Darn Tough No Show Tab Ultra Light Cushion Sock - Men's

I picked these up alongside a few other pairs of "high-end" socks for a backpacking trip through southeast asia. After reading through nearly a hundred different sock reviews (exciting I know), I finally decided on my final 3 pairs:Darn Tough Vermont Men's Merino Wool No-Show Light Cushion Athletic Socks, White/Gray, LargeDrymax Run Lite-Mesh Mini Crew Socks, Black/Grey, LargeThorlo Men's Experia CoolMax Micro Mini Crew Sock, White/Black, LargeI was trying to find a supersock that could:1. Withstand daily use through hot and humid climates2. Was comfortable enough to do large amounts of walking including mountain trekking, rock climbing, and other active sports3. Endure long periods of use without smelling4. Wash and dry fairly quickly/easily5. Wick away moisture to keep your feet dry and coolIt's now been over 1 year since I purchased these socks and since then they've been used extensively throughout all types of climates throughout the world. Here's how these socks have ranked out over time:COMFORT:1st - Thorlo Experia - This sock has padding in all the right places and the form fitting design makes the sock hug right to your foot. Probably the most comfortable sock I've ever worn.2nd - Darn Tough Wool - These socks are soft, thick, and comfortable. They offer plenty of padding when walking for extended periods of time. They do feel a bit bulkier than the Thorlos though, so they're better suited for cold weather than active use3rd - Drymax Run - The material in these just doesn't have the same softness or padding as the other socks. The fit isn't quite as form fitting, and the cushioning feel thin when walking for extended periods of timeDURABILITY: This category is a bit tough because all three soc have held up well over time. I still have yet to find a single hole, but I have noticed some thinning in a few areas.1st - Darn Tough - These socks are darn tough. No kidding. They are very thick and have a durable construction. No doubt these socks can last through long periods of use and abuse.2nd - Drymax - A bit thinner than the Darn Tough, but still resilient none the less. The elasticity of the sock did seem to wear out a bit over time though, so they felt a bit looser after owning them for a long time3rd - Thorlo Experia - It's tough to rank this one third, because I still have yet to wear this pair out. The only reason for this ranking is that the material in these socks is thinner than the other two. However, since these socks are padded in the toe and heel, these likely won't be wearing out any faster than the other two.COOLING ABILITY:1st - Thorlo Experia - The sock's thin material came through as a major plus in this category. These socks are both incredibly comfortable and incredibly breathable. They do a great job of wicking away moisture and keeping your feet cool.2nd - Drymax - These socks also do a fair job of keeping your feet cool and dry, but their thicker design means they feel less breathable than the Thorlos - as a result, they just don't offer the same level of comfort and cool3rd - Darn Tough - I was actually a bit disappointed with this sock. Due to the sock's thick construction, it doesn't feel nearly as breathable doesn't do a very good job of keeping your feet cool.DRY FACTOR:1st - Dry Max - Once again the sock manages to live up to its name. These socks were able to dry faster than the other two and were easiest to wash and dry than the competitors.2nd - Thorlo - These socks also did a very good job of drying. The main body of the sock would actually dry out faster than the DryMax. However, the padded heel and toe would take a bit longer due to their thickness.3rd - Darn Tough - Very poor performance in this category. When these socks get wet, they stay wet. Whenever I would sink-wash these socks, it would sometimes take almost a full 24 hours before they were completely dry.SMELL FACTOR:1st - Thorlo Experia - The socks thin construction plays to their favor again in this category. Because they are thin and breathable, the socks are able to ventilate better than the others, allowing for less build-up of bad odors.2nd - DryMax - These socks did a decent job at remaining odor-free. Because of their faster drying ability, they were good at preventing the build up of foul odors, and were very easy to wash and dry. The didn't ventilate quite as well as the Thorlos though.3rd - Darn Tough - Again, poor performance in this category. Unfortunately, moisture wasn't the only thing that they held onto. Due to their thicker construction, they did a much better job of retaining bad odors - even after sink washing them. I eventually had to give up on trying to wash them, and just hid them at the bottom of my bag until I could get them to a proper laundry machine.CONCLUSION:1st - Thorlo Experia - This sock gave the best overall performance by far. These ended being my go-to sock both while traveling and when heading to the gym at home. They offer exceptional comfort and cooling ability, and despite the 3rd place durability ranking, they are built to last. I would hands down recommend these over the other two brands for both travel and athletic performance.2nd - Who cares? - Do you really want to buy the second best sock? Just buy three pairs of Thorlos and save yourself the headache of having to read any more nail-biting reviews about socks.

This is my first pair of wool socks and I must say I really like them. I was afraid they would be too hot but I've been running around outside today in Florida, and it's like 90 degrees with a heat index of 107, and my feet feel great. Lifetime guarantee is icing on the cake. I will be ordering more as I've found my new favorite socks.I usually buy cotton socks that go up to size 12 but I ordered these in the XL. I wear a size 12 shoe and these definitely fit better.UPDATE: They are awesome so I ordered more. Can't give a better recommendation than that!

The first thing I noticed when receiving these socks is the warranty. On the packaging it says "Guaranteed for Life". If you are able to wear holes or otherwise prove Darn Tough socks you own are not functional in some way, Darn Tough will replace them for free. I have never seen this kind of guarantee on socks and that alone is worth the cost to me.When trying the socks on, the fit was snug but not so much that my feet were uncomfortable. I have a size 12 foot on the wide side and I ordered the large socks.These socks don't slip down your heel. They don't twist in side of your shoe. They don't smell when you take your shoes off and they which moisture better than any socks I've ever worn.I won't sugar coat this when I say my feet are in horrible condition. They crack, they bleed, they itch, and I have toenail fungus on top of all that.These socks prevent my feet from cracking and itching more than any cream or over-the-counter treatment I have tried. They are antibacterial as well so the fungus has stopped spreading to new parts of my toe nails.I've worn these socks for a couple days in a row while camping and the integrity of the features I've described are phenominal. I am now slowly starting to replace my old socks with these, ordering a few pair each paycheck. These are the best socks I've ever worn and the only socks I'll ever wear with tennis shoes again.

Ever since SmartWool changed their material mix for the worse, I've been on the hunt for a replacement. I run about 35 mile weeks in SoCal, so I care that my socks are both durable and wick moisture well.I didn't expect these socks to be made with black magic. (Am I supposed to capitalize "black magic" out of respect for its awesome power, or what?)I seriously wore these for a straight week (which happened to total ~35 miles) and they didn't smell. Even fresh from my foot immediately after a run, they only had the slightest hint of an odor. It's not like I don't sweat, either: by the third time wearing a given pair of running shorts, the smell makes even me gag. The only reason I stopped my experiment in wearing these socks over and over again to see if I could get them to smell is that my wife peer pressured me to wash them. Now that I know these are made with black magic, I'm not sure I can ever part with them, lest I risk the scorn of some ancient curse.I came for the running socks; I stayed for the soul-tapped magic.The socks are also comfortable as hell...way better than anything SmartWool ever put out. They're soft without stifling my feel of the road and they wick moisture away pretty well. I can't speak to their long-term durability, because I haven't put them through enough washes yet. I also can't yet speak to running in these in the rain, because I live in SoCal, and it practically never rains here.