Darn Tough goes cush at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market
Made in the USA? Check. Unconditional lifetime warranty? Yup. Dozens of styles with hundreds of funky colors? Ok, you get it. Darn Tough has a lot to blow their horns about. Socks don’t get a lot of fanfare, after all, they are just sock, right? When you consider just how much abuse your feet take during any given activity, it’s good to know that there is a company that puts a lot of thought into cushioning our sweet little piggies. At this summer’s Outdoor Retailer, Darn Tough unveiled a new addition to their sock collection that is sure to become a fast favorite.
The Darn Tough booth reflected their Vermont roots and healthy love for socks at Outdoor Retailer 2012 Summer Market. (Photo: Ryan Malavolta – UtahOutside.com)
The Light Cushion Run/Bike sock is for athletes looking to add some padding to their feet without losing the low profile feel of their normal socks. Darn Tough used a lighter-weight yarn and a higher density knitting to create just such hosiery. At their booth, I compared one of the new Light Cushion socks with their traditional running sock, and yes, you can feel a big difference. The Light Cushion is super plush and felt very nice against my skin. Four different densities of fabric are used throughout the sock to allow for moisture wicking, breathability and flex. I didn’t know you could wrap your feet in so much technology. The socks come in quarter length ($17) and no-show ($14) styles and will be available in Spring 2013.
These socks are tough as nails and guaranteed for life. (Photo: Ryan Malavolta – UtahOutside.com)
If you think making only one change to an entire product line isn’t quite enough, think again. Darn Tough has the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality. They have been making kick-ass socks for a long time, and sometimes it’s tough to justify changing too much with no cause. After all, these socks are guaranteed for life, which shows just how highly they regard their product. There was another reason I stopped by their booth…delicious Vermont soft serve ice cream! It was a nice taste of home for this former East Coaster. Socks that never die and vanilla ice cream? Yes, that is a business model I can rally around!
Ice cream man! The other best thing to come out of Vermont: soft serve cones. (Photo: Ryan Malavolta – UtahOutside.com)
