The Alternate Stitch

Do your black socks reflect your personality? Should they? Are you brooding, mysterious, and a bit of a rebel? Or do you just think socks should remain the plain and simple workhorses you need them to be? Either way, black sock-lovers, we’re here for you.

I’m a World Record Holder. Three days in a row is all it took. It wasn’t intentional; I just couldn’t find a clean pair of socks for a few consecutive days, so I kept putting on the same pair of grey Darn Tough 1466 Hiker Micro Crews. 

We had the privilege of collaborating with Emma and Claire, the Salmon Sisters, to take our Work socks to the next level. What we found during that collaboration though was not just excellent sock feedback, but also two incredibly humble women with values we shared and characters we admired.

As of right now (February 10, 2023), I’m at mile 866 out of 1,287 miles of the Florida Trail. The trail starts in Big Cypress or “the swamp” (as most hikers refer to it), a 30 mile stretch through thigh deep mud and water, often labeled the “toughest stretch of hiking in the United States."

It’s rare to get mail these days. Well, rare to get real mail that isn’t coupons for things you don’t want or offers to buy your home. Unless you work in the Darn Tough warranty department―then you’ll get a lot of mail. Mail like this. 

If you know, you know. And if you don’t, that’s okay. Because for this round of Staff Picks, we talked to a few people who know best. We reached out to Darn Tough employees who have at least 10 years of service with the company and asked them to talk about their favorite socks. This is what we learned.

My name is Chris, I'm a Full Senior ski patroller, and this will be my 43rd winter wearing a red jacket with the white cross. Besides a love of skiing, I’ve got some opinions about safety, my socks, and how people can take care of their feet up on the mountain. I might just tell you about my favorite place to ski, also.