.Air shoe, my feet never were clammy or sweaty. The breathability of the Darn Tough socks helped keep my feet dry and happy. Continuing to wear the socks well into the fall, I have also found that they can be worn sans toe/shoe covers even with temperatures into the low 40s. The ride in the Sierra Nevadas had a start temperature of around 90 degrees in the desert. By early evening we were undulating at an elevation of around 8,000 feet and the temperature was in the 40s. At total dark, it was down to the low 30s, and by 10 PM, the temperature was holding steady at 22 degrees. The Darn Tough Micro Crew performed beyond expectation, especially as the temperature plummeted. By adding toe and shoe covers, this is truly an all-season sock.

Darn Tough socks are just that. Well, not just that. They are also amazingly comfortable. However, don‘t fret that the comfort from the ultra-light Micro Crew socks comes at the expense of longevity. Darn Tough stands behind every one of their products with an impressive unconditional lifetime guarantee. As stated on their website, If our socks are not the most comfortable, durable and best fitting socks you have ever owned, return them for another pair, or your money back. No strings. No conditions. For life.

Darn Tough Vermont has definitely raised the bar on what a cycling sock can and should be. All Darn Tough socks are made at the third generation family-owned Cabot Hosiery Mills in Northfield, Vermont. Since opening in 1978, the Cabot Hosiery Mill has done nothing but make socks, and the current offerings show that they have definitely perfected the art over the past 35 years. To learn a little more about the company, check out Brian‘s piece Darn Tough Vermont’”Proudly American.

The Darn Tough Vermont Micro Crew retails for $17.00.  It and all other styles can be ordered directly from Darn Tough Vermont on their website at darntough.com

– Alex (Steak Sauce)

Disclosure of Material Connection: We received our Darn Tough Vermont Socks for free from Darn Tough Vermont, in consideration for review publication